Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine not only explores the stories behind the popular BBC genealogy TV series, but also helps you uncover your own roots. Each issue is packed with practical advice to help you track down family history archives and get the most out of online resources, alongside features on what life was like in the past and the historic events that affected our ancestors.

Welcome

SARAH'S TOP TIP • Never assume someone only married once, always question late marriages

CONTRIBUTORS

Putting AI to the test

Letters

Who Do You Think You Are?

What's On

London Library membership records go online • Rosemary Collins reports on the latest data releases and genealogy news

NEWS IN BRIEF

British documents added to Memory of the World Register

CAN YOU HELP?

First World War soldiers buried after DNA identification

Historic coal mining plans go online

TheGenealogist adds British Railways magazines

TOILET TALES • Dealing with bodily functions was tricky for our ancestors, as Alan Crosby recalls

Start Your Family Tree FOR FREE IN A WEEK • New to family history, but put off by subscription costs? We challenged genealogist Nicola Johnson to trace a real family's story in an hour a day for a week, with no cost. Here's how she got on – and how you can do it too

AI: THE ANSWERS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS? • Chatbots can help with your research, but check their findings thoroughly

FULL TEXT SEARCH AT FAMILYSEARCH • This reads handwritten documents that ordinary indexes skip, so millions of previously elusive records finally become easily searchable.

6 FREE WEBSITES • Here are six free websites I use regularly for my research

FREE ONLINE LEARNING

LOST IN IRELAND • Dean Kirby shares his personal journey to uncover his Irish ancestor's roots, and shows how you can trace your Hibernian origins – even if your forebears left few clues

SPECIAL REPORT ON SURNAMES IN IRELAND • Narrow down your search with this useful survey

USING GRIFFITH'S VALUATION TO MAKE YOUR OWN MAPS • Get hands-on and you can work out which areas a surname appears most often

RESOURCES • Take your research further

‘MY JOURNEY BEGAN WITH A PEDIGREE’ • An old pedigree unlocked Angela Dingle's passion for family history and led her to discover a gifted Baptist minister, an unlikely convict and an artists’ muse, she tells Claire Vaughan

Resources • Here are some of the resources that helped Angela's research

The Royal Naval Reserve • Amy Dowden's great grandfather signed up with the Royal Naval Reserve in 1904. Phil Tomaselli reveals how to track down your own ancestors who were part of this vital naval division during WW1

William Robert Dowden (1876-1936) • Amy Dowden's great grandfather had a long career with the Royal Naval Reserve, including during WW1

EXPERT PICKS • Phil recommends these essential online resources

Royal Naval Reserve Service Record • This is one of three records that detail the career of William Robert Dowden, Amy Dowden's great grandfather. These service records are held by The National Archives (TNA) and can be downloaded, free, from its website (nationalarchives.gov.uk)

RESOURCES • Take your research further

British in India • Jonathan Scott has resources for tracing family in the Indian subcontinent under British rule

Expert's Choice • Valmay Young is website and social media manager at the Families in British India Society (fibis.org)

More great websites • More fantastic sites you can't afford to miss

Prerogative & Exchequer Courts of York, Probate Records • Finding a will is a big deal in family history terms....