When tracing a family tree, the temptation is to use the more well-known sources; those which are available on-line via the major data providers. In this presentation, the author of the classic handbook "Family Historian’s Enquire Within" introduces a variety of less well-known sources, that can be used to enhance and extend a pedigree or provide valuable context for the lives the family. The original records, databases and online records discussed will range from Absent Voters’ Lists and Asylum Records, through Farm Surveys and Hearth Tax Records, to Valuation Office Records and ideas for inspiring young people to take an interest in genealogy. The aim is to make the audience aware of sources covering the seventeenth to twentieth centuries and point to ways to find out more. There should be something new for everyone.

An overview of the life and lifestyle of Welsh agricultural labourers in the 19th century, including habitations, diet, wages, migration and agitation for change.

”Breaking down brick walls in your family history research” looks at how to resolve stumbling blocks in your family history research using new and unique search strategies to find those missing relatives. Techniques covered include searching for a family using just the individuals' forenames, keyword search tools (using criteria other than a name to search on) and other advanced search techniques. The talk also covers unique data sets such as Tithe records, Occupational Records, Non-Conformist records, Will images, Parish Records, Military Records, Directories, Newspapers and more. This talk is suitable for all levels, for those with an interest in online research Sponsored by TheGenealogist.

Have you noticed that the given names of our eighteenth and nineteenth century British ancestors were drawn from a surprisingly small pool? But how small a pool? How common were our ancestors’ given names? John for example was carried by one in every five English males. The four most popular male names were carried by one in every two males. And the top thirteen male names were carried by 87% of the male population indicating that all of the other male names in use at the time were together borne by only 13% of the population. That being the case, the usual popularity lists found on the internet – those that record the top 10, 20, 50 names – are unhelpful unless they provide frequency statistics. This seminar focuses on given name popularities, changes in popularity, and the reasons for such changes. It also covers spelling variants, abbreviations and diminutives. For example, if you don’t know that Polly was a diminutive of Mary or that Nellie was a diminutive of Ellen and Eleanor and Helen, you may struggle to find your ancestors’ entries. Our ancestors’ names provide the gateway into tracing our family history. Learning more about their names may prove useful in determining their ancestry or finding other family connections.

This talk briefly describes church and nonconformism and the major challenges for a genealogist in locating baptisms, marriages and burials in Wales.

This lecture will focus on the real-life account of how genealogist and writer, Nathan Dylan Goodwin worked to try and uncover the truth about his grandmother’s wartime romance; a romance which led to the birth of an illegitimate child, who was then adopted soon after her birth. Nathan will discuss each step of the complex process and methodology behind his research to identify that child’s biological father, sifting through official documents and revealing long-hidden family secrets. He will explain the range of genealogical methodology approaches, archives and services exploited, including DNA-testing, which assisted and ultimately confirmed this three-year search's discoveries.

Some of the most important records we find were created during the time of the Little Ice Age (1300 to 1850 AD). Because the 14th to 19th centuries encompass the time frame that most coincides with genealogical research, it is important to understand the physical conditions under which people lived in order to assemble the most complete histories of families. The Little Ice Age was a cool climatic time period, a time in history when, from a physical or environmental standpoint, in comparison to the warm periods that preceded and followed: • temperatures around the globe were substantially cooler • weather was mostly unstable • food production was especially challenging • living conditions overall were difficult and harsh. All these factors had enormous impact on the lives and livelihoods of people and contributed to famine, spread of disease, injury to being and habitat, untimely deaths, social unrest and, in many cases, migration. The presentation offers information and perspective important in studies related to the living conditions families faced during the inhospitable era of the Little Ice Age.

This introduction in Dutch genealogy shows how to search for people in the Netherlands, what records to use (civil registration, censuses and church books) and where online to look for them.

Finding a birthplace is essential for doing German research! This presentation aims to show you how to use local information together with online maps and gazetteers to help you locate the place of origin of your German families. Once this is known the next step is to the relevant repository for the actual records and this presentation provides some suggestions as to how to take this step. The presentation shows some of the structure and contents of German civil and church records.

Manorial records are a rich source of information about individuals and communities in England from the 12th to the 19th centuries, yet they are seriously underused by family historians. This talk gives an overview of the manorial system, the types of records available, and where to find them.

Mark demonstrates the map record collections and tools that are available for researching your British roots. The talk features Tithes, The 1910 Land Survey, Surname Maps and an innovative tool to view these maps in relation to modern-day maps - MapExplorer.. Sponsored by TheGenealogist

The use of maps and gazetteers is essential in your family history. A good map will tell you a lot about your ancestor’s home village and its surrounds. This presentation shows you how to access a variety of maps, many of which can be downloaded to your computer. These will help you understand more of your ancestor’s life and times. Use of Meyers Gaz website is also explained. This website gives access to a comprehensive gazetteer that was published a few years before World War 1 when the German Empire was at its greatest extent and it has links to scans of historic maps of the area.

Have you got your ancestors back to the start of parish registers? You may still be able to go further back, by looking at records related to death, land and the law. Learn what records are available online for researching back into the medieval period.

This talk follows the history of the East India Company, the records they created, where these are found and how to access them using examples found during the speaker’s own research.

Discover the wealth of resources at ScotlandsPeople to get you started on your Scottish research and a host of other websites you can use to build a great story of your family in Scotland. Make it personal – not just a collection of names and dates.

Findmypast is one of the UK’s largest family history websites and has the fastest growing collection of Scottish records online. With many more on the way, join resident genealogist Myko Clelland as we explore some of the key collections and expert techniques to get you further, faster. Skill level - all levels Sponsored by Findmypast.

‘The law is a ass, Sir!’ (Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist). This presentation begins by discussing the big picture question of the British criminal justice system, including the contemporary attitudes to criminals and the policy of transporting them abroad. It then covers the types of records that deal with the crimes and punishments of British criminals.

The Victorian era is one of huge change in British society. Mass migration, the creation of new record types, and new technologies, all transformed our ancestors lives. This presentation will explore the records created during this period and how to get the best out of these on our genealogy journey. Skill level - all levels. Sponsored by Findmypast.

This presentation discovers sources and methods that will prove helpful for genealogical research in Poland today. It deals with aspects of Polish history, different forms of Polish family names and Polish church records in a specific part of Poland which historically was called Prussian Poland. This is roughly the area of Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) today, around the cities of Poznan and Gnieszno.

For decades we’ve heard the statement – you can’t research your Irish ancestors – all the records were destroyed. This throw-away-line is still around today and is still incorrect. Many presumptions are made about Irish records but when we look at them in detail there are so many available on the Internet either free or through subscriptions. Ironically people still talk about records that were destroyed in 1922 when they were never available in the first place. It’s time to have another look at just what is and isn’t available for Irish family history research.