Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Traditional babies' names make a come back

Traditional names such as Ruby, Lily, Amelia and Molly and Ava have made a come-back in the list of top names for children for 2008.

Both Rose and Connie have made it into a list of top 100 baby girls' names for the first time in years.
Rose leapt up more than 100 places to become the 96th most popular girl's name in 2008, up from 213th the year before. Read more>>

Although there are thousands of names one can choose and if you need inspiration why not search over 300 million officially registered names and historical records online for a truly unique name at www.Familyrelatives.com sign up now and save 20% Off Annual Subscription

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Save 20% Off Familyrelatives.com Annual Subscriptions

For a limited time only Familyrelatives.com are offering a 20% saving on Annual Subscriptions.

The records databases are included in the annual Subscription package of £37.50. Now £30.00 if you purchase before December 25th, 2008

The Subscriptions provide access to all current databases including the recently released Military collection, Irish records, Trade directories, the GRO Birth, Marriage and Death indexes and other records.

Access over 650 million records for £2.50 per month more info >>

Have you created your family history Homepage yet? Start building your very own homepage add your interests, make an announcement, upload photographs, add your favourite links all for free find out more >>

Study of family trees uncovers fatherhood gene

Scientists discover the existence of a fatherhood gene

Men with lots of brothers are more likely to have sons than daughters, scientists claim after studying family trees dating back more than 400 years.

Researchers believe the study points to the existence of a fatherhood gene which determines whether men are likely to father boys or girls.

Even though they have not been able to identify the gene it is believed that eventaully it could lead to a test to determine the likely sex of offspring.

The inherited gene comes in one of three variations and affects the number of sperm carrying male or female chromosomes, they claim. Read more>>

Census to ask about citizenship

People are to be asked questions about their citizenship, national identity and mastery of English for the first time as part of the national census.

Ministers have said they plan to hold the next 10-yearly survey of the British population on 27 March 2011. Read more>>

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

New military collection released online commemorates the 90th Anniversary of First World War I

In commemoration of the 90th anniversary since the end of the First World War Familyrelatives.com is proud to announce the release of a new military collection online.

The Artists Rifles Roll of Honour, the Anzac Roll of Honour and the New Zealand Roll of Honour as well as the Waterloo Roll call, Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, British Naval Biographical Dictionary 1849 and the Royal Air Force Lists, all form part of the new collection. The searchable database will enable millions to research their military ancestors with ease.

The Artists Rifles was formed in 1859 as part of the great Volunteer Corps. It comprised various professional painters, sculptors, engravers, musicians, architects and actors raised to defend the British Isles from a French invasion. The regiment became part of the Corps of the Rifle Brigade which was subsequently transformed into the famous 21 Special Air Service Regiment S.A.S (Artists Reserve).

In the 20th century the Artists Rifles was a popular unit with volunteers and attracted recruits from public schools and universities. Over fifteen thousand men passed through the battalion during the war, more than ten thousand of them becoming officers and served in almost every unit of the British Army. The battalion fought in France in the Great War, its battle honours include Passchendaele, the Somme 1918, Cambrai 1918, Pursuit to Mons, and suffered higher casualties than those of any other battalion. Members of the Regiment won eight Victoria Crosses, fifty-six Distinguished Service Orders and over a thousand other awards for gallantry and honour.

The Artist Rifles Roll of Honour provides the name of the Artist, rank, regiment, date and where they died. A list of honours, decorations and commissions are among the records provided.

Prominent members of the unit included Noel Coward, and Sir Barnes Wallis, CBE, FRS and the war poets Siegfried Loraine Sassoon and Wilfred Edward Owen who was killed in action on 4 November 1918, only one week before the end of the war.

The Anzac Roll of Honour 1914 – 1918 commemorates those soldiers who served in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and died in the fateful Dardanelles campaign as well as other Great War battles.

The Roll of Honour, lists nearly 20,000 Australians and New Zealand soldiers who died in the war. In addition to the soldiers’ names, their number, rank, unit. The place and cause of death and date of death are also detailed.

The collection is comprised of a number of sections including Soldiers Verses, photographs stories, notes, letters and diary entries which provide a unique insight of a soldier’s life at war. An official summary of the “Peace Treaty” terms is also available.

New Zealand Roll of Honour 1914 - 1918
The Roll of Honour, lists over 18,000 New Zealand soldiers and officers who died in the war. The list contains members of the New Zealand Expeditionary forces killed in action or died from wounds inflicted, accidents, or disease contracted while on Active Service or those who died after discharge.

In addition to the soldiers’ names, number, rank and unit are detailed as well as the place, cause and date of death.

Royal Air Force Lists
The Lists are a valuable collection of the serving and retired officers of the Royal Air Force including the Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force.

As the junior service - the Royal Air Force was born from the merger of the Royal Flying Corp and the Royal Naval Air service in 1918. Its role in the inter-war years became increasingly important as it helped to maintain Britain's strategic interests from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and east to India.

These detailed lists feature the Air Ministry, the Air Council and all officer ranks from Air Marshal to Pilot Officer featuring name, rank, date of seniority, unit and location. Additional information includes medical staff, nurses and chaplains, decorations and awards and a list of holders of the Victoria Cross. Every branch of the Royal Air Force at that time is represented.

As part of the new collection the records go back to Royal Navy Sea Officers all the way from 1660 to 1815 including the Napoleonic Wars. The military is not overlooked with the roll call of the Duke Wellingtons Army at Waterloo in 1812.

Waterloo Roll Call
The Waterloo Roll Call includes Commissioned and Non – Commissioned Officers who fought at Waterloo. The collection consists of a number of sections and is arranged by regiments, rank and seniority within regiments. A staff list is shown separately. Biographical information and anecdotes are available on the majority of those listed in the section and on NCO’s who were subsequently commissioned as well as some heroes of the battle. Those killed and wounded are also indicated. British and Hanoverian Army Divisions and an Index of officers are included in the sections.

Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815
The list was conceived and compiled by David Bonner Smith an Admiralty Librarian. The immense task filled 13 large notebooks and the records lists the name of the Officer, rank and year they were commissioned between 1660 and 1815. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson as well as Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy and many other Sea Officers of the Royal Navy are available to search.

The British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849
A Naval Biographical Dictionary comprising the Life and Services of Every Living Officer in Her Majesty's Navy, from the Rank of Admiral of the Fleet to that of Lieutenant, Inclusive. London, England compiled by John Murray in 1849.

The database consists of authentic family documents and comprises the biography of every living officer in the British Navy. The information will usually cover the individual’s rank, year of commission and details of their naval career. Often further reference to the ship they served on, their command and expeditions are mentioned. The biographies provide a fascinating insight into the expeditions and influence of the British Empire whilst keeping Britain secure and to ensure the flow of ships and goods to supply Britain’s ports and cities.

These records will add to the existing ten million military records and form part of a unique online resource available to military and family historians.

Military records collection being added to familyrelatives.com

· Anzac Roll of Honour 1914-1919
· Artist Rifles
· British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849
· Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815
· New Zealand Roll Of Honour
· Waterloo Roll Call
· Royal Air Force List 1920
· Royal Air Force List 1922
· Royal Air Force List 1929
· Royal Air Force List 1935

These records are available as part of the familyrelatives.com subscription and provide unprecedented value for money. A number of military records are available for free on www.Familyrelatives.com###

The existing military collection online includes;

World War I 1914-1918 British Army Deaths, database covers 1913-1921 includes Royal Air Force Deaths and Royal Flying Corps RFC
World War I 1914-1918 Royal Navy Deaths, database covers 1913 - 1921 includes Royal Naval Air Service RNAS
· Soldiers who died in the Great War 1914-1918
The National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918 (14 Volumes) Complete collection
· World War II British Army Deaths 1939-1948 database covers 1935-1950
· World War II 1939-1948 Royal Navy Deaths database covers 1935-1950
· World War II 1939-1948 Royal Air Force Deaths

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Familyrelatives.com release Irish Collections

One of the largest collections of Irish records available is being released online by www.Familyrelatives.com. This forms part of a programme to add more than 10 million new records by the end of this year.

The new sources will contain, Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857 (5 Volumes), Irish Genealogical Guide, Quaker Records Dublin Abstracts of Wills, Alumni Dublinense 1593-1846, Ireland Topographical Dictionary, Land Records Ireland, Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy, 1660-1815, Irish Names and Surnames, MacDonald’s Directory – 5 counties and the Medical Register for Ireland 2 Volumes. The records contain amongst other material, surnames, year, location and county.

An extract from the Irish Genealogical Guide - Copies & Abstracts of Irish Wills describes why these records are so useful to family historians and came to exist. “Wills being of paramount importance for the study of family and social history, the act of vandalism by which the buildings of the Four Courts, Dublin, were destroyed on the 30th June, 1922, has proved to be a serious set-back to genealogical research, as all the original wills deposited therein at the time were burned; many other documents of national importance met a similar fate. Fortunately however, prior to the disaster, genealogists had copied from time to time many thousands of these wills and the results of their labours had been offtimes published in genealogical journals and family histories….”

We are very pleased to present the Irish collection online, it has always been our intention to add Irish records to the existing Familyrelatives.com data as these rare records are invaluable to family historians and assist in their research, a spokesman for the site added.

IRISH RECORDS COLLECTION

Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857 (5 Volumes), this dataset is a five-volume series of indexes to Irish wills. Each entry lists the individual's name, address, and the year the will was settled in probate.

Irish Genealogical Guide, copies and Abstracts of Irish Wills covers the period from 1445 to 1834. Each entry lists the individual's name, address, reference and the year the will was settled in probate.

Quaker Records Dublin Abstracts of Wills. The Abstracts include valuable information including the individual's name, address, and the year the will was settled and proved in probate. Family relations, occupations, witnesses, freeholds, monies, inventories and more are mentioned in the abstracts.

Alumni Dublinense 1593-1846. Amongst other material includes schools, school alumni, the individual’s name, father’s name, trade, profession, or rank, age, birthplace, and the year they were awarded their degree.

The Royal School, Armagh
The Royal School, Armagh register officially began in 1849 although records date back to 1635.

The Register will prove invaluable in researching your family history as the material includes the individual's name, place or date of birth, father's name, rank, profession or trade, the year they were at the school, educational qualification and career. This may include additional information on their military ranks with the dates of promotion and the date and place of death.

Includes students and pupils from Ireland and abroad.

A typical entry in the register reads;

FITZHERBERT NICHOLAS CODDINGTON
Born in Meath, third son of Nicholas Coddington, of Oldbridge, Co.Meath,
In Couser’s books, 1820-1822 ; T.C.D., July, 1822 ; Ensign, 40th Foot,
22nd September, 1825 ; Lieut., 17th January, 1828 ; capt., 24th December, 1832 ; Major, 30th April, 1884 ; retired, 10th July, 1846 ; received a dangerous sabre wound at the battle of Maharajpore (medal). Died at Brighton, 6th April 1853

Note: T.C.D Trinity College Dublin

Ireland Topographical Dictionary. The database is an alphabetical dictionary of the topography of Ireland and provides historical and statistical descriptions of several of Ireland's counties, cities, boroughs, corporate markets, post towns, parishes, and villages. A useful resource as they enable us to locate and learn about the places our ancestors lived. provides historical and statistical descriptions of several of Ireland's counties, cities, boroughs, corporate, market and post towns, parishes, and villages. Ideal source for learning about the place your ancestors lived.

Return of Owners Land Ireland 1876. The Return shows the holding, in acres, roods and poles, and estimated yearly rental valuation, of all holdings over 1 acre. The database is organised by county, landowner and address for each landowner is provided.

MacDonald’s Directory 1927 for the counties of Antrim, Tipperary, Armagh, Belfast, Londonderry and Kerry. Business and trade directories providing useful social history information on trade names and occupations, names, addresses as well as information on schools in the locality.

Irish Names and Surnames, a fascinating collection of Irish names and surnames, the records include the Gaelic names of men and women from English to Irish and Irish to English and Clan names with useful and historical descriptions and the origins of a name. A treat for budding onomatologists.

Medical Register for Ireland 2 Volumes. The records contain the surname, address and location, year and qualifications followed by the Medical Schools from which the Members qualified.

Irish Passenger Lists 1846-1851, Passengers who arrived at the Port of New York during the Irish famine are already available for free online.

All these records are available as part of the Subscription and provide unprecedented value for money.

Upcoming CollectionsFamilyrelatives.com will be adding valuable new datasets to the site to benefit our subscribers. Additions over the next few months will include many more Military records including Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy, 1660-1815 as well as School and University records for England, Wales, Scotland, including Ireland and the USA.

Familyrelatives.com – records being added

Irish Records
Alumni Dublinense 1593-1846
Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815
Index to Prerogative Wills of Ireland
Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857
Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857 Vol I
Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857 Vol II
Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857 Vol III
Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857 Vol IV
Indexes to Irish Wills 1536-1857 Vol V
Ireland - Return of Owners of Land in Ireland
Irish Genealogical Guide
Irish Names and Surnames
Irish Immigration records 1846-1850
Irish Medical Directory 1878
Irish Medical Directory 1932
MacDonald’s Directory - Antrim
MacDonald’s Directory - Armagh
MacDonald’s Directory - Belfast
MacDonald’s Directory - Kerry
MacDonald’s Directory - Londonderry
MacDonald’s Directory – Tipperary
Quaker Records Dublin Abstracts of Wills
Royal School Armagh

Monday, October 6, 2008

Last survivor of the HMS Hood, Ted Briggs dies at 85

The last survivor of Royal Navy battlecruiser sunk by the Bismarck in Atlantic in 1941 has died.

Ted Briggs, 85, was one of only three of 1,418 crew that survived the sinking during the Battle of the Denmark Strait.

Mr Briggs, from Fareham in Hampshire, passed away at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth on Saturday night.

He was boy signalman aged 18 when the fifth salvo from the Bismarck hit the ship's magazine resulting in a catastrophic explosion. It tore the ship in half and it sank in less than three minutes.

The flagship of the fleet was part of a force ordered to engage the Bismarck and her escort cruiser Prinz Eugen off Greenland. Read more>>

You can search World War II Military records of Army, Navy and Royal Air Force personnel, soldiers and officers on www.familyrelatives.com

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Scrap the Census

Scrap the census, says leading Brownite thinktank

Britain's next census in 2011 should be abandoned because it wastes hundreds of millions of pounds and fails to take account of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants coming to the UK, according to a leading Brownite think tank.
Full article>>

What do you think, should the census be scrapped or should a more detailed census be introduced.


Thursday, August 7, 2008

Odd Names

If you thought that odd or different names helped your family history research spare a thought for these poor souls.

NZ judge orders 'odd' name change

A judge in New Zealand made a young girl a ward of court so that she could change the name she hated - Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.

Judge Rob Murfitt said that the name embarrassed the nine-year-old and could expose her to teasing. Full article>>

WWI wreck moved to protect ships

A German submarine wrecked in the English Channel during World War I has been moved to deeper waters to reduce the risk to passing ships.

The U-boat, which contains the remains of about 27 crew members, has lain off the coast of Dover in Kent since 1918. Read more

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Forgeries revealed in the National Archives

IT began with a letter uncovered nine years ago addressed by a duke to “Dear Mr Hitler”. One of the most extraordinary academic detective stories of modern times ended yesterday when the National Archives, the official custodian of Britain’s history, admitted that it had been the victim of a master forger. Read more>>

What made this story all the more interesting was the article was published on the weekend of the Family History Show 2 - 4 May, 2008 in Olympia, London where both the The National Archives and The Times both had show stands facing each other just a few metres apart.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Mixed-race babies 'were sent to the US'

Records released by the National Archives and reported by the Daily Telegraph

Thousands of illegitimate mixed-race children fathered by American GIs were given up by their British mothers and shipped across the Atlantic, according to newly released papers. Read more>>

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Adolf Hitler's 'lost fleet' found in Black Sea

Reported in yesterday's Daily Telegraph -

The final resting place of three German U-boats, nicknamed "Hitler's lost fleet", has been found at the bottom of the Black Sea. Read more>>

Monday, February 4, 2008

Sixty years on from World War II

Here is an interesting story that recently appeared on the BBC

Sixty years on from World War II, an act of environmental vandalism is proving to be a valuable asset for the tiny South Pacific nation of Vanuatu Read more>>

Friday, January 11, 2008

Happy New year 2008!

Familyrelatives.com wishes all members and visitors to my blog and the website a healthy and happy New year.

This year we will be continuing our efforts to improve the website for the benefit of all our members and we will keep adding new features and more family history research information to our growing databases.