Current News

Family Trees and The Darker Side of Life
We all know that our ancestors had difficult lives and sadly our ancestral journey may sometimes reveal that some of our forebears were not angels. However, they were real people and finding the truth is very important - even when that truth reads like a soap opera script.
2 April 2008    More...

Family Tree - Time and Tide: The Rich Vein of History
To add interest to your family tree and enable the main events of your family history, whether it be a birth, marriage or death of an ancestor, to be put into context we have decided this month, to include the following time line; a calendar of events that have helped to form our collective heritage, from Queen Victoria to Diana, via triumphs and disasters:-
2 March 2008    More...

Family History’s Quirky Christian Names Revealed!
The Office of National Statistics has just produced its list of the most popular Christian names for 2007. For the family historian, interested in the names of their ancestors, and their genealogy in general, this makes for interesting reading. The report reflects the usual popularity of traditional Christian names such as Grace, Thomas, Henry, Charles, etc. but also reflects the influence of popular celebrities of today. For example, Leona has almost tripled in popularity over the past twelve months, certainly due to Television's X Factor winner Leona Lewis. In 2007, 238 babies were given the name. Former 'Hearsay' member and 2006 Celebrity Jungle runner up, Myleen Klass, named her daughter Ava earlier this year, which could explain why this moved twenty-three places up the girls' rankings in the last year, making it the forty-first choice for girls in 2007. Thus the power of the media is shown with life long influence!
7 February 2008    More...

Family History - Quick Bites.
Meanings of the surnames Collinsworth, Newlyn, Ayars, Harpin and Linton.
13 January 2008    More...

Family History - Quick Bites.
Brief meanings of a selection of Surnames.
9 January 2008    More...

Family Tree Research - Are you a Bateman?
Bateman, also transcribed as Baitman, Batman and Battman, has two potential meanings. The first originates from the Middle English given name Bat(t)e, a nickname of Bartholomew. The second meaning is 'boatman', taken from the Old English Bat (boat).
5 January 2008    More...