Newsletter – 5th
November 2020
Free access to all Findmypast military records
ENDS 12TH NOVEMBER
Lockdown latest: National Archives still offering
free downloads
Warwickshire burials at Findmypast
Additional information in parish registers
My cousins aren’t interested
– and other fables
Save on Ancestry DNA ENDS SOON
The LostCousins
newsletter is usually published 2 or 3 times a month. To access the previous issue
(dated 15th October) click here; to find earlier articles use the customised Google search between
this paragraph and the next (it searches ALL of the newsletters since February
2009, so you don't need to keep copies):
To go to the main
LostCousins website click the logo at the top of this newsletter. If you're not already a member, do join - it's FREE, and you'll
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available!
Free access to all Findmypast military records ENDS 12TH
NOVEMBER
As Remembrance Day approaches it's
time to remember those whose lives were sacrificed, particularly in the two devastating
World Wars that blighted the first half of the 20th century. However
it's also a time to remember those who came back, but whose lives were forever scarred,
whether physically, mentally or both.
For the next week Findmypast are offering free
access to all of their military records – it’s an
opportunity to honour your relatives and add information to your family tree. This
free access offer started at 10am on Thursday 5th November, and
ends at 10am the following Thursday.
You can use any of Findmypast's sites worldwide,
but please bear in mind that the start and end times are based on London time
(GMT). So if you're in Australia or New Zealand the
offer begins and ends on Thursday evenings; if you’re in the US or Canada it'll
start and end early on Thursday mornings.
Note: Findmypast are
encouraging those who use social media to share their discoveries using the
hashtag #RememberTheirStories
Lockdown
latest: National Archives still offering free downloads
When
I was searching their site earlier this week I
discovered that the National Archives are still offering free downloads of
digitised records. Also take a moment to check what your local library are
making available – you could be pleasantly surprised!
Researching
Welsh ancestors is challenging because so many of them had very
common surnames. Did you know that in some parts of Wales a quarter of
the population were called Jones?
For
many years Anglican parish registers for Wales have been available through
Findmypast, who had an exclusive arrangement. The exclusive period has now come to an
end, and you'll now also find the parish register images at Ancestry
and The
Genealogist. I understand that all three sites rely on the same transcriptions, but because they
have different search features it might be worth trying more than one site.
Warwickshire burials at Findmypast
Findmypast
have been adding a lot of smaller datasets recently – see their blog
for full details – but one that stood out for me was the addition of 90,000 transcribed
records of burials and cremations from Birmingham, which in some cases go up to
2016. I found a record for my aunt, who died in 2010 – she provided wonderful
help when I was starting my research, so seeing her name in the records brought
back a lot of memories.
You
can search Warwickshire burials and cremations here.
Additional information in parish registers
In
the last issue I wrote
about Dade registers, and explained that whilst they're mostly found in the Yorkshire
diocese there were many vicars across the country who chose to include
additional information in their registers.
Researching
a branch of my own family tree this weekend I came across a baptism register
for Holy Trinity, Clapham where the incumbent has helpfully numbered the
children, eg 2nd son, 4th daughter. However, he
describes Mary Ann Longhurst, born and baptised in 1802, as the 3rd daughter of
John and Sarah, who married in Fetcham, Surrey in 1791, whereas my research
suggests she had three elder sisters: Lucy (1793), Sarah Ann (1795), and
Isabella (1798).
©
London Metropolitan Archives; used by permission of Ancestry
It
may well be that one of the elder sisters died in infancy – but whatever the
reason, it demonstrates yet again that the more information there is in a
record, the more likely it is that some of it will be wrong or misleading.
My cousins aren’t
interested – and other fables
Many
of the people I correspond with tell me that their cousins aren't
interested in family history. And because they're talking about the cousins they know it doesn’t surprise me – when I began my
research I wasn't aware of anyone else in my extended family who was
interested.
But
where they get it wrong is to assume that, just because the cousins they know aren't interested, the cousins they don't know – their 'lost
cousins' – aren’t interested either.
The
reality is that if you have British ancestry there are thousands of living cousins
who share your interest in family history – amongst the LostCousins membership there
are scores of who share one or more of your ancestral lines.
Of
course, connecting with them depends on each of you completing your My Ancestors
page – which is why I'm continually coaxing and encouraging readers of this
newsletter who either haven’t made a start, or have only entered a handful of
relatives, to spend an hour or two putting that right. Not just to help themselves,
of course, but also to help their own cousins. LostCousins is a collaborative
project – please don’t let your cousins down!
Tip:
focus on the 1881 Census, even if your direct ancestors emigrated generations
earlier - after all, your British cousins are going to be descended from the
relatives who stayed behind. Always remember that the best way to find your
cousins is to enter their ancestors!
Save on Ancestry DNA ENDS
SOON
Do
you have any 'brick walls' in your tree? Of course, you do – and I'm willing to bet that in most cases you've been up against
those 'brick walls' for years.
DNA
testing provides a way to overcome missing and erroneous records, because unlike
the trail of
documentary evidence, the DNA trail can’t be destroyed or falsified. I've been
able to solve mysteries and confirm hypotheses in my own tree by testing with
Ancestry – and, as a bonus, I've also managed to independently confirm most of
my research for the past 200 years using DNA matches.
All
autosomal DNA tests use similar technology, so you might think that it doesn't matter who you test with – but you couldn’t be more
wrong. Not only do Ancestry have by far the largest database, the ONLY way you
can connect with the cousins in their database is to take their test – they do
not under any circumstances accept transfers of results from other providers.
In short, if you cut corners by buying a different test because it’s cheaper, you’re going to end up paying more – because you'll
end up testing with Ancestry eventually.
Tip:
if you test with Ancestry you can transfer your results to most other providers
– what you can't do is go the other way.
Because
Ancestry charge a little more it's best to buy when
their tests are on special offer – as they are at the moment!
In
the UK Ancestry have cut the price of their test from £79 to £59 plus shipping
(note that shipping works out cheaper when you buy more than one test). This
offer lasts until 22nd November - please use the link below when you make your
purchase so that you can support LostCousins:
Ancestry
DNA (UK only) £59 plus shipping
Until
23.59 (AEDT) on 23rd November researchers in Australia and New Zealand can purchase
the Ancestry DNA kit for just $89, a saving of $40 (prices are in Australian
dollars and include taxes, but exclude shipping).
Ancestry
DNA (Australia and New Zealand only) $89 plus shipping
In
Canada you can save $50, but only until 23.59 (ET) on 11th November:
Ancestry
DNA (Canada only) $79 plus shipping
The
reduction in the US last until 22nd November – there's a saving of $40:
Ancestry
DNA (US only) $59, reduced from $99
Tip:
while you’re waiting for your test results be sure to read my Masterclass
and follow the advice – there's a lot you can do in advance. Tempting though it
might be to wait until you have the results before making a start, using DNA effectively
requires the same cool-headed approach and analytical skills that work so well
in conventional genealogical research – don't put yourself under unnecessary
pressure by leaving things to the last minute.
The story of Edward and Mrs Simpson has been recounted
many times over the 84 years since King Edward VIII abdicated so that he could marry a twice-divorced
woman - Wallis Simpson, née Warfield, formerly Spencer. For some it's a love story to rival Romeo and Juliet, for others it's
a tale of selfishness and reckless infatuation.
Alexander
Larman's meticulously-researched account, The Crown
in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication focuses primarily on the events of
1936, when the death of King George V put the monarchy into the hands of a
successor who, in the minds of many (including his own parents), was ill-suited
to the role. Although the end of the story can never be in doubt, the involving
way in which the author describes the many twists and turns along the route left
me wondering if it might not have turned out differently had the key actors
played their roles with more finesse.
When
I first read about the Abdication, many years ago, I formed the impression that
it was the Archbishop of Canterbury who was the driving force behind it – but after
reading this book I felt very differently, and I suspect you will too. It's much more complex than it appears on the surface….
1936
is known as the year of the three Kings. After reading this book I've come to know all of them that little bit better! Please
note that whilst the book is out now in the UK and Australia, it won’t be released in North America until January.
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.com.au
Nobody knows quite
what Christmas 2020 will bring, thanks to the invisible enemy that has spread
around the world, so turning the clock
back to 1843, the year that Charles Dickens wrote and published A Christmas
Carol is very welcome escapism!
The
latest novel in MJ Lee's series featuring Jayne Sinclair, policewoman turned
genealogical investigator, begins when a valuable First Edition of Dickens' book
is discovered in a charity shop – can Jayne discover the identity of Robert
Duckworth, to whom Dickens gave the inscribed copy?
There
are no villains in this short book – other than Ebenezer Scrooge, of course – so
it’s more focused on research than most genealogical
mystery novels. Though I suspect the author originally intended to set it in
2020, the need for Jayne to visit archives and libraries meant that it had to
be set in 2019.
I
enjoyed reading this book, and I suspect you will too – it’s
an ideal early Christmas present for yourself, and at just £1.99 for the Kindle
version it isn't going to break the bank!
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.com.au
PS
if you want to re-read Dickens' original story you'll find it free here
This is where any major updates and corrections will be
highlighted - if you think you've spotted an error first reload the newsletter
(press Ctrl-F5) then
check again before writing to me, in case someone else has beaten you to
it......
I'll be back soon – in the
meantime, please stay safe!
Peter Calver
Founder, LostCousins
© Copyright 2020 Peter Calver
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