Summary
From the Scottish Highlands to the cliffs of Dover, many Canadians can trace their roots back to the United Kingdom. To celebrate Victoria Day, we’re hosting a very special webinar at 10 AM EDT on MONDAY, May 18th with Ancestry ProGenealogists Celia Heritage. Follow along with us as Celia shares her tips and tricks for uncovering your UK heritage, and answers your family history questions LIVE. No registration is required – just head over to the AncestryCA Facebook page at 10 AM EDT to join us!
Please note that this session on Monday replaces the usual Tuesday morning webinar – there will be no webinar on Tuesday. Can’t make the session? Not to worry – you can always watch this – and all other Ancestry Extra webinars – at a later date by going to “Videos” on the Ancestry Canada Facebook page.
Free Access Terms and Conditions
Ancestry is providing free access to all onsite record collections on Ancestry.ca from Friday 15th May 2020 to Monday 18th May at 11:59pm EDT. Ancestry registration required. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records with an Ancestry.ca paid membership.
Top tips for researching your UK ancestors:
- Don’t Dive Straight into UK Records: Get as much information as possible about your immigrant ancestor from Canadian records before looking at UK records. It’s key to try to establish where he or she came from in the UK – narrowing it down to specific place or at least county if possible.
- Research Methodically: Start with what you know for certain, noting the sources you have searched and adding known facts to your tree. If a fact is uncertain then use the “tag” option under the ancestor’s name on your Ancestry tree to show it is unverified.
- Determine an Arrival Date: This will help stop you incorrectly picking up someone with the same name in UK records after your ancestor had left his homeland.
- Notice the Detail: Don’t overlook small but important details. Note any reference to your ancestor’s occupation or religious denomination. These could be key in correctly identifying them in UK records, especially if you are unable to locate their exact place of birth from Canadian sources.
- Hone Your Research Skills: Don’t search only by using your ancestor’s name and seeing which records come up. Hone your research skills by watching videos on research techniques and reading up about the sources you are using. This will help you focus your searches for improved results and enhance your understanding.
Ancestry Record Collections mentioned in Celia’s talk:
Canadian Collections:
- Canadian censuses: 1901, 1906, 1911, 1916 and 1921
- Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1947
- Findagrave
- Newspapers.com (NB: Not included in the free access mentioned above)
- Canadian Passengers lists in general mentioned: see below
UK collections:
- UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
- UK Census records – uses 1871 England Census as an example
- Church of England Parish Register Collections – seeing what Ancestry holds by looking in the Card Catalogue then: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/catalog/?title=Church%20of%20England&limitToCountry=1
- England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970
Probate Records
- England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
- England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858
- Scotland, National Probate Index (Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories), 1876-1936
Other resources
Celia’s video on the Ancestry UK Facebook page on how to use the card catalogue and the importance of searching by place: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=237425127405881
Speaker: Celia Heritage
Celia Heritage is from Kent, England. Passionate about family history since childhood, she actively promotes sound methodology in genealogical research, as well as the importance of using a wide variety of sources to understand our ancestors’ lives.
Celia read history at King’s College, London (England), and studied for the Higher Certificate in Genealogy at the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, which she passed with distinction. She ran her own research company for 10 years before joining Ancestry ProGenealogists as a research manager in August 2018.
A well-known figure on the genealogy circuit, Celia lectured at the 2017 BIFHSGO Conference in Ottawa and at numerous locations and conferences in the United Kingdom. Her specialist interests include death records, exploring history on the ground, and genealogical tuition. In 2015, she was thrilled to be awarded the Bronze Medal in the UK section of the annual ‘Rockstar Genealogist’ Competition run by John D. Reid of the Anglo Canadian Connections genealogy blog.
She is the author of “Tracing Your Ancestors Through Death Records” and “Researching and Locating Your Ancestors.” She is working on her third book, which will be a genealogist’s guide to cemeteries, graveyards, and funerals.
