If issue 78's features interested you, there's lots of extra resources to help you on your way  ...

Test your family history chops with our tantalising crossword.

Download and print it off from here.

Issue 79 of Your Family Tree is on sale now! In the latest issue of Britain's favourite genealogical title help you map out your surname, discovering how tracing your name's origins can help extend your family tree. Plus track down your ancestors who crossed the Atlantic to North America, find your forebears' holiday records and discover how Queen Victoria changed Britain.

               
           
         
Map out your surname – Trace your name and discover a whole new way to expand your family tree

Living in America – Where to find the records of British emigrants across the Atlantic

"My ancestor sang for Queen Victoria" – The story of a Georgian opera star

Ancestors abroad – Follow your forebears on holiday around Britain and the wider world

Plus... find records of work online, get started with family history software, your region guide to Dyfed, two fascinating case studies and much, much more!

Pick up your copy of Your Family Tree Issue 79 today, or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code W035.

In this month’s Your Family Tree competition we're giving you the chance to get your hands on one of three copies of the ultimate family history program RootsMagic 4.



With a tremendous range of tools and charts with which to record your research, this intuitive package provides everything you could wish for in a genealogy program.

Three lucky winners will receive the superb Platinum Edition, worth £49.95, which includes a subscription to The Genealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk).

Meanwhile 12 runners-up will receive the Standard Edition worth £34.95.

To have a chance of winning one of these exclusive prizes click here

Following The British Library's release of 19th century newspapers online at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs, Ancestry have released digital records of The Gentleman's Magazine 1731-1868. This will be a fascinating resource for births, marriages and deaths, as well as a historical backdrop for putting some of your discoveries into context. The magazine was founded in London and covered a wide variety of topics in essays, biographies, articles, illustrations, poetry, reports, and historical passages. 

Members of the YFT Forum are getting very excited about  new leads in their Welsh research.

As reported yesterday, the 1911 Census for Wales has finally gone up online at www.1911census.co.uk, and many family historians have already found their ancestors among the records.

Join in the discussion here.

Familyrelatives.com has released the 'Victorian Doomsday Book' for you to search online. 

The collection includes all the landowner returns for England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland from 100 years ago. Each one of the 320,000 owners is included with their holdings and a yearly rental valuation of their property.

Those of you with Welsh ancestors will be pleased to know that the 1911 Census for the country is now available to search at www.1911census.co.uk.

Five months after the Census was originally launched online, you can now search through the records of 2.4 million people living in Wales on census night.

However, be warned that many of the forms were filled in using Welsh or a mix of Welsh and English.

We've just received news of a Gloucestershire genealogist who has found a family link to a famous author. You'll have to wait until YFT 79 goes on sale on 26 June to find out who (all we'll say is that he has a large fellowship of admirers), but it has prompted us to wonder how many people have famous ancestors?

Apart from a few sportsmen in our trees, the YFT team can sadly boast no claims to fame. However, if you have found a link to someone famous or of notable worth, why not email us or let people on the YFT Forum know?

Adam

If you, or members of your family were evacuated during World War II, or you know where the relevent records are held, why not check out the latest discussions on our Forum?

Simply go to http://forum.yourfamilytreemag.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10670 to contribute.

For those of you with forebears who spent time in Africa, issue 78 of Your Family Tree has a wealth of information and a history of the British Empire on the continent. Here's a list of books and resources to add further footnotes to your research: Ancestry...

Genealogists in Wales and West England have two family history fairs to look forward to this weekend, with events in Gwent and Shropshire to choose from:

Saturday 6 June - Gwent FHS Open Day, County Hall, Cwmbran, NP44 2XH
Saturday 6 June - Shropshire FHS Open Day & Fair, The Shirehall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ND

Whichever you attend, have a great day!

One of the most important offshoots of family history research is that our discoveries resurrect memories of our forebears that had been long-forgotten, and making a detailed record ensures they are kept alive for future generations.

As a result, everyone at YFT is alarmed at how little the next generation knows about World War II, an event that has had a major impact on every family in Britain since.

According to new research, 22% of under-16s don’t know if their family members were involved in the War, and what's more, 27% aren’t bothered if stories about their family’s War experiences are forgotten.

To me World War II has always been one of the most fascinating periods of history, and I especially love finding out about my family's incredible experiences during the conflict, from relatives fighting in North Africa to others escaping on the last boat to leave Malta in 1942. What's more I plan to make sure these stories are kept alive for generations to come.

No matter where the blame lies for this shocking lack of interest and knowledge – the results also show that 13% of children think World War III has already taken place – we must get the next generation interested in such important events, and continue to keep the memory of our heroic forebears – from WWII and before – alive.

The research was undertaken by Leger Holidays, which offers trips to the battlefields of northern France. It is currently marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings with the Keep the Memories Alive campaign to educate people on World War II and their relatives’ part in it. You can ensure personal stories, memories, anecdotes and memoirs are never forgotten by posting them here.

Adam

If you've enjoyed our feature on D-Day in YFT 78, why not read James Holder-Vale's full account of his experinces on 6 June 1944 here ...

Issue 78 of Your Family Tree is on sale now! In the latest issue of Britain's favourite genealogical title we delve into your ancestors' death records, looking at how coroners' reports, inheritance records and burial registers can shed light on your forebears. Plus track down your ancestors who colonised Africa, find Irish church records and trace your family's heroes who fought on D-Day.

               
           
         
Buried treasures – Perform detailed post-mortems on your ancestors using records of their passing

African adventure – We help you explore records of the 'Dark Continent'

Find Irish church records – Your essential guide through the maze of religious records for the Emerald Isle

Trace D-Day heroes – Learn about this key turning point of WWII and the people involved

Plus... use social networking sites, get started with old maps and plans, your region guide to Nottingham, two fascinating case studies and much, much more!

Pick up your copy of Your Family Tree Issue 78 today, or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code W035.