With the ever-growing popularity of genealogy and family history, more and more societies and organisations are being established offering help and guidance. Here, MHM has chosen six experts in the field to aid you in your genealogical research.
Association of Genealogists & Researchers in Archives
How do you go about finding someone who you can trust when it comes to family history research? The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA) is the leading body for professional family history researchers in England and Wales. AGRA requires both its probationary Associates and its full members to maintain the highest possible standards of service.
AGRA’s nationwide directory of accredited genealogists includes many specialists in military research. You can browse the directory on the AGRA website, and use the ‘Search by Expertise’ feature to select a researcher with particular skills. Alternatively, you may need someone who can go to a particular archive on your behalf, in which case the regional search feature will be useful. Where a member has their own website, you will be able to link through for more details. By choosing an AGRA member, you can be assured that they are both knowledgeable and reliable.
www.agra.org.uk
Centre for Archive and Information Studies
Are you interested in genealogy? Would you like to find out more about your family and local history?
Internet sources may help you fill in names on your family tree, but they can only give you limited information. These short courses will take you ‘Beyond the Internet’, opening the door to the world of UK archives.
If you are interested in a specific subject, single-course study is also available, while the more experienced researcher could consider a Postgraduate Certificate or Masters Degree in Family and Local History. Our courses are delivered online and are written and taught by expert archivists, genealogists and local historians.
The University’s Virtual Learning Environment creates an interactive, supported experience, and the exchange of ideas between students and with the tutor is central to our approach to online learning.
www.dundee.ac.uk/cais
The Federation of Family History Societies
The Federation of Family History Societies is an umbrella organisation with over 180 member societies throughout the world, including national, regional, specialist, and one-name groups. If you are a newcomer to family history, or if you are thinking about researching your family history but have not yet started, you may not be aware of the existence of family history societies.
With an ever-increasing amount of information available on the internet provided by commercial as well as volunteer organisations, there has never been a better time to research your family history.
However, there is only so much research one can do alone. Membership of a society can be a great benefit when personal research grinds to a halt. Society members will be happy to share their knowledge and come up with ideas for you to pursue. You can also join discussions on forums and social networking sites, or attend one of the regular meetings.
www.ffhs.org.uk
Jersey Archive
Jersey Archive was established as part of Jersey Heritage in 1993. The Archive is the Island’s national repository holding archival material from public institutions as well as private businesses and individuals.
The archive has an online catalogue and offers a research and copying service for those unable to visit us in person. Information leaflets on family history and your military ancestors can also be found online.
In 2011, the Jersey Occupation Collections held at Jersey Archive were inscribed on the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register. The Channel Islands were the only part of Britain to be occupied by Hitler’s German forces during the Second World War. The Jersey Occupation archive includes the Bailiff’s Correspondence, German Troop Court files, and the Occupation Registration Cards, which form a pictorial census of the Islanders who were occupied.
www.jerseyheritage.org
Follow in the footsteps of your ancestors
In the Footsteps Battlefield Tours have over ten years experience designing Genealogy Tours retracing the footsteps of your ancestors. They research your ancestors’ military service and design itineraries that allow you to visit where they encamped, fought, and were perhaps wounded or killed. Their team of expert guides have led tours across the length and breadth of Europe and further afield to the battlefields of Gallipoli and South Africa.
So why not let In the Footsteps design a bespoke genealogy tour for you. They will take care of all the research and planning so that you are free to walk in the footsteps of your ancestors, stand in the places that they stood, see where they fought, and pay your respects at the memorials and cemeteries associated with their battles without having to worry about the organisation.
www.inthefootsteps.com
My History
My History is a genealogy supplies specialist with a range of products suitable for both beginners and experienced genealogists. The company specialises in family tree charts, either pre-printed for you to fill in, or a chart-printing service if you already have your chart on a computer. Also available is a selection of family tree software, including the two leading software packages, Family Tree Maker 2012 and Family Historian v5.
New for 2013 is the Flip-Pal mobile scanner. A fantastic tool for genealogists to capture scans of images whilst away from home. The battery-operated scanner will scan photographs in situ in albums and picture frames, and will even allow you to
work with oversized documents using the supplied stitching software.
Also new are the extensive Parkinson and My History ranges of acid-free archive storage folders for certificates, photographs, and other important family documents.
Request a catalogue before 30 September 2013 and receive a free folded A3 six-generation pedigree chart. Just email [email protected] for your copy.
www.my-history.co.uk
To see this feature as it appeared in issue 35 of Military History Monthly, click here.