December 2012

FREE SEARCH SITE exclusive to Family Tree readers!

Write up your family history on a shoestring

Genealogy & the afterlifeLeave a legacyto treasure

Turn detectiveStrategies for sorting facts from fiction

£4.75

Fortunes & feuds

Your Ancestors Your History

£4.75£4.75

& feuds& feuds& feudsFortunes Fortunes Fortunes & feuds& feuds

PARISH CHEST

WEBSITESUnlocked, online &

ready to search

Top experts, free advice, competitions, news & forum at www.family-tree.co.uk

Family Tree

Genealogy & the afterlifeLeave a legacyLeave a legacy

CHEST CHEST CHEST CHEST CHEST CHEST CHEST WEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESUnlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &

on a shoestring

Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &ready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to search

Genealogy &

WEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESWEBSITESUnlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &Unlocked, online &

ready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to searchready to search

How to find the secrets in your ancestors’ wills!

FTDec2012_pg01.indd 1 22/10/2012 14:14:40

www.family-tree.co.uk December 2012 3Family Tree

Cov

er im

ages

: will

© S

ally

Str

ay/F

amily

Tre

e; p

hoto

© M

ary

Eva

ns P

ictu

re L

ibra

ry/A

lam

y. S

hutt

erst

ock

imag

es: m

agni

fyin

g g

lass

© M

aria

Isae

va, i

vy ©

gra

ph,

key

© K

arin

Hild

ebra

nd L

au.

December 2012 Vol 29 No 2

6 Genealogy newsBelinda Griffi n has the latest family history news, including plans for the WWI centenary and an appeal from organisers of WDYTYA? Live.

12 Writing up your family history without breaking the bankVal Davies makes some brilliant budget suggestions for creating a permanent record of your research.

17 Examining the small printDiscovering a will is one of the most exciting aspects of family history research. Jenny Jones tells you why.

22 Inside story: Genealogy & the afterlifeChris Paton contemplates what will happen to his family history, indeed his own life story, after he’s gone.

26 Parish chest – unlocked & onlineJeremy Palmer lifts the lid of the parish chest to extol the treasures within – and now online.

32 Dear TomExplore the serious, sublime and ridiculous facets of family history with Tom Wood’s genealogical gems.

36 TwigletsFollow Gill Shaw’s tree-tracing diary.

38 Discovering Documents: confi rmation cardsJohn Titford takes a closer look at Anglican confi rmation records, which you may fi nd in your own archives.

40 Stage struck!Theatrical ancestors are not the easiest people to track down, but luckily Emma Jolly steps into the limelight to help you on your way.

46 Hit & mythCatherine Stewart explains why you should turn detective to sort fact from fi ction in family stories.

49 Discover digitalDecluttering? Discover our digital editions or get the best of both worlds with a joint digital and print subscription at a bargain price.

CONTENTS

tells you why. tells you why.

p6p17

p22

p40

COVERSTORY

p12

p26

p32p38

Fortunes & feuds. This issue we help

you to discover ancestors’ wills,

parish chest records and how to sort fact

from fi ction in family stories.

Family Tree is printed in the

UK. p46

FTDec2012_pg03-04.indd 3 22/10/2012 16:17:09

December 2012Family Tree4

50 No place like homeWhen Angela Buckley was asked to research a neighbour’s house history, she didn’t expect to unearth a tragic story at the heart of its foundations.

54 Treat yourself or a loved one to a Family Tree subscriptionJoin our happy band of Family Tree subscribers, save over £20 a year while getting your favourite magazine delivered to your door for free, and you’ll also receive a history of your chosen surname, worth £20.

56 Who Do You Think You Are? Find out LIVE!Get a sneak preview of Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2013 and grab the chance to buy two tickets for just £25 in this special reader offer.

58 I’m Jewish... now what?Discovered you have Jewish roots? Melody Amsel Arieli gives expert tips on how to trace your family history and what makes you a Jew.

63 The wherry skipperNeil Storey recounts life and work aboard black-sailed trading wherries.

68 ReviewsLatest genealogy products reviewed.

72 Free digital dataGet access to 100,000s of names via our free family history search site, which has census records, eBooks, archived publications and software.

74 A romantic elopement?June McKinnon explains how she traced Scottish ancestors who emigrated to South Africa as the Anglo-Boer War raged.

77 Have you discovered Family Tree online yet?Take a look at our website today and you’ll fi nd news and blogs, exclusive digital data, competitions and free advice on our lively forum.

78 Your Q&A: genealogy adviceOur experts David Frost, Barbara Dixon and Steven Smyrl answer your general family history queries.

82 Your Q&A: photo-datingJayne Shrimpton offers insider dating clues for old family photos.

84 Your Q&A: militaryTim Lovering helps readers to solve military family history mysteries.

87 MailboxYour news, stories, views and tips.

90 Diary datesWhat’s on in December.

93 Your adverts 98 Thoughts on...

Diane Lindsay tunes into the past...

CONTENTS

helps readers to solve

tunes into the past...

p90

p74

p54

p50

p74

p87

www.family-tree.co.uk

p82

p56

p78

p58

p63

p84

FTDec2012_pg03-04.indd 4 22/10/2012 16:19:03