HELPING WITH YOUR FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH
Most visitors to the Centre on Fridays come to research their family history using documents and records in our collection which are not available elsewhere. However, the internet is now an indespensible source of information for geneologists. Here are a few websites which we recommend to our visitors or to anyone with an interest in family history:
We start with the Census sites such as www.1901censusonline.com or for the first census where you can see records written is your ancestor’s own hand go to www.1911census.co.uk At the Heritage Centre we have the 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881 census returns. Copies of Birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates can be bought from the new Directgov site at http://tinyurl.com/gov215
Check UK burial and cremation records, photos of graves and cemetery maps at www.deceasedonline.com Then there is the ever-growing Morman site at www.familysearch.org which holds 250 million searchable world-wide family records.
Military records are on the National Archive site at http://tinyurl.com/nat215 and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site at www.cwgc.org holds records for 1.7 million fallen service men and women in both World Wars as well as 67,000 civilian casualties.
You will be shown how to build a family tree at www.myheritage.com/family-tree-builder and at www.genesreunited.co.uk you have access to millions of ancestors on other people’s trees.
Serious researchers use DNA testing to help trace paternal and maternal lineages. Buy a kit from DNA worldwide at www.dna-worldwide.com/ancestry-testing – use the mouth swab to collect your DNA, send it back and wait for the results!
Finally, do you want to know if your ancestor fought at Agincourt? Go to the new site at www.medievalsoldier.org where 250,000 medieval soldiers are listed together with their length of service, salaries, sickness records and much more!
So happy hunting and don’t forget to visit us at the Centre any Friday morning 9:30am to 12:30pm
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LINKS TO SITES FEATURING SMARDEN AND KENTISH LOCAL HISTORY
http://www.kentarchives.org.uk/Calmview/
http://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/family_history/family_history_websites.aspx
http://www.hereshistorykent.org.uk/
www.harrietshamhistorysociety.org
http://www.woodchurchmuseum.com/
http://www.mardenhistory.org.uk/
http://www.kfhs.org.uk/links.htm
NATIONAL RECORDS LINKS
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/?gclid=CIXwz-qJ3bwCFdShtAodnWIAZQ
https://www.gov.uk/browse/births-deaths-marriages/register-offices