Family historians are being urged to tell their best untold stories at Blenheim Palace on Friday 4 July.
To coincide with the stately home’s own untold story of the last 300 years, visitors will be encouraged to tell their own unreleased stories from their families’ pasts. Those unable to attend hcan tell their stories here.
The historic palace, home to the 11th Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill, will then pick the most fascinating story and display it for all visitors to view as ‘Britain’s Greatest Untold Story’, and place more secretive tales in a time capsule in the grounds.
This poem, sent in by Marion Gray, was letter of the month in YFT 66, and perfectly sums up why we all spend so much time in pursuit of out family history.
I find it so emotional As I scan the family tree Just to trace the generations Which all struggled afore me. I study each in detail And I bring each back to life; Oh, each has had such troubles Rife within a life of strife. All tried to scratch a living All a-swim against the tide; All valiant and mindful Of the family’s guarded pride. Yet spells with little money And a lack of useful work Taught each, parental management, Was a duty not to shirk.
Yet varying responses Were expressed each dawning day And in sundry-torn directions Did my forebears make their way. Some languished in the poor-house With the family scattered wide; Oh, what misery and heartache For lost dreams and hope to ride. And debtors prisons waited To entrap more than a few, Hoping hope against all hope Someone could pay the due. And who, of course, is blameless When they steal their daily bread To be scattered to the four winds And to transportation sped.
Oh, what misery and heartache Bring the mists unto the eye Where Salvation’s hope is hastened By necessity to die. So hearken, generations Of my family gone ahead, I take interest in your story For your memory’s not dead. Oh, would that I had been there In your greatest hour of need, To give a little comfort And some seed of hope to feed. Too late now for assistance Though remembered long in time Beyond your comprehension By the latest in your line.
Tuesday June 24, 2008
Issue 66 on sale now!
Issue 66 of Your Family Tree is on sale now! In the latest issue of
Britain's favourite genealogical title we shed light on your relatives' childhoods, revealing the best
sources to find out what life was like for them in their formative years. We also reveal the best
online sources for old maps of your ancestors' communities and find out about the British who fought against the USA in the War of Independence.
Records of childhood – Discover the fascinating records of your ancestors' early years
Prisoners of war – Find the amazing stories of your war heroes who were taken captive
Doctors – Medical marvels in your family tree, and the records they left behind
The war against independence – Find out what life was like for British soldiers in the American War of Independence
Plus... find old maps online, how to get started with gravestone inscriptions, our region guide to Clwyd, a free CD packed with
family history software, including Serif WebPlus 8 and much, much
more!
At 100 pages, and selling for £4.99, the new-look issue 66
of Your Family Tree is great value for money. Pick up your copy today,
or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code P036
Thursday May 29, 2008
Win Family Tree Maker by telling us what you think!!
We want to know what you think about Your Family Tree!
Whether you've been subscribing since Issue One or if this is your first copy, please give us your thoughts and help us to give you more of what you want in the magazine by clicking here.
Everyone who enters will be entered in a prize draw to win one of ten copies of the excellent Family Tree Maker Platinum Edition, cortesy of Ancestry.
Win a portrait of your ancestor!
In this month’s Your Family Tree competition we’re giving three lucky
winners the opportunity to have their ancestor immortalised in a
portrait.
These oil paintings from Daniel John Bell Studios are worth £176 each and are a perfect way to remember a relative.
For your chance to win one of these great prizes, click here
Tuesday May 27, 2008
Issue 65 on sale now!
Issue 65 of Your Family Tree is on sale now! In the latest issue of Britain's favourite genealogical title we show you the best ways to discover the lives of your 20th century ancestors, revealing the best sources to bring your family tree up to date. We also reveal the best online sources for finding your sea-faring ancestors and, with summer on the horizon, look at how your relatives holidayed.
20th century ancestors – We show you how to get around restrictions to shed light on your recent family history
Beside the seaside – From Cornwall to Casablanca, we look at where your ancestors spent their summers
Carpenters – We discover how resourceful chippies were and nail down the most useful records
Seafaring ancestors online – Don’t get lost at sea, as we reveal where to find passenger lists, and offshore births and deaths on the internet
Plus... Track down the British in India, how to get started with parish registers, our region guide to East Yorkshire, a free CD packed with family history software, including OrgPlus 7 Express and much, much more!
At 100 pages, and selling for £4.99, the new-look issue 65 of Your Family Tree is great value for money. Pick up your copy today, or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code P035
Wednesday May 21, 2008
Win a hard-drive to keep your data safe!!!
In this month’s Your Family Tree competition we’re giving away cutting-edge My Book Home hard drives to five lucky winners.
These stylish external hard drives give you an extra 750GB of extra file storage to store extra photographs and files, and back up your current files to keep them safe.
For your chance to win one of these great prizes, click here
Tuesday May 13, 2008
WDYTYA? Live pics
See some of Your Family Tree 's highlights from Who Do You Think You Are? Live....
...
Proceedings from over 200,000 trials from the Old Bailey have been made fully available online.
The trials, which took place in the historical London court between 1674 and 1913, can be searched online by clicking here.
If you read the Criminal Ancestors feature in last month’s YFT 63, you’ll realise the importance of such a resource, both in discovering the black sheep of your family and those forebears who were victims of crime.
If, however, you don’t find anyone familiar among the records, you can always look up notes involving famous murderer Dr Crippen and playwright Oscar Wilde.
Pick up next month’s copy of Your Family Tree (65) for a full review.
Issue 64 on sale now!
Issue 64 of Your Family Tree
is on sale now! In the latest issue of Britain's favourite
genealogical title we give you the definitive guide to the census,
showing you how to make the most of all the records from every census year, from all over the UK. We
also help you discover adoption records and, on the anniversary of the Penny Black, we look at how your ancestors used the post.
Census – We show you the websites and organisations that provide census data, where you can find them and how to make the most out of them, right up to 1911!
Going postal – The history of the postal service and how your ancestors made use of it
Adoption records – The records, restrictions and sources for overcoming this family history hurdle
WWI records online – Use Ancestry's Medal Index Cards, and other online resources, to find Army ancestors from the Great War
Plus... A tragic tale uncovered from a final photo, how to get started with death certificates, our region guide to Leicester,
a free CD packed with family history software, including a The Complete Guide to Heraldry and much, much more!
At 100 pages, and selling for £4.99, the new-look issue 64 of Your Family Tree is great value for money. Pick up your copy today, or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code P034
Monday April 21, 2008
Going to the show?
If you're visiting Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE, why not download our specially-designed badge, to show you read Your Family Tree?
Requested by our forum members, this will identify you as a Your Family Tree fan, and help you to meet up with other readers.
Plus, visit the team at stand 272, and get your genealogy questions answered by our expert writers.
To download the badge, simply right-click on it and select 'Save Picture As...' You can then print it out at home, and attach it either with a safety pin or sticky tape.
Thursday April 03, 2008
Win unlimited access to Findmypast
Win unlimited access to Findmypast in this month’s Your Family Tree competition
YFT is giving you a chance to win a free, unlimited subscription to the records at www.findmypast.com for a whole year!
One winner will recieve a lucrative Explorer subscription worth £89.95, while nine runners-up will get Discovery packages.
To have a chance of winning one of these exclusive prizes just answer
the following question and fill out our online form below...
Closing date 24 May 2008
To see our full set of online competition rules, please click here
Tuesday April 01, 2008
Issue 63 on sale now
Issue 63 of Your Family Tree
is on sale now! In this new-look issue of Britain's favourite
genealogical title we're helping you find your criminal ancestors, showing you the best records to track down the thieves, murderers and fraudsters in your family tree. We
also give you a guide to adoption records and celebrate VE Day by finding out what this joyous occasion meant to your relatives.
Criminal ancestors – An expert guide to finding the records that shed light on the black sheep of your family
Tales of VE Day – Moving stories from WWII survivors, plus how you can find details of your family
Catholic records – Trace the records of their troubled past in Britain
Bargains online – Find where to look for the best genealogy deals on the internet
Plus... The story of Britain's first female register, how to get started with marriage certificates, our region guide to Renfrewshire,
a free CD packed with family history software, including a Ashampoo Photo Commander 5 and much, much more!
At 100 pages, and selling for £4.99, the new-look issue 63 of Your Family Tree is great value for money. Pick up your copy today, or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code P033
Friday March 07, 2008
Win a personalised ancestor chart
Win a personalised ancestor chart in this month’s Your Family Tree competition
The 12 winners will get a stylish, professionaly produced family tree worth £49 courtesy of Maxbal Genealogy
To have a chance of winning one of these exclusive prizes just answer the following question and fill out our online form below...
Closing date 1 May 2008
To see our full set of online competition rules, please click here
Friday February 29, 2008
Issue 62 on sale now!
Issue 62 of Your Family Tree
is on sale now! In this new-look issue of Britain's favourite
genealogical title we show you how to find and utilise your ancestor's wills and discover the history of these important documents. We
also give you a guide to your Jewish ancestors, find your theatrical forebears and reveal the history of the Titanic, plus how to find your relatives lost at sea.
Find your family's wills – An expert guide to tracing some of family history's most important documents
Titanic stories – We mark the anniversary of the world's most famous vessel plus advice on tracing relatives lost at sea
Jewish records – Follow the difficult road taken by these much-travelled people
Search newspapers online – Read all about how to find and use web-based newspaper collections
Plus... The story of a WWI prisoner of the Germans, how to decipher old handwriting, our region guide to Dorset,
a free CD packed with family history software, including a Dorset
directory to find your relatives and much, much more!
At 100 pages, and selling for £4.99, the new-look issue 61 of Your Family Tree is great value for money. Pick up your copy today, or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code P032
