The destination for history
Genealogy
How many of us wonder if we are related to someone famous, whether we share some characteristics with our ancestors or whether those stories we have been told about Great Uncle Tom are really true?
Although it is not a new hobby, the number of people tracing their family tree has risen in recent years. We all have an innate need to know who we are, where we have come from and to pass on our family traditions to future generations.
Tracing our family history is also a way of studying history. By tracing our ancestors we find out what day-to-day life was like, which families were important in the community and what our towns and cities used to look like.
Whatever your motivation, tracing your family history can be very illuminating and rewarding. If you are embarking on this journey we have a number of useful resources for you to arm yourself with, such as The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers, Paleography for Family and Local Historians and Latin for Local and Family Historians. Our award-winning books are invaluable to genealogists all over the world, so why not take a look at how our books can help you find your ancestors?
Further reading
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Teach Yourself Palaeography: Five top tips for reading old handwriting
Clare Jarvis author of Teach Yourself Palaeography shares five top tips for reading old handwriting
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Tracing bigamy, dishonesty and intrigue in Victorian marriage records
Paul Brown discusses how the internet age helps to uncover tangled family history
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Welfare and the workhouse
The past of the poor in Britain explained by author Peter Higginbotham
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A brief history of signet rings
How the signet ring is an important cultural item of jewellery
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Counting the United Kingdom: The census from 1086 to now
From Domesday and the first national census in 1801 to today
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Three ways to find your ancestors’ World War I medals
Scott Addington shares his top three tips for tracking down family war medals
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The value of referencing in genealogy
Ian G MacDonald explains the value of referencing in genealogy
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Tracing Emily Wilding Davison’s family history
Celebrating the Suffragette and her family ties
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A portrait of a mother: The story of Edward and Rebecca Dowler
The story of Edward and Rebecca Dowler by genealogist Vanessa Morgan
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How to get started on researching your family tree
Investigating your family history
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Researching the suffragette movement
Discover your ancestors
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The roots of genealogy
Curiosity about one’s forebears
