It's getting on for Spring and that means it's time to start digging through those old family photos and finally making a start on your family history. We've got lots of interesting articles for you to read first though. Hope you find something you like!

• Who do you think you are? 
• Changes to Familysearch
• What's new on Ancestry and findmypast
• New Family History books in West Sussex Libraries
• What's on at the West Sussex Record Office
• What's on in libraries

If you are still recovering from the Christmas spending, paying for an expensive family history subscription may not be top of your list.

This month’s Who Do You Think You Are Magazine highlights the many free online sources that are available. From parish records and census returns to newspapers and maps you may be surprised as to how much there is. To find out more the latest edition is available on our new enewspaper service PressReader which has over 7,000 worldwide digital newspapers and magazines for you to choose from.

Don’t forget you can also access Ancestry and Findmypast free of charge in all West Sussex Libraries.

If you have tried to access the FamilySearch website over the last month you will have noticed that you now need to register on the site to view any results. For more information about why this has happened and the benefits of registering, visit this page on their site. 

The website is still free to use and the sign up page is straightforward. You will need to choose a user name and password and provide basic personal information including date of birth and the country you are in.

You can access many original images that have been digitised from their microfilm holdings including parish registers that may not be available on Ancestry or findmypast, such as West Sussex records.

What’s new on Ancestry?

Absent Voter Lists, 1918-1925, 1939. 
These enabled servicemen and women to vote by proxy or by postal application, when away from home on active service. They recorded the civilian address of the absent voter, but more importantly they give service numbers and regiments, a valuable resource if you are trying to trace details of a First World War soldier. Only records for Bedfordshire, Birmingham, Dorset, Tyne and Wear, and some London Boroughs are available for now but hopefully more will soon be added.

Berkshire Electoral Registers 1840-1965

What’s new on findmypast?

New parish register collections for Portsmouth parishes have been added and for Hampshire baptism, marriage, burial and workhouse records including original images are all available.

British Army, British Red Cross Society Volunteers 1914-1918. 
You can use these records to find out if you ancestor volunteered for the British Red Cross Society during WW1. They are transcription only but there are links to the Red Cross website to view original images.

Cheshire School Records, 1782-1950  
Transcription records including birth date, address, father’s name and the name of their school.

Free access to these and other online resources is available on any library computer if you are a library member.

What's my family tree (2017) by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom

A lively introduction to family relationships, from Mum and Dad to cousins and great-great grannies, helping children understand where they fit into their family tree. The book does not just explain straightforward connections like uncle or sister, but also sensitively introduces the idea of step-families, half-brothers and even adoption. It celebrates the family in all its forms, encouraging not only a respect for your relatives but also other families around you, recognizing that no one family is the same. Perfect for readers ages 7 and up.  

Tracing villains and their victims; a guide to criminal ancestors for family historians (2017) by Jonathan Oates

In this practical handbook Jonathan Oates introduces the fascinating subject of criminal history and he gives readers all the information they need to investigate the life stories of criminals and their victims. He traces the development of the justice system and policing, and gives an insight into the criminal world of the times and the individuals who populated it. Sections focus on the criminal courts, trial records, the police and police reports, and on punishments transportation, execution and prison sentences. Details of the most useful and rewarding sources are provided, among them national and local newspapers, books, the Newgate Calendar, coroners records, photographs, diaries, letters, monuments and the many internet sites which can open up for researchers the criminal side of history. 

Tracing your army ancestors; a guide for family historians. 3rd ed. (2017) by Simon Fowler

The new edition of this title is an ideal reference text when investigating army personnel. Whether you are interested in the career of an individual officer, researching medals awarded to a soldier, or just want to know more about a particular battle or campaign, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming the reader has no prior knowledge of the British Army, its history or organization, Simon Fowler explains what records survive, where they are to be found and how they can help you in your research. He shows how to make the best use of the increasing number of related resources to be found online, and he pays particular attention to explaining the records and the reasons behind their creation, as this information can be very important in understanding how these documents can help your research.

Tracing your pre-Victorian ancestors; a guide to research methods for family historians (2017) by John Wintrip

'Tracing Your Pre-Victorian Ancestors' is the ideal handbook for family historians whose research has reached back to the early 19th century and are finding it difficult to go further. Carrying research through to earlier periods is challenging because church registers recorded less information than civil registration records and little census data is available. Researchers often encounter obstacles they don't know how to overcome. John Wintrip concentrates on how to do the research - on the practical steps that can be taken in order to break through these barriers. He looks at online services, archival repositories and their catalogues, factors that can influence the outcome of research, wider family relationships, missing ancestors and mistaken identity. 

Tracing your ancestors' lives; a guide for family historians (2017) by Barbara J. Starmans

'Tracing Your Ancestors' Lives' is an exploration of the various aspects of social history of particular interest to the family historian. It has been written to help researchers to go beyond the names, dates and places back to the time when their ancestors lived. Through the research advice, resources and case studies in the book, researchers can learn about their ancestors, their families and the society they lived in. Topics covered include the family and society; domestic life; birth life and death; work, wages and economy; community, religion and government. 

There are lots of talks and workshops planned for anyone interested in family and local history. Here's what is coming up.

Family history workshops

If you’re new to family history or want to find out more about the sources available at the Record Office and how best to use them, you may be interested in our ‘coffee time’ workshops (tickets £7.50). They start at 10am on the first Monday or Wednesday of the month and cover a wide range of sources. The next few sessions are:

7 Feb 2018: Dating old photographs

5 Mar 2018: Beginners guide to Ancestry.co.uk

4 Apr 2018: Reading old handwriting

2 May 2018: Researching the history of your house

4 Jun 2018: Beginners guide to Findmypast.co.uk

4 Jul 2018: Discovering wills and other probate records

Tuesday evening talks

We also have a fascinating programme of talks that start at 7pm on the last Tuesday of the month (tickets £8).

30 Jan 2018: Learning by rote

A talk about going to school in Victorian West Sussex by Ruth Brown.

27 Feb 2018: A Slice of Life

Exploring the Quarter Sessions records with Caroline Adams. 

27 Mar 2018: Stories from the surgeon’s table: exploring the Queen Victoria Hospital Archive

The talk will explore the rich and fascinating archives of the Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead, which have recently been catalogued, conserved and partly digitised through a partnership project led by West Sussex Record Office and funded by the Wellcome Trust. The archive includes a unique series of records relating to the Guinea Pig Club – Royal Air Force personnel who had been badly burned or injured and who received pioneering treatment under the care of Sir Archibald McIndoe and his team of surgeons.

24 Apr 2018: Priory Park 100 - Romans, Roundheads and the Rolling Stones

A talk by Richard Plowman. This event will celebrate the centenary of Priory Park being gifted to the people of Chichester. It is part of a programme of events by the Friends of Priory Park. 

26 Jun 2018: ‘On The Beat’ – The History and Archive of West Sussex Constabulary 1857-1967 by Holly Wright

You can find more information about our talks and workshops, and how to book a place, here.