Zoom talk by: Janet Few
Notes by: Lynda Balmforth
Approximately 36 people joined our Zoom meeting in which Janet made us realise just how much information we were missing out on by not exploring the sources of the twentieth century. We tend to think that we know it already and it can be difficult to research with rules of closures, such as the 100 year rule for releasing a census, also we think of it as not ‘history’ but it is a vital part of our family history with the advantages of concentrating on a time period, a time of great change and therefore interest, especially with the subject of DNA and Janet then gave us an in depth list of twentieth century sources available today.
Twentieth Century Sources
Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
Remember to look at www.gro.guv.uk/gro/content/certificates for mother’s maiden names and ages at death from 1837
Censuses
1911 census – check the Enumerator’s Book List
Church Records
Non-conformist Records
Methodist Historic Roll, 1898-1908 List of contributors to fund see www.mywesleyanmethodists.org.uk/content/topics-2/wesleyan-methodist-historic-roll/wesleyan-historic-roll for background and transcripts.
Cemetery Records
Gravestones
Deceased Online www.deceasedonline.com
Find a Grave www.findagrave.com
Gravestone Photos www.gravestonephotos.com
Wills www.probatesearch.service.gov.uk
Newspapers www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
Oral Evidence and Living Relatives
Photographs
Moving Images
British Pathe www.britishpathe.com
The British Film Institute www.bfi/org.uk/archive-collections
The National Archives www.nationalarchives.org.uk/education/focuson/film/film-archive
Film Archives UK www.filmarchives.org.uk/filmarchiveforum
Directories and Gazeteers www.historicaldirectories.org
Electoral Registers see http://electoralregisters.org.uk for useful background information
School records
Admission’s Registers
Log Books
School Leaver’s Certificates
Teachers’ Registration Certificates
The Society of Genealogists hold Teachers’ Registration Certificates for all those teachers
Who were in service between 1914-1948. Available on www.findmypast.co.uk
1910 Valuation Office Survey Lloyd George’s Domesday
The National Archives 1R58
The research guide, ‘Valuation Office Survey’ is available at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/researchguides/valuation-office-survey-land-value-ownership-1910-1915
World War 1
War Memorials
National Inventory of the War Memorials Project www.ukniwm.org.uk
Rolls of Honour www.roll-of-honour.org.uk and www.roll-of-honour.com
Photographs
Gravestones
Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Database www.cwgc.org
‘Soldiers Died in the Great War’
Published 1921, 81 volumes, listing 42,000 officers and 662,0000other ranks. Usually gives
The soldiers’ regiment, corps and battalion; decorations received; where the individual
was born, lived and was enlisted; their rank and number and how, when and where they
died. Available in libraries; on CD via Naval and Military Press Limited
www.naval-military-press.com online via www.ancestry.co.uk and www.findmypast.co.uk
Silver War Badge
Awarded to those unfit to serve WO329 AT National Archives, online www.ancestry.co.uk
and www.findmypast.co.uk For more information see
www.iwm.org.uk/history/first-world-war-silver-badge-and-discharge-certificate
War Diaries www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/war-diaries-ww1.htm WO95
Medal Rolls
WO372 at the National Archives available via the National Archives website for a fee
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/medal-index-cards-ww1.htm
Service records
WO363 and WO364 at the National Archives available via subscription websites
Absent Voters Lists
Surviving records are likely to be in local archives. For details of online access to some lists see www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists and www.1914-1918.net
A number of World War 1 documents mentioned accessed via forces-war-records.co.uk subscription
Red Cross Volunteers
Friends’ Ambulance Service
1939 Register
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/1939-register
www.findmypast.co.uk/1939register This link will lead you to social history information about the 1930’s
FindmyPast’s You Tube channel www.youtube.com/user/findmypast includes videos about the 1939 register, which are well worth watching for more background information.
You may find these blog posts from The National Archives of interest:
The 1939 Register – when is a ‘census’ not a census? http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/1939-register-census-census
National Registration Day 29 September 1939
http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/national-registration-day-29-september-1939
National Registration – What happened next?
http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/national-registration-happened-next
The National Archives have also produced a relevant podcast:
http://medianationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/using-1939-register-recording-uk-population-war
The 1941 Farm Survey
There is a National Archives’ Research Guide, which gives further information about the Farm Survey
This talk was full of information for both beginners and people who have been researching their ancestors for more years than they care to remember! Something for everyone, an excellent talk that was enjoyed by all.