British Family History Articles

MAPS & STREET INDEXES

• An Old Tool With a New Purpose: Street Indexes
  Anyone who has been researching ancestors for ten years or more remembers the street indexes for the census returns of England and Wales. They were created for communities of more than 40,000...
  
  
• Maps in British Origins Library
  The gazetteer at Origins is one of many options for accessing maps to aid genealogical research.... I expect to make good use these from the British Origins Library...

COURT RECORDS

• Inheritance Disputes
  Records of the Court of Chancery are among the difficult records. They contain a mix of exciting information and mind numbing verbiage, and they can challenge your research skills. Tools such as Peter Coldham's Inheritance Disputes Index are, therefore, most welcome...
  
  
• Inheritance Disputes and Chancery Proceedings
  Now another finding aid for records of the Court of Chancery is available, an index to Chancery Proceedings, Charles I. Both were prepared by Peter Coldham...
  
  

BURIALS

• So You Found a London Burial?
  Frequently I am asked something like this: "I found an entry in Middlesex, what do I do now?" Boyd's London Burials is a good example for dealing with this question. There are four steps to take.
  
  
• So You Didn't Find a London Burial
  Without understanding exactly the make-up of an index or database, you may reach one of two false conclusions about your search: a record does not contain references to your ancestor (when in fact it does); or, the search within that record class is complete (when in fact it is not).

CENSUS

• Reflections on the 1841 Census
  The 1841 census is something like the poor cousin. We all know its shortcomings - less informative, even somewhat confusing, and for many returns, microfilm copies have been unreadable. On the other hand, from another angle this census takes on a different appearance.
  
  
• Census: Genealogical Work Horse
  Computers, indexes and digitized images have made the census more useful than ever. It was a problem solver before and has become a better one especially for some fundamental problems.

WILLS

• Did Your Ancestors Have Extra Cash?
  Thoughts on The Bank of England Will Extracts
  Genealogists often do not give much thought to cash in the pockets of their ancestors, yet it is relevant to consider the part played by money in their lives. At the British Origins site there is a finding aid to a set of records that tells something about the savings of thousands of people - the Bank of England Will Extracts.

GENERAL

• Yorkshire
  The county of Yorkshire was the largest in England, at one time comprising more than 3.5 million acres. Sparsely populated for a long time, its numbers grew dramatically in the first half of the nineteenth century as mining and heavy industry attracted a large labour force...
  
  
• Great Houses of Yorkshire
  Prior to 1974, when new boundaries were introduced, Yorkshire was by far the largest county in England. Split into three Ridings - North, West and East - derived from the Viking word "thrithing", meaning third part, Yorkshire boasted over 3.75 million acres and laid claim to a recognizable identity dating back to Anglo-Saxon times.
  
  
• Loyalties, Conflicts, Intrigues and Affiliations
  The name Hepburn is a prominent one, reflecting the significant roles played by Hepburn kinsmen in some of the most famous events shaping Scottish, British and European history. In this interview with Sarah Powell, Sir Alastair tells the story of his ancestors.