Unlocking Your Family's Service In World War 2

Famous Piper Bill Millin 's
D Day landing at
Sword Beach, Normandy

With the D Day commemorations this weekend, it brings into focus the part played in World War 2 by many people's families.  

How do you find out about the part your family played in the World War 2? 

Well, it is a straightforward process to obtain your own service record or the records of your family who served in World War 2 as members of the UK armed forces.  

The process differs, depending on whether you are requesting your own records, if you are the next of kin of a deceased service person or if you simply have a general interest in an individual. 

The general rules surrounding all service records are that there is no fee for providing a copy of your own service record.  If the member of the armed services is deceased, again there is generally no fee to anyone who was the spouse or civil partner at the time of the service person's death.  This also applies to their parents if there is no spouse or civil partner.  Other people applying for a record will normally be charged a fee. At the time of publishing , the fee is £30.

There may be some other costs as you may need to provide a death certificate or perhaps proof of your own relationship to the deceased person and if you do not have these certificates then you will need to purchase them.

Applications go to the relevant service body and can take some time to be found as they are increasingly being asked for records for family history reasons. However, they will respond and in our experience, they are also good at providing information about the meaning of all the various abbreviations and terms. 

You need to give them as much information as possible to track down the correct person - especially if it is a common name. That's why it is important to know what information is important and Kin Tree can help you with this as we are experienced in helping with applications.

Under the scheme, and in recognition of the duty of care owed to the family of the deceased subject, for a period of 25 years following the date of death of the subject and without the consent of the next of kin, the MOD will disclose only:

• surname
• forename
• rank
• service number
• regiment/corps
• place of birth
• age
• date of birth
• date of death where this occurred in service
• the date an individual joined the service
• the date of leaving
• good conduct medals (for example, Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (LS&GCM)), any orders of chivalry and gallantry medals (decorations of valour) awarded, some of which may have been announced in the London Gazette

After this period, and if it is held, in addition the MOD will disclose without the requirement for next of kin consent:

• the units in which he/she served
• the dates of this service and the locations of those units
• the ranks in which the service was carried out and details of campaign medals awarded

If you have obtained the permission of the next of kin then the 25 year rule does not apply.

For more information on applying or if you want to learn more about the other records available on service personnel contact us at kintree@ymail.com.

Please click on the links below to find us on 

facebook                    twitter

WDYTYA Tickets Now On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for Who Do You Think You Are's three day show in Glasgow at the SECC from Friday 29th August - Sunday 31st August. Regular readers will remember us mentioning back in March that the show was coming to Glasgow.

This show is a must for everyone interested in genealogy whether they are a complete beginner or a professional.  Along with the stalls displaying and selling all sorts of genealogy products and services, there will be talks on a wide range of genealogical subjects, experts to help you learn how to break down your brick walls and general advice on how to start your family tree 

All the major genealogical societies, archives, museums and major free and subscription websites will be there so if there is anything you need to know, then this is the place to be!

Tickets are available online or by calling 0844 873 7330. Advanced single tickets are priced £14 for adults, £24 for a two-day ticket and £30 for a three-day ticket, while children under 16 go free. 

If you can book by 4 June 2014, there is a discount on single day tickets where you can buy two for £20.  You need to quote either of these codes to get the discount: EB20 or WDM2420.

If you need any further help with your family tree or would like to find out more about how to make the most of your trip to WDYTYA, then please get in touch for a no obligation chat at kintree@ymail.com.

Please click on the links below to find us on 

facebook                    twitter

Wills and Testaments - A Treasure Trove of Family History Information

Wills and testaments are an excellent way to find out more information about your ancestors. They can tell you about the types of belongings that people owned such as tools from their job, furniture, savings etc. Depending on the time period, it might also list property that is owned.

So in Scotland, what is a will and what is a testament?

A testament is basically a list of all the person's property and may also include a valuation of these items.

A will is the statement made before a person dies explaining how they wish their goods to be disposed of once they have died.

• If someone dies and has a will, it is know as a testament testamentar.  
• If there is no will then it is known as a testament dative.

Where do we find testaments in Scotland?

Testaments made from 1514-1925 have been digitally imaged and they are available to see online at Scotland's People.  They also give a good explanation and examples of testaments.  You can search for free i.e. you do not pay 1 credit to look at the summary of your search results in the way you do for some of their other records.  If you want to look at the detail of a specific record, then you will be charged to look at the record.   Records often have several pages of information but there is a standard charge to look at the whole document no matter how many pages.  If you visit a Scotland's People Centre then you will be able to look at these images too.

From 1926 up until records from 10 years ago, you need to visit the National Records of Scotland search rooms in Edinburgh.  Before visiting, it is worth checking their website for all the details that you will need to know to be able to perform a search.  It is also advisable to contact them prior to your visit to check the availability of records.

If you are looking for a testament that is less than 10 years old then you need to contact the Commissary Department, Edinburgh Sheriff Court, 27 Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LB.

For more advice on wills and testaments contact us at kintree@ymail.com.

Please click on the links below to find us on 

facebook                    twitter

The Pros and Cons Of The New Online Northern Irish Records Search

In April, PRONI, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland's launched an online search facility for Northern Irish BMDs.

There were hints beforehand that the site would be the same as Scotland's People but it has a different look and feel to it.  There are positives and negatives compared to Scotland's People but the important thing is that it now gives remote access to a whole array of Irish records to everyone who cannot visit Ireland.

What Records Are Available Online?

The facility is to search for Northern Ireland only and so covers the counties of Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone and includes -

• All statutory birth, marriage and death records from 1864
• Non-Catholic Marriage Indexes from 1845
• World War II death registration 
• Search and view townlands for Northern Ireland

The same rules apply as on Scotland's People's online records

• birth registration over 100 years old
• marriage registration over 75 years old
• death registration over 50 years

How Does It Work?

Access the site online at https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk/

You will see that it tells you that you can search without registering and for free.  This is slightly misleading.

You can indeed do a free search but to look at the results of that search, you need to register for the site. However, given that you are there to look for records, it should not matter that you have to register.

You will also need to buy credits to look at the search results.  However, the biggest plus is that you can buy a credit for 40p and as long as you have one credit registered, you don't need to buy any more to search. The searches themselves are free so it won't use up this one credit to search.

Search Results

You will receive a list of basic results of your search and then it is up to you what amount of further detail, you require.

• Basic Search Results - Sometimes it will be enough to look at the free search especially if you are only only wanting to confirm information. Certainly, we have found there is more information given than on a Scotland's People initial search. 
• Enhanced option - This gives you a few more details of the record (costs 1 credit)
• Full option - This will show a copy of the image along with a transcription (costs 5 credits)
• Order Certificate  - You can also order a copy of the certificate.  You cannot use credits to do this and it will cost £8 for the certificate.  If you do decide to go down this route and are looking for a pre 1922 certificate then it will also be available from the GRO in the Republic of Ireland.  It is always keeping an eye on prices as it might work out cheaper to order from there. At the time of writing, prices there ranged from 4€ - 20€.

In our opinion, most of the time, it will be better to pay for the Full option as this will give you all the details available in the same way that the images on Scotland's People do.  It's worth trying different options though to see what you think.  As it only costs 1 credit to look at an enhanced image, it might be worth a try when you start so you get a feel for the information.  Remember first to click on the links above for full information on what the options will give you.

Using The  "Variant" Option

One of the options when putting the name into the search box is to use "variants".  We have not found this useful however.  Having already got several certificates in the past prior to this online facility, we used these in our initial free searches to test how useful the variant spellings feature was.

We put in the spelling from the certificates into the search boxes and it did bring us the correct results. However we did run into a problem.  Using "Ramsay" as an example - Altering one letter from Ramsay to Ramsey brought us results with only the new spelling we had entered so we did not see the record we had searched for initially using the spelling "Ramsay".  If you have used Scotland's People then you will know how useful the various options for alternative spellings can be.  Perhaps we have been unlucky (on several occasions) but we would advise that it is always worth manually trying all spelling variations if you don't come up with any results for which you are looking.

Credits

The biggest advantage over Scotland's People is that you can buy 1 credit only rather than having to buy 30 credits at a time as you have to on Scotland's People.  Also the initial searches don't cost you anything. Clearly there is a need to give them your card details which some people don't like however it is part and parcel of accessing information these days.

If there was one thing here that could make it easier, if you have not read through all the information prior to starting and buying credits, you will be unaware of how many credits that you will need to look at the information.  If you don't have enough credits then it simply tells you that you need to buy more but it would be simple to have added the extra information to explain how many credits you need to do a search or the cost of buying an enhanced or full index. Once again, it's worth checking the pages on the different types of indexes (linked above) to see what the costs are.  Even if you know at the moment, it will doubtless change over time.

Warning!

On the site, in the drop down menu under "features" you can view your saved searches however, it only saves your searches for 72hrs! Then you need to search and pay for the enhanced or full index  again!  It is the same for any notes that you make (also in the drop down menu under "features"). 

Remember therefore to make a record of the information or print it off!

Opening Up Results

This will help to open up information about your ancestors from Northern Ireland.  

If you need any further help with searching or would like information on researching you Irish ancestors - wherever they lived in Ireland - then please get in touch for a no obligation chat at kintree@ymail.com.

Please click on the links below to find us on 

facebook                    twitter

Top Tips For Deciphering Old Handwriting

We are often ask why it it that we have so much success deciphering old handwriting.  Part of that is experience but there are also some good tips to help make this easier.

Check out the National Records of Scotland's website Scottish Handwriting which gives free tuition on Scottish handwriting.  Whether you want to do all the exercises or use it as a reference for the style of old letters, it is an invaluable aid.

During the 16th and 17th centuries in Scotland, most legal documents were written in Latin or Scots so it's important to become familiar with Latin genealogy terms and also to have a good Scots dictionary or visit the Dictionary of the Scots Language online.

If you are looking at a document online or scanned into your computer then it is normally possible to make a negative image of the original.  This can often decipher unclear handwriting.

Get used to the style of the writer. If you are looking at a long document then this is easy but if you are looking at a document such as a birth/marriage/death certificate then try looking for other records that you are interested in from the same location around the same time period.  You will often find a registrar is there for many years and so you have more examples of their handwriting for reading practice.

If you have trouble deciphering a word then write down what you think it is and then search for the word online.  This will often give you good results and also an explanation of any unfamiliar words.  It's also a great way of pinning down streets and place names accurately. 

If you are completely stuck with a word, it helps to try to break it down into individual letters.  If this still proves a problem, look in the document for that letter in other words where you have been able to read a word.

A fresh pair of eyes can help!  Not only if you are tired, though that can be a problem at times but by asking someone else to look.  Everyone has their own way of looking at things and sometimes they can decipher a puzzling word or phrase.

The vocabulary used is often different to the words we use now however if you read a document and find a word that is unfamiliar, it does not mean that you have made a mistake. Transcribe what you see and make an educated guess as to what it might mean in the context of the document. Once again, it is worth checking online for the meaning of words if you are unfamiliar with them.

Along with vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and abbreviations have all changed over the centuries - and more than once!  Sometimes there is no shortcut but to research these!

Find out how we can help you decipher puzzling words or documents by contacting us for a no obligation chat at kintree@ymail.com.

Please click on the links below to find us on 

facebook                    twitter

Using Valuation Rolls To Unlock Your Family's Story

Many people are aware of valuation rolls but are not sure what they are or what information they hold that can be helpful for family historians. 

The Valuation Rolls were compiled every year from 1855 until 1987. Valuation rolls for the inter-census years 

1855-1856, 1865-1866, 1875-1876

1885-1886,1895-1896,  1905-1906, 

1916-1916, 1925-1926, 1935-1936

1945-1946, 1955-1956

have been indexed along with the years    

NRS, Edinburgh

1920-21, 1930-1931, 1940-1941, 1950-1951. 

At the moment, you can search the 

1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 and 1920 rolls 

on the Scotland's People website and all the indexed Rolls from 1855-1955 can be searched in the National Records for Scotland (NRS) Historical Search Room in Edinburgh. For more information, check on the NRS website.

So why might you want to use the valuation roles?

• They can help to track down ancestors.  This can be especially useful if an ancestor is known to be alive but has not been found on the census.
• It's useful for information on your ancestors for recent years where the census is yet to be released.
• It is also a way of finding out about the history of a house. It can be especially interesting if it is your house! 
• Finding out who were the owners of the property can reveal a lot about your family's history.  Did they own a property or were they tenants? 
• It can reveal if your ancestors were tenants of a house attached to a work place for example.  That can often explain why they might move locally if they go to work for a new employer. 
• If your ancestors owned a property or more than one property, it can give more of an idea of their financial position. 
• It's a way of finding out about the wider community in which your ancestor lived - shops, businesses, churches, schools, hospitals to name but a few.  The social history of the area can be great to build up a picture of your relatives.

For more information on valuation rolls, please contact us for a no obligation chat.

Please click on the links below to find us on 

facebook                    twitter

Thinking Of Going To A Family History Event?

Visiting a family history event may feel a bit daunting if you have never been before but please take the plunge and go along!  Whether you are simply curious, have done some work or you are a veteran of family research, there will be someone worth talking to.

Family history societies are often the driving force behind these events and work hard to bring together all sorts of experts from local to national so do not feel that you need to have a connection to a particular geographic area to benefit from an event.  Along with stalls, there are usually talks and the chance to try out some websites.  You will often find that it's a good chance to see products for real that you may have thought about buying online.  

It's important to support these events if you can and especially when they are run by family history societies. These societies are usually run on a shoestring and the members put in many hours of voluntary work to make records accessible to us all so they deserve our support.

At the other end of the scale, for the first time, the "Who Do You Think You Are?" live show is coming to Scotland and will be at Glasgow's SECC from 29th-31st August.  Tickets are not on sale yet but when they do go on sale, they are expected to sell out fast so if you are planning to go, don't wait to buy your tickets. 

What this show can do which is beyond the financial means of smaller shows, is to bring together great numbers of national and international exhibitors under one roof, whilst still having a place for local family historians and societies.  It will be packed with genealogy experts, free workshops, a celebrity theatre and specialist exhibitors.

The event is being held in Scotland as it is Scotland's Year of Homecoming and Ancestry is one of the themes.  However, hopefully if it is a success it will come back again.

Andy Healy, Show Director of Who Do You Think You Are? Live, commented:

“I am extremely excited that our first show outside of London will be held in Scotland, and will form part of this special year of Homecoming celebrations. Who Do You Think You Are? Livehelps gnealogists, from beginners to experts, to further unravel their family history stories and I am delighted that we will be able to bring our interactive, informative and entertaining live event to a brand new audience later in the year.”

Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said:

"There is tremendous curiosity to uncover family roots, especially in the USA, a country that boasts an estimated 9.4 million Scottish descendants.  The Year of Homecoming 2014 will provide a unique opportunity to encourage more and more visitors, both international and domestic to come and enjoy Scotland and will position Scotland on the international stage as a dynamic and creative nation. This family history event, Who Do You Think You Are? Live, will help tourism business across Scotland tap into the ancestral tourism market.”