Discover Your Ancestors

Issue 002

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Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. Many thanks to everyone who has signed up – at only £24.99 a year for 12 issues, it makes good sense! – and also to those who have made contact by email, Facebook or Twitter (@DYAncestors).

This issue is bursting to the seams with our trademark mixture of family and social history, and as the months go by we will continue to bring you a mixture of content which will both foster a love for history and help find new angles on your own family research.

Anniversaries have prompted twp of our main features: it's 100 years since Emily Wilding Davison died at Epsom while trying to help the cause of the suffragettes, and we're delighted to have social historian Nell Darby's article about the movement; and the 70th anniversary of the formation of the Dam Busters ties in with new records released about them online. We've also got a research guide to Welsh religious communities, an exploration of surname distribution maps, and plenty more besides. And don't forget the free records on offer – see the bottom of this page. We'd love to hear from you – do tell us what sort of things you'd like to see in the Periodical. Also, we're building a library of useful family history case studies – visit our website to find out more! Andrew Chapman, Editor.

Articles

Voting for action

Only a century ago, women were starving themselves and worse just to get the vote. Nell Darby tells the story of the suffragettes.

Operation Chastise

On the night of 16/17 May, 1943, 19 aircraft of Royal Air Force No 617 Squadron took off to breach a number of important dams in and around the Ruhr area of Germany. There were three primary targets, namely the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams, and three alternative targets, the Lister, Ennerpe and Diemel dams.

Marching on their stomachs

Whether it is a memorable meal when out of the trenches or the failure of the rations to arrive on a cold, wet morning in the front line, descriptions of life on the Western Front are littered with references to food. To those who read the accounts, soldiers appear obsessed by food. Whether soldiers are in the front line as infantrymen, serving the guns, driving vehicles or caring for animals, they need to eat.

Church or chapel?

If you have Welsh roots, a key issue which will have had a major influence on their lives and the records they left behind is whether they were 'church’ or 'chapel’ - a distinction which remains in many Welsh communities to this day.

The Plot Thickens

Every genealogist will have come up against the proverbial 'brick wall’ where a family line just vanishes into the past. Today, however, technology can sometimes provide invaluable clues thanks to crunching large amounts of data at the click of a mouse button.

June 2013's books

As our article on the suffragettes mentions (see page 3), this month marks the centenary of the grim death of Emily Wilding Davison, who stepped in front of the King’s horse at the Epsom Derby to draw attention to her cause – and lost her life as a result. Although her life and death were much publicised by the suffragette movement, until now her family has remained silent. In this revealing

Place in Focus: Birmingham

For over 200 years Birmingham had a worldwide reputation in manufacturing everything from button and buckles to guns and jewellery. It is no wonder that Britain’s second biggest city proved to be such a magnet to a migrant population not only from across the Midlands, but from across the world.

Break the Brick Walls: Civil Birth Records

Certiﬁcates of birth, marriage or death are considered a mainstay of genealogy, providing essential details to aid research. Obtaining these certiﬁcates is fairly straightfor-ward once the correct entry is found in indexes compiled by the General Ofﬁce since July 1837. Sometimes, however, the entry you are seeking cannot be found - perhaps the surname has been incorrectly transcribed, or an entry is not found in the expected year, or the registra-tion district is different from the expected birthplace.

Additional Information

Other Formats

You can buy a printed version of the annual Discover Your Ancestors bookazine directly from the publishers, please see www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk and click on ‘Order print copies’ at the bottom.

Editorial Office

Discover Your Ancestors Publishing,

PO BOX 163,

Shaftesbury,

SP7 7BA

E: [email protected]

W: www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk

Discover Your Ancestors – The Family History Show

The Family History Show, Online!

Saturday 8th February 2025
10:00 –16:00 (GMT)

Put your research questions to an expert, watch a talk, speak to a local society, archive or genealogical supplier.

Free talks available on demand for 72 hours.
Free Experts on hand to help with your queries.
Visit exhibitors, societies, archives and companies all in our virtual exhibition hall.

Special Offer! Buy tickets for £7.00 (£10.00 on the day)

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Future Events

Unable to make the next show? We also have shows planned for the following locations:

And Finally…

Tell a friend: we hope you enjoyed this issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical so much so that you will tell all your friends and family. At just £12 a year, this publication represents fantastic value for all budding family historians. You can also purchase a gift subscription of the Periodical for your friends and family; a present from you that will give pleasure, guidance and inspiration all year round. Please email [email protected] with 'Gift' in the subject line and your contact details, and we can discuss the best options with you. Join our affiliate program: start earning money for every sale you send our way! See www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk/affiliate-program

Looking ahead: We would like to hear your views and family history stories: please write to [email protected]. In the next issue, look out for features on vaccination registers, British Home Children in Canada, interviewing relatives and more.

Look out for Issue 3 of the Periodical at the end of June!

Discover Your Ancestors Periodical is published by Discover Your Ancestors Publishing, UK. All rights in the material belong to Discover Your Ancestors Publishing and may not be reproduced, whether in whole or in part, without their prior written consent. The publisher makes every effort to ensure the magazine's contents are correct. All articles are copyright© of Discover Your Ancestors Publishing and unauthorised reproduction is forbidden. Please refer to full Terms and Conditions at www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk. The editors and publishers of this publication give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised.