News & Articles 2014

Headstone Records
5th December 2014

We have added over 22,000 records to our Headstone project with another 23 cemeteries from across the twelve parishes of the Island of Jersey (Covering all of the island's historic cemeteries).

Also released are a further 13 cemeteries from Buckinghamshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, The West Midlands and Wiltshire.

The records are linked to images of the stones and maps to locate the actual burial grounds, they are searchable by name, year of death and graveyard. These monuments can reveal facts, not recorded elsewhere, about the deceased and their family.

Some of the famous people that are to be found buried in this release and searchable include Lillie Langtry, the Edwardian actress and friend of the Prince of Wales; Sir William Edmond Heygate Colborne (Billy) Butlin, showman and holiday camp entrepreneur; The first Baron Trent of Nottingham, better known as Jesse Boot the founder of Boots the Chemists and his Jersey born wife Florence, Lady Trent.

Click here to read more about our volunteer headstone project...

Mentioned in Dispatches
1st November 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

TheGenealogist has released over 81,000 records of people Mentioned in Dispatches in The First World War. With this collection you are able to find soldiers and army nurses that had come to the notice of their superior officers for an act of gallantry, or meritorious action, in the face of the enemy. The service person's name would have appeared in an official report, written by a superior officer and then sent on to the high command.

Soldiers who were mentioned in dispatches (MiD) did not receive a medal for their action, but nevertheless were entitled to receive a certificate and wear a decoration. These new records show the date the citation appeared in The London Gazette, along with a link to the London Gazette so you can read about your soldier. You can also see an image of the handwritten card record, and view the actual government publication of the time, where your ancestor will be listed.

(The image featured above shows the oak leaf decoration awarded to those who were mentioned in dispatches)

Click here to read about these new records...

Military Court Records
31st October 2014

Continuing the extensive addition of military records in 2014, TheGenealogist has now brought online the Home and Overseas General Court Martial records covering the years from 1879 to 1927. The new records take into account the hundreds of  First World War British and Commonwealth soldiers that were executed for cowardice and desertion.

In the records we find Private Thomas James Highgate who was the first British soldier to be shot for deserting his unit in the retreat from Mons in 1914. Military justice at the time saw the defendants receive a hasty and one-sided trial in line with emergency wartime military procedures. Death sentences had to be agreed by the Commander-in-Chief who was expected to take the current military situation into account. With the British Army in retreat after the first battle at Mons, senior officers made a decision to stamp out any thoughts of desertion and Private Highgate suffered the highest punishment.

A mass pardon of 306 British Empire soldiers executed for certain offences during The First World War received Royal Assent on 8 November 2006.

First World War Newspapers
26th September 2014

Illustrated War News & Illustrated London News

We have added 108 issues of The Illustrated War News, along with a further 192 issues to our Illustrated London News collection, covering the First World War.

These newspapers combined photography with the use of graphical illustrations from eye witness reports to give readers a flavour of what was happening at the front.

Wipers Times

This newspaper contained the more truthful and realistic views of the frontline troop that were subversively published at the time by the troops themselves. The paper consisted of poems, reflections, army in-jokes and lampoons of the military situation the Division was in at the time.

Click here to read our article and see what these fascinating newspapers contain...

Territorial Force Efficiency Medals
19th September 2014

We have added over 51,000 records of medal recipients. When the Territorial Force was introduced in 1908, the service medal 'The Territorial Force Efficiency Medal' was introduced, and was awarded for long service and good conduct. After 1920 and a further restructure in Britain’s reserve army, the medal became classed as the ‘Territorial Efficiency Medal ‘until 1930.

Click here to read our article and see how the medals can help you...

Casualty Lists
4th September 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

The first completed list of over 1.3 million 'wounded servicemen' as published by the War Office during the First World War is now available online.

We have released the most comprehensive collection of 'Wounded' of the First World War online - this fully completed list contains records of the servicemen wounded in the British and Commonwealth forces.

Covering servicemen of all ranks from all walks of life, the comprehensive records of Casualty Lists now available on TheGenealogist cover all the years of the First World War. If your ancestor was one of the many casualties, they should feature in the records now online.

Click here to read more about these records.

Distinguished Conduct Medal Records
4th September 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

We have added thousands of Distinguished Conduct Medal records to our Medals collection at TheGenealogist.

This new medal release gives full details of the soldiers and their deeds in the First World War and The Boer War. An analysis of these new records uncovers stories of heroism and exceptional bravery from ordinary soldiers.

Click here to read more about these records and the soldiers who were awarded the medals.

Medal Records
4th August 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

Newly released for the first time are First World War Medal Records that crossed the great social class divide

Over 117,000 ‘Military Medals’ were awarded in the First World War for ‘acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire’. These records are now available to view online complete with an image of the actual Medal Card and a link to the official government publication of the time. It’s a unique, comprehensive set of records available only on TheGenealogist.co.uk.

The Military Medal was awarded to ‘Non Commissioned Officers and Ordinary Ranks’ for showing exceptional courage in battle. It was also awarded for those that risked their lives trying to save others, often in extreme danger. The Medal Records on TheGenealogist show people from a wide range of backgrounds and social classes, including a number of young women from very privileged families who chose to drive ambulances and rescue the wounded in the mud of battle.

The role of ‘stretcher bearer’ was one of the most dangerous jobs of the time and surprisingly, the records show many women bridged social constraints of the time to risk life and limb to help rescue and bring in soldiers wounded in battle.

Details, now available on TheGenealogist, range from the most highly decorated Military Medal recipient, stretcher bearer Private Ernest Corey of the 55th Australian Infantry, to Lady Dorothie May Evelyn Feilding-Moore, the daughter of the Earl of Denbigh (the first female recipient of the Medal), to Mairi Lambert Gooden-Chisholm who rescued a German pilot from no-man’s land. Both men and women, crossing the social divide and class customs of pre-1914, demonstrated outstanding bravery.

The new Military Medal records provide:

1. Full details of the person winning the medal – their rank, regiment, date of medal citation and the details of their heroism in battle
2. Sophisticated search techniques to find the medal recipient with just one mouse click
3. A further addition to the comprehensive medal and First World War records now available on TheGenealogist.co.uk

Mark Bayley, Head of Online Content comments: “With our military record releases in 2014, we are aiming to cover all aspects of The First World War. Every new record set unearths surprises and the Military Medal collection is no different as we discover the female front line heroes listed alongside those who fought to protect our freedom. These unique records consistently provide fascinating tales behind them.”

Click here to view more details on the First World War Military Medals and try out the free search!

Soldiers Who Died in the First World War
26th June 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE: This detailed record set covers over 650,000 individuals who died in the First World War. Details include name, rank, regiment, place of birth, place of residence, place of enlistment, service number and the cause, date and place of death. These records are uniquely linked to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to show you where your ancestor is commemorated.

Soldiers Who Died in the Great War has been added to the huge military collection on TheGenealogist, encompassing many unique record sets from Casualty Lists and War Memorials,  to Rolls of Honour and more.

Prisoner of War Records
23rd May 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

First World War P.O.W. Records launched  online

TheGenealogist uniquely has launched over 80,000 fully searchable records of British  and Commonwealth prisoners, of all ranks, captured in the Great War. Many  thousands of Allied servicemen were taken prisoner in the First World War and  comprehensive records have been notoriously difficult to find with many  related  records being destroyed in the 1930s and the World War 2 Blitz of  1940. The new records provide access to records of all servicemen taken  prisoner between 1914 to 1918. 

Search all Ranks from The Great War.
                                 From senior Officers Captured, to the NCOs and Privates in the  Infantry, the records are all found in the exclusive ‘Prisoner of War’  collection on TheGenealogist.  You can search all ranks for the  first time on any family history website, giving access to the many soldiers,  sailors and airmen captured and held behind enemy lines.

The records are fully searchable and provide the main details including Forename, Surname, Rank, Regiment and the date the information was received. All can be found in the Prisoner of War record set in the Military Collection on TheGenealogist. 

Click here to read our article on the new records

Church Images
18th April 2014

We have added nearly 2,000 images to our Image Archive. These new images show churches nationwide from 1870 - 1920, and are ideal for seeing where your ancestors may have been baptised, married, or buried.

These images are free to view, and all subscribers to TheGenealogist can view, save and print large high resolution images.

USA Records
8th April 2014

Picture from the San Francisco
earthquake of 1906

We have added San Francisco Langley's Directory Telephone Address Book 1887 to our records for all Diamond subscribers, along with a collection of photographs from 1887-1906 which is available for free in our Image Archive.

This joins our growing collection of USA records, which includes other directories such as New York.

Click here to read our article on this new resource

Over Half a Million New Parish Record Transcripts
7th April 2014

We have added parish records for the
following counties:

• Essex: 388,100 records
• Kent: 167,222 records
• Leicestershire: 2,365 records
• Monmouthshire: 1,226 records

Click Here to view the coverage of our Parish Record Transcripts

Worcestershire Parish Record Transcripts
4th April 2014

We have added over 29,000 individuals to our Baptism Transcripts for Worcestershire in partnership with Malvern Family History Society, expanding our coverage and bringing the total to over 1.2 million individuals. With years ranging from 1544-1891

Click Here to view the coverage of our Parish Record Transcripts

Tithe Records
27th February 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

At Who Do You Think You Are? Live, TheGenealogist launched ‘The National Collection of Tithe Records’ in an exclusive partnership with The National Archives. For the first time you are able to search over 11 million records and view the original documents online.

The Tithe Records provide a unique view into our ancestral heritage by providing details of ownership and occupancy of land throughout England and Wales, revealing a wealth of information about people, places and landmarks in the Victorian era. The Tithe Commutation Act of 1836 meant records were taken, as with the Doomsday Book, of the land ownership and occupancy, land uses and sizes, and the rents to be paid.

Tenants and landowners from 11,000 parishes across England and Wales are featured in the records. This provides the opportunity to discover whether your ancestors were landowners and how their land was put to use, or if tenants or occupiers, which plots of land they were living or working on.

Click here for more information.

New International Headstone Database
27th February 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

The new ‘International Headstone Image Database’ has just been launched by TheGenealogist. With headstones nationwide suffering from erosion, and burial grounds from closure for new developments, it is more important than ever to preserve the records of our ancestors and the International Headstone Database is designed to meet the challenge.

This searchable transcript database allows you to view photographs of the headstone and see photographs of the church and surrounds. Maps are also available for the latest additions to the records.

Using the sophisticated search technology on TheGenealogist, family historians will be able to, with just the basic details, locate full information on where an ancestor is buried both quickly and easily.

UKindexer.co.uk hosts the new volunteer side of the project. Volunteers from around the world are now offered the chance to join the project. With every headstone photographed or transcribed, volunteers will earn credits towards subscriptions at TheGenealogist or products at Genealogy Supplies.

Click here for more information.

New TreeView App
27th February 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

New FREE family history app now available – ‘TreeView Mobile’ app enters the market, compatible with all iOS and Android Devices. The highly regarded TreeView online family tree builder can now be viewed, updated and taken to family gatherings on either a phone or tablet.

TreeView is a powerful tool in online family tree building and the app now brings the ability to add, modify and view your family history via any mobile device. Complete with the popular option of a variety of tree styles, you have everything available at your fingertips on the move!

TreeView also allows you to add and amend your details easily and you can add notes, all from within the app. Information you add on one device will automatically be available on all your other devices as well.

Click here for more information.

New Parish Record Transcripts
21st February 2014

MAJOR NEW RELEASE:

We have added over 1.6 million individuals to our parish record transcripts for the following counties:

• Essex - Baptisms, Marriages & Burials
• Kent - Baptisms, Marriages & Burials
• Lincolnshire - Marriages
• Somerset - Baptisms, Marriages & Burials
• Wiltshire - Baptisms, Marriages & Burials
• Worcestershire - Marriages & Burials

Click Here to view the coverage of our Parish Record Transcripts

Worcestershire Parish Record Transcripts
20th February 2014

We have added over 31,500 individuals to our Baptism Transcripts for Worcestershire in partnership with Malvern Family History Society, expanding our coverage and bringing the total to over 1.2 million individuals. With years ranging from 1544-1891

Click Here to view the coverage of our Parish Record Transcripts

New Diamond Content
29th January 2014

The Sphere Newspaper

We have added a new newspaper for all Diamond Subscribers: The Sphere. Currently covering 8th Aug 1914 – 26th June 1915, we will be expanding this collection throughout 2014.

This British newspaper covers general news stories from the UK and around the world, with much of the overseas news features being reported in detail. It also contains many illustrations.

Air Force Lists

We have added the Air Force List September 1938 to our Diamond subscription. This details R.A.F. commands (including overseas commands) and officers from Marshals and Air Commodores down to Flying Officers and Pilot Officers.

New Gold and Diamond Content
15th January 2014

Army Lists

We have added more Army Lists covering 1784-1797 to our Military Records section:

• Army List 1784 March
• Army List 1785 March
• Army List 1786 March
• Army List 1787 February
• Army List 1788 March
• Army List 1789 May
• Army List 1790 February
• Army List 1791 April
• Army List 1792 January
• Army List 1793 February
• Army List 1794 January
• Army List 1795 January
• Army List 1796 March
• Army List 1797 January

Directories

We have added the Kelly's 1923 Channel Islands Directory to our Diamond & Gold subscriptions. Containing street, private residents and commercial directories for the Channel Islands, it also includes historical and topographical information on each area, as well as three colour maps.