Ancestry adds historic Berkshire records

Ancestry has digitised over four million Berkshire parish records in a major books to its online resources.

The website has added four new record sets: 2,055,425 baptism, marriage and burial records spanning 1538-1812 ; 1,470,200 baptism records spanning 1813-1925 ; 546,515 banns and marriage records spanning 1813-1941 ; and 325,233 burial records spanning 1813-1998.

The record sets include digitised copies of the original parish registers from the Royal Berkshire Archives.

These records are now accessible at Campaspe Library free via Ancestry Library Edition.

New on Ancestry - Prerogative and Exchequer Court of York Wills, 1389-1858

This collection contains images of wills filed in Yorkshire, England, between 1389 and 1858.  It includes 2,462,539 records.

Records in this collection may include the following information:

Name

Place of residence

Relationship to head of household

Will date

Probate date

The indexed information may help you confirm important dates regarding your ancestor’s death and estate processing. You may find additional information by looking at your ancestor’s record image. Your ancestor’s will may include names of family members that you can add to your family tree, and they can help to sort out how your ancestors were related. A will may also include an inventory of an estate’s assets, which may provide some insights into your ancestor’s financial status and lifestyle.

The majority of the wills in this collection are written in Latin.  Probate records were processed by church courts until 1858. The local courts typically handled the records of farmers, tradesmen, and the lower gentry, while the wealthy and aristocratic class had their probate records processed in the Prerogative Court of York. However, if a person owned property in the northern and southern provinces, their probate records were processed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.

Ancestry opens records for International Womens Day

Over four billion family history records, including census and military records, will be free to access on Ancestry to mark International Women’s Day.

In a statement Ancestry said: “International Women’s Day is a time to not only celebrate the achievements of women today but to reflect on the progress made by the women who came before us. Many of the incredible stories of women from history are hard to find because historical documents sometimes exclude women’s occupations, and newspapers often recorded women under their husbands’ names; but our research shows that people have a deep desire to learn about their women ancestors.”

Ancestry is offering free access to 59 record sets from 8 to 18 March.

Key free record sets include:

• The 1881, 1911 and 1921 English and Welsh census records
• The 1939 Register for England and Wales
• Over two million 1833-1956 UK rail employee records
• The 1737-1969 UK postal service appointment books
• The 1898-1968 UK and Ireland nursing registers
• The 1904-59 UK midwives roll
• The 1914-23 UK First World War pension ledgers and index cards
• The Second World War Women’s Land Army index cards
• The First World War Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps service records
• The First World War Women’s Royal Air Force service records
• The First World War Women’s Royal Naval Officers’ service records
• The England and Wales civil registration marriage indexes for 1837-1915 and 1916-2005
• The England and Wales civil birth indexes for 1837-1915 and 1916-2007
• The England and Wales civil death index for 1837-1915

Ancestry will also offer free access to its Newspapers.com historic newspaper website.

 

Website Wednesday - Ancestry

Ancestry has again been adding new record sets to their database.  New records sets recently added include :

Australia

• New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes,1862-1938 Records 1,369,220
• Victoria, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1925-1933 Records 315,012
• Queensland, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1864-1945 Records 1,249,156
• Queensland, Australia, Blue Books, 1870-1911 Records 9,343
• Queensland, Queensland Criminal Reports, 1860-1907 Records 268
• Western Australia, Australia, Burial Records, 1899-2024 Records 700,434
• Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, Church Records, 1840-1899 Records 10,232
• New South Wales, Australia, Mineworker Fatalities, 1869-1939 Records 1,696
• New South Wales, Australia, List of Convicts and Deserters, 1790-1868 Records 1,114
• New South Wales, Australia, Early Newspaper Index, 1828-1919 Records 4,000

United Kingdom

• Birmingham, England, Electoral Registers, 1833-1972 Records 49,105,506
• Suffolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1949 Records 1,532,634
• Suffolk, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1999 Records 514,948
• Suffolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924 Records 2,213,998
• Suffolk, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 Records 4,576,549
• Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924 Records 1,544,406
• Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1997 Records 413,911
• Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1950 Records 1,091,738
• Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 Records 2,731,359

Ancestry is one of the largest genealogy websites worldwide, and for those on a tight budget Ancestry Library Edition may be available from your local public library. 

Ancestry Library Edition provides access to all records included in a paid world subscription.  Census, BMD, Military, Immigration, Pictures, Stories, Maps, Trees, etc.  It does not allow you to create your own  online tree and link records to it. 

The database can only be accessed in-house, not from home, but will generally be available on your library's public PCs and via their public wi-fi using your own laptop or tablet.  Records can generally be downloaded to a USB or to your device, and printing may also be available.

Website Wednesday - Ancestry Library Edition

Does your local public library subscribe to Ancestry Library Edition?  It might be worthwhile checking. 

Ancestry is one of the largest genealogy websites worldwide, but for those on a tight budget subscription costs can be a strain on the wallet.  Ancestry Library Edition might be your answer. 

Ancestry Library Edition provides access to all records included in a paid world subscription.  Census, BMD, Military, Immigration, Pictures, Stories, Maps, Trees, etc.  It does not allow you to create your own  online tree and link records to it. 

The database can only be accessed in-house, not from home, but will generally be available on your library's public PCs and via their public wi-fi using your own laptop or tablet.  Records can generally be downloaded to a USB or to your device, and printing may also be available.

So check with your local library to see what they have to offer for free to help you with your research - there might be more on offer that you thought! 
 

Website Wednesday - New Records on Ancestry

It is always worthwhile checking to see what new records have been added to the database at Ancestry.  Below are some of the recent additions for Australia and the United Kingdom.

Don't forget that you can search the Ancestry database for free at any branch of Campaspe Libraries using our public access PCs or wifi through our subscription to Ancestry Library Edition.

New Australian Records

Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, Church Records, 1840-1899

Newcastle and Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, City Directories and Residency Records, 1866-1901

New South Wales, Australia, Mineworker Fatalities, 1869-1939

New South Wales, Australia, List of Convicts and Deserters, 1790-1868

New South Wales, Australia, Early Newspaper Index, 1828-1919

New South Wales, Australia, Occupation Records, 1832-1921

New South Wales, Australia, Government Gazettes, 1832-1885

Government Gazettes, Queensland, Australia, Gould Genealogy 1859-1918

South Australia, Australia, Government Gazettes, 1841-1889

Victoria, Australia, Crown Land Licenses, 1853 and 1856

New United Kingdom Records

Suffolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1949

Suffolk, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812

Suffolk, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1999

Suffolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924

England and Wales, Tithe Maps and Apportionments, 1775-1936

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1950

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1997

Registration of Liberated Former Persecutees, 1945-1950

Birmingham, England, All Saints Hospital Records, 1845-1931

Birmingham, England, Petty Session Registers, 1892-1923

London, England, University College Hospital Staff and Patient Records, and Middlesex Hospital Medical School Student Records, 1828-1945

Isle of Man, UK, Civil Birth Marriage & Death, 1849-2013

 

New Records On Ancestry

It is always worthwhile checking to see what new records have been added to the database at Ancestry.  Below are some of the recent additions for Australia and the United Kingdom.

Don't forget that you can search the Ancestry database for free at any branch of Campaspe Libraries using our public access PCs or wifi through our subscription to Ancestry Library Edition.

Australia 

• Australia, Telephone Directories, 1913-1959
• Australia, Records of Grants of Probate, 1832-1947 
• Tasmania, Australia, Government Gazettes, 1885-1945 
• Australia, Victoria, Government Gazettes, 1851-1907 
• Australia, Australian Lutheran Publications, 1850-1966
• Tasmania, Australia, Hobart Town Gazettes, 1844-1906 
• Australia, Government Honour Records, 1900-2023 

United Kingdom

• Ballymena, Antrim, Northern Ireland, Headstone Inscriptions, 1671-1996
• 1921 Wales Census
• 1921 Isle of Man Census
• 1921 England Census
• 1921 Channel Islands Census
• Web: United Kingdom, Corps of Military Police Index, 1800-2022
• Teesside, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1974
• UK, Heraldic Card Index, 1150-1850
• UK and Ireland, Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current
• UK and Ireland, The Royal National Lifeboat Institution Records, 1824-1989
• Web: Isle Of Man, Wills Index, 1600-1864