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27 Articles

So, just why did they sometimes ‘lie’?

In family history it’s absolutely great when we can find the details that we’re after easily. It’s super when all the facts stack up, and there are no anomalies to shake our confidence in our deductions. We can simply add the new information to our bright and shiny family trees. But, sometimes, things aren’t that simple are they? This issue David Annal explores the situations and reasons why we may find our ancestors ‘lying’, or at least fudging facts, on records of births, marriages and deaths. When we come across such situations it can be very confusing. It may also make us feel uncertain as to how to proceed – leading us to doubt whether we really have got the right person. But, once we can see our way past…

So, just why did they sometimes ‘lie’?

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JOIN FAMILY TREE! Never miss an issue of Family Tree. Choose a print subscription, become a Family Tree Plus member (including a magazine archive), or opt for both! See page 16 for the latest offers or just visit: bit.ly/ftpl-join LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Join Nathan and Helen each week for the popular Family Tree Talk podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts or simply visit: https://bit.ly/ft-talk KEEP UP TO DATE Every Monday the Family Tree newsletter is sent out to thousands of family historians. It’s packed full of tips, useful links, and the latest genealogy news. Sign up at: family-tree.co.uk/account/register VISIT OUR WEBSITE Get the latest news, webinar schedule and much more online! Find out more at: www.family-tree.co.uk…

Papal dispensations marriage database

Intended specifically for use in genealogical investigation, an online database of papal dispensations for marriage has been developed by Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies. The ‘Papal Dispensations for Marriage Project’ covers the period 1198 to 1534 and covers marriages in Britain and Ireland between those related within the prohibited degrees – and who thus needed permission from the pope to marry. The database has been created from the calendars of papal registers and letters (volumes 1 to 20 and volume 23 part 1). These volumes were studied for mention of papal dispensation with regard to marriage. Such mentions were input to the database, now viewable at https://papaldispensations.org.uk/. The database project has been funded by the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Helen Tovey & Karen Evans report on news from the world…

Papal dispensations marriage database

MI5: Official Secrets – exhibition & talks

The MI5: Official Secrets exhibition at The National Archives, Kew, runs from 5 April to 28 September. MI5 was established in 1909 as the Secret Service Bureau by Army captain, Vernon Bell, and would go on to play a vital role in the capture of German intelligence agents operating in the UK in the early part of the First World War. Explore the programme of accompanying talks, starting 16 April, 7.30pm, online, with ‘The Many Lives of Anthony Blunt’, by Blunt biographer Miranda Carter. Tickets £0 to £15. Some events on the programme are available online, others – such as tours by curators of the exhibition, in-person at Kew. https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/mi5-official-secrets-4019033…

‘Reframing roots’: can family history hold the key to a happier life?

‘This is not your typical family history research,’ writes professional genealogist and qualified therapist, Celia Heritage. ‘This is about connecting your genealogy with psychological insights to uncover profound revelations about yourself. ‘Imagine understanding not just where you come from, but how generational patterns have shaped who you are today.’ Celia explains: ‘Beyond names and dates, your family tree is filled with hidden clues that explain why you are the way you are. But how can you find them? ‘Many of us carry emotional patterns inherited through generations. These are often difficult to recognise and even harder to break. ‘Have you ever wondered why you react a certain way, or why certain relationships feel difficult? ‘What if the answers lie deep within your family history, waiting to be discovered?’ Developed by…

‘Reframing roots’: can family history hold the key to a happier life?

Rare Second World War trade directories go online

More than 5 million new trade directory records have been recently added to TheGenealogist. In addition to rare wartime directories from 1941 and 1942, the new collections primarily cover the post-Second World War period. They are useful for 20th century research, bringing investigations into both individuals and businesses forward in time. Coverage includes major cities such as London, Edinburgh, Southampton, and Newcastle.…

Rare Second World War trade directories go online

Free online treasure trove of Scottish history

Trove.Scot brings together the unique and diverse collections of Historic Environment Scotland, from the Historic Environment Portal, Canmore, SCRAN and Property in Care Collections, into one convenient online location. Detailed, comprehensive and relatively easy to use, Trove.Scot is aimed at both professionals in the heritage sector and those who simply love history. How might Trove.Scot help you, as a family historian? Explore the website, searching by placename or keyword, to find images of artefacts, places and records of relevance to your family history research. If you’d like to gain a better feel for your search potential, and learn about the massive body of historic material that has been collected over the past century, explore by theme: https://www.trove.scot/explore/archives In addition to exploring the rich digitised collections, learn more about Scottish heritage…

Free online treasure trove of Scottish history

New tools for deeper ancestry at MyHeritage MyHeritage have been busy. They updated their ethnicity estimates (V2.5) and also introduced ‘Ancient Origins’. Both these tools allow us to look at our deeper ancestry. Remember these will be based on the company’s algorithm and reference panel and you will receive different results on other platforms. For further details about these DNA developments, see: • (V2.5) https://bit.ly/3D83cWW • (Ancient Origins) https://bit.ly/3F7bzCD Discover more about how matches relate with the updated Matrix from FamilyTreeDNA FamilyTreeDNA have introduced a new reworked Matrix. This includes relationships, which shows how your matches are related to each other. It also includes the number of shared segments and the number of cMs shared between your matches and presents them in a handy matrix format. Find explainations of DNA…

RootsTech round-up: coming soon

There were sure to be lots of interesting talks online about genealogy and innovation accouncements too at RootsTech 2025. At the time of going to print, RootsTech 2025 had yet to launch. We will be covering RootsTech news in the May issue and, in the meantime, in the Family Tree enewsletter (sign up here: https://www.family-tree.co.uk/newsletter-sign-up/). Remember that you can watch many of the recorded RootsTech presentations free at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/…

New FamilyTreeDNA Mitotree

Five years on, and FamilyTreeDNA has launched Mitotree (in beta) – a tree based on the full mitochondrial DNA sequences of 250,000 individuals, comprising 40,000 branches (haplogroups). What is the Mitotree from FamilyTreeDNA? At beta launch, the mitotree displays the mitochondrial DNA inheritance, from up to half a million DNA mitochondrial DNA testers (250,000 of these are mt full sequences), organised into a graphical tree with 40,000 branches. This represents an increase of 35,000 new haplogroups. It has been created to tell the collective story, scientifically, of the genetic and actual journeys of our motherlines over the past tens of thousands of years – even back more than 100,000 years. What can I learn from the Mitotree? When you take a mitochondrial DNA test with FamilyTreeDNA you will learn your…

New FamilyTreeDNA Mitotree

The census records are one of the fundamental building blocks for anyone who is tracing their family history, and are used alongside birth, marriage and death records to help build up a picture of our ancestors’ lives. These records provide a wealth of information about our ancestors, such as their birthplace, place of residence, occupation, and sometimes even insights into social conditions at the time. But while we rely heavily on the information that the census returns contain, many of us still encounter problems finding our ancestors on the census returns. This isn’t helped when we discover poor transcriptions or sloppy indexing, as we have seen with our regular transcription corner entries. However, the census returns do have the habit of sometimes throwing up the totally unexpected as we can…

Transcription Corner

This month’s selection features examples of some of the most frustrating transcription errors that researchers commonly encounter. Amongst the many examples, which fellow columnist David Annal has encountered, are two perfect examples of how a simple error can lead to many hours of fruitless searching. William Brett was recorded in the Burials Register for Shepperton as being buried on 4 May 1839. It couldn’t be any simpler than that, or could it? The same record is actually transcribed and indexed on Ancestry as showing William Brett was buried on 4 May 1840. David’s second example is another common one, but one of the most frustrating errors that we encounter, the merging of two separate entries into one. Rebecca Tyzack was baptised on 1 August 1725 at the parish of Prescot,…

Transcription Corner

Our mission here at Family Tree is simple, we want to help you discover your family story. No doubt you agree, family history plays such an important part in our lives, and we want to give you all the information and inspiration you need to continually improve your research. And we want it to be fun too! These simple goals inform everything we do, from our magazine to the masterclasses, courses, workbooks, podcast, webinars, and our online membership Family Tree Plus. As reading habits and technology continue to evolve, we’ve introduced new ways to help you on your family history adventure, as detailed here. So whether you prefer paper or digital, or like both, there’s a membership option to suit you. OPTION ONE Print magazine Subscribe to the magazine and…

ILLEGITIMACY ON THE RECORD: stigma, concealment & the law

When Barbara Sykes wrote to Family Tree magazine about the two illegitimate daughters born to her great-grandmother, Martha Linney, it got me thinking about the whole question of illegitimacy and how it affects our family history research. Barbara was intrigued (actually, ‘surprised and angered’ were the words she used) by something that she’d found on a legal document relating to one of Martha’s illegitimate daughters, Eliza Ann ‘Liz’ Linney. Liz had died aged 91 in 1969 and following her death, letters of administration were granted to the Solicitor for the affairs of Her Majesty’s Treasury. The record of the grant described Liz as a ‘spinster without lawful kin entitled to her estate’. Barbara had known Liz well (she remembers her as ‘a very old lady, all in black’) and she…

ILLEGITIMACY ON THE RECORD: stigma, concealment & the law

RMS LUSITANIA & THE GOETZ MEDAL the search for truth

As a family historian I have become the curator of my ancestors’ archive, which comprises an eclectic mix of photographic images and objects that had meaning for the individuals they originally belonged to. One of the objects now in my care was my dad’s, but I have no idea where it came from or when he acquired it. My dad was an antiquarian book collector who liked to rummage in charity and antique shops for anything interesting and unusual, so I am assuming he bought it in one of those, but sadly I never got the chance to ask. The object is a medal and it was only when my sister and I were clearing our parents’ house in 2020 that I found it on a cabinet amongst glass and…

RMS LUSITANIA & THE GOETZ MEDAL the search for truth

HIDDEN TREASURE

Most families have a stash of photos and memorabilia somewhere, kept safe in a sideboard or tucked away under the bed. In the case of my mum’s box of treasures, I thought I knew the contents quite well, but hunting for more pictures of my Tonge ancestors, I came across an envelope I’d not seen before. Inside was a small wad of old photocopies, mostly of BMD certificates. A relative must have made the copies for Mum many years ago, though some are so blackened with ancient toner, they’re hard to read. But what a find! We all need a stroke of luck once in a while, and this should save time, not to mention money. PICK ‘N’ MIX So, what have we got? Well, it’s rather a random assortment…

HIDDEN TREASURE

How to guide: PERFECT PICTURES FOR YOUR FAMILY HISTORY

I use a lot of images in my blogs, published articles and presentations. Some are photos of people. Many are diagrams, graphs or copies of documents from parish registers, books and articles or websites. All are useful in demonstrating the subject matter of my publications and talks. This article will summarise where to find images and how to manipulate or edit them to fit whatever subject is being written about or covered in a presentation. IMAGE SOURCES There is a multitude of sources where you might find images to use. Family photos will be popular, especially if you are writing or talking about your family history research. These might be just snapshots taken at various times. They might come from your organised family albums, from scattered files of digitised photos…

How to guide: PERFECT PICTURES FOR YOUR FAMILY HISTORY

MOTHER’S SECRET: The Tale of Abandoned Twins & a New Life

In the early 19th century, amidst the bustling activity of a small coastal town, a young woman named Susan Lawrence made a heart-wrenching decision that would forever alter the lives of her twin daughters, Maria and Elizabeth. As the sea’s rhythmic waves whispered secrets of the past, Susan’s story began to unfold a tale of love, loss, and the relentless pursuit of a new beginning. The background Suffolk was a region deeply influenced by its agricultural economy and the social structures of the time. The early and mid 19th century was marked by significant social and economic challenges that shaped the lives of its inhabitants, particularly those from poorer backgrounds. The social hierarchy was rigid, with a clear divide between the wealthy landowners and the working poor. The Poor Law…

MOTHER’S SECRET: The Tale of Abandoned Twins & a New Life

Time to make DNA DISCOVERIES

Now in its second year, the DNA Discoveries online event is dedicated to genetic genealogy, as many of the world’s top DNA experts come together for presentations and workshops. ONLINE EVENT 24 March - 24 April CELEBRATE, EXPLORE & DISCOVER DNA FOR FAMILY HISTORY 24TH MARCH BANYANDNA: A POWER TOOL FOR SOLVING GENEALOGICAL PROBLEMS with John Cleary BanyanDNA is a software tool for building, visualising, and analysing complex genealogies. Join us as John Cleary guides BanyanDNA beginners in building complex trees and solving the relationship between clusters of matches. 26TH MARCH DNA TESTING FOR GENEALOGY: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED with Donna Rutherford Join us for Donna Rutherford’s presentation which will explore common FAQs about DNA testing for genealogy, providing practical advice and clear explanations for beginners. 2ND APRIL MAKING DNA DISCOVERIES…

Time to make DNA DISCOVERIES

MAKING A START WITH AUTOSOMAL DNA TESTING

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been involved in this family history malarky, you know that it gets very addictive, very quickly and the desire to research your ancestors is limited only by time, money and finding the records to assist you. Perhaps now is the time to take a step into DNA testing, if you have not already begun harnessing its powers. Why take a test? There are many reasons for taking a DNA test. Perhaps you have a brick wall where paper research has stalled, there may be an illegitimate ancestor, or you would just like to connect with distant cousins to share information. You may have been adopted or know only one parent. Even if you have been fortunate enough to trace all your lines back several…

MAKING A START WITH AUTOSOMAL DNA TESTING

THE GENETIC GENEALOGY OF THE Irish Terry lineages

The surname Terry, where it occurs in Ireland, is most prevalent in counties Cork and Waterford. Over the centuries ancestors of these Terrys migrated to continental Europe, Great Britain, the United States and Australia, among other places. Paper records can distinguish between these lineages back to about 1750. But for earlier than this time it is difficult to accurately distinguish between the lineages from paper sources. Genetic genealogy has contributed to distinguishing between the Terry lineages. In this article I will look at the role genetic genealogy has played in adding to our understanding of Terry lineages with reference to counties Cork and Waterford in Ireland. Also, descendant lineages of these Irish Terrys who settled abroad in former times will be considered. New analytical tools available from FamilyTreeDNA can show…

THE GENETIC GENEALOGY OF THE Irish Terry lineages

SPOTLIGHT ON … THE GODDARD ASSOCIATION OF EUROPE

When tracing family roots and unravelling ancestral histories, surname-specific societies offer invaluable resources and camaraderie. The Goddard Association of Europe, a vibrant and dedicated organisation, is one such group and brings together people connected by the Goddard name. While the association itself was founded in 1985, it could be argued that the roots of Goddard associations stretch back much further. A fascinating piece of history involves an extraordinary 17th century invitation to ‘a friendly meeting of those whose surnames be Goddard’ to meet each month for ‘socyetie and acquaintance’. This early gathering underscores the enduring curiosity about a name and a long-standing desire to connect with others who share it. While the fate of that early association remains unclear, the modern Goddard Association of Europe offers genealogical resources, historical insights,…

SPOTLIGHT ON … THE GODDARD ASSOCIATION OF EUROPE

Helen Bowles asks: I love reading your Photo Corner section of the magazine and find old photographs so fascinating! I’ve been researching my family history for 20 years and have a wealth of information about our ancestors and their lives, and luckily quite a few family photographs. However, a close relative sent us these photographs a number of years ago, insisting they belong to the Mitchell family. Undated, they remain unidentified, so it would be great if an estimated date could be given based on their clothing and the settings, perhaps. I would like to think that the couple pictured are my 3x great-grandparents, who were Henry Mitchell (b. 1819 in Northowram, Yorkshire; d. 1889 Bradford, Yorkshire) and Barbara Mitchell, née Siddell/Siddle (b. 1821 Pateley Bridge, Yorkshire; d. 1887 Bradford).…

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q I have never come across this problem in my family history before and haven’t read of anyone else having this problem and am not sure how my ancestor got away with it. It concerns Kate Sparkes born 9 November 1869 and the sister of my great-grandfather John House Sparkes and the daughter of my great-great-grandfather John House Sparkes (senior). On 5 August 1889 Kate married a man a lot older than her. The marriage certificate states she married William Auld, a chief officer coastguard, age 54 and she was 21 (this is incorrect as having been born in November 1869 she was only 19). The witnesses were John House Sparkes, her brother, and Charlotte Mary Puttick, her brother’s sister-in-law, his wife was Emily Jane Puttick. In 1891 William and…

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

ONLINE CLASSES 3 APRIL, NOON Getting around Latin Documents 3: Accounts and Money, Surveys and Measurements Join Dr Caroline Adams for a one-hour talk (a two-hour session, including joining and questions). (£10) ▶ https://bit.ly/41tudgO Find further IHGS tutorials here: https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/onlinetutorials-and-workshops-7 Find details of IHGS courses here: https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/courses 29 APRIL-20 MAY, 7.30-9pm Research Skills Studio Join Dr Sophie Kay for a 4-week online course from Family Tree, featuring: • 4 x webinars • 4 x group discussions • & a digital copy of the Family History Research Skills Workbook. The course is aimed at family historians who wish to improve their search skills and search in a more methodical manner for greater research success. (£109; £69 Family Tree Plus members/Family Tree subscribers) ▶ https://bit.ly/3QTYvU9 30 APRIL & 7 MAY, 7-9pm Military…

The name’s ‘Original’ The use of ‘Original’ as a forename in the ‘Dear Paul’ column (FT December 2024) reminded me of a most perplexing entry in the Stretford burial register (January 14, 1740/41, LPRS Vol. 169, 2008). It looked like ‘Original Aged aCarrier’, and becoming so obsessed with its meaning caused me, while going through various possibilities with my wife, to miss three exits driving on a motorway. Anyone else have a go at solving it? Original continued to be used – very rarely – during the 19th century, the most recent I found being a couple of examples in the early 1920s. It is included in Alan Bardsley’s First name variants and codes. Colin Rogers Editor: Thanks for sharing your ‘Original’ puzzle, Colin, and your genealogy road-trip reverie. I’m…

The big question about the Big Coat

I often hear it said we see the past in black and white as if only our own lives have colour. This might reflect early photography, but I’ve also heard murmurings that colourising photographs is somehow genealogically decadent, as were computers in the early days of family history. Poor colourisation might paint a slightly rosier image of yesteryear, and the sharpness of early studio portraits should certainly be preserved, but I have a curiosity about clothes that colour might answer. My studio family photos usually have folk turned far more smartly than their status in life would suggest. (I remember a commercial family photograph we had taken in America, where we dressed as early pioneers, in clothes authentic from the front, whilst tied behind like hospital gowns.) In my early…

The big question about the Big Coat

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