New to family history? Start here. Family History 101 is your beginner-friendly guide to building a family tree, understanding key records, and learning essential research skills for tracing UK, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. Supportive, simple help written for those just starting out.
If your family lived in Hamilton, Motherwell, Wishaw, Blantyre, Uddingston or Larkhall in the early 1900s, the Lanarkshire Tramways Company was part of their daily world. For nearly thirty years … Lanarkshire Tramways history: how trams shaped everyday lifeRead more
If you are building your family tree on a budget, there are several key free UK genealogy websites: FreeREG, FreeBMD, and FreeCEN. These free resources provide access to millions of … How to use FreeREG, FreeBMD and FreeCEN for UK recordsRead more
You’ve hit a brick wall. You’ve found an ancestor on a census, but their life that brought them to that point is a complete mystery. You have a name, maybe … How Poor Law Records helped me understand my ancestor’s storyRead more
If you have been researching your family history for even a short time, you will know how quickly the documents pile up. Birth certificates, census printouts, notes from websites, and … How to organise your genealogy documentsRead more
If you are just starting your family history journey, the cost of subscription websites can feel overwhelming. The good news is that there are plenty of free resources that can … Top 10 free genealogy websites for UK family historyRead more
One of the easiest and most meaningful ways to start your family history journey is to simply have a conversation. Talking to a parent, grandparent, or older relative can uncover … Family history interviews: questions and tips to help your storytelling and researchRead more
We have all struggled to track a female ancestor or wondered why the same names appear over and over again in our family tree. Scottish and Irish naming traditions can … Understanding Scottish and Irish maiden namesRead more
You’re searching the census, expecting to see your ancestor listed neatly with their family, but the record just isn’t there. You check again. And again. Still nothing. If this sounds … Why are my ancestors not in a censusRead more
If you’re tracing your Scottish ancestors, one of the best places to start is with BMD records, that’s short for births, marriages, and deaths. These official records offer the key … A guide to Scottish BMD recordsRead more
If you’ve dipped your toes into Scottish family history, you may already know that census records are goldmines of information. But the 1911 Scottish census is a little different. It’s … The 1911 Scottish census: a closer look at your ancestors’ livesRead more
