How to use ancestry to trace old occupations

There’s never been so many well-stocked sources of historic photographs online. We’ve tried to pull together some examples of regional image libraries, as well as useful nationwide resources. While ma

A collection of educational records that are of great use to family historians is exclusively available on Findmypast (findmypast. co.uk). ‘National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870–1914’ (

If your ancestors lived in the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries, the chances are that one or more of them saw some sort of military service. When we think of our ancestors serving in the British mili

The uniforms of the British Armed Forces and those of the Empire, Commonwealth and dominions across the sea all looked alike with subtle differences. This same rule can be applied to the other branche

Mary Wade stood trial at the Old Bailey in 1789 for stealing a few items of clothing. She was only 10 years old, but London’s central criminal court condemned her to hang. Her sentence was commuted to

Q I can’t find any information about my great grandfather, William Smith (1871–1907), before 1893. In the 1901 census, he declares himself to be William Thompson, a “Traveller CT”, born in Scotland. H