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Over 2 million new Derbyshire records published

You can now search 2,145,957 new birth, marriage and death records for Derbyshire on findmypast.co.uk

This substantial release of new records will really benefit those with Derbyshire ancestors.

See the table below for more information about these records:

If you’ve previously been unable to find your Derbyshire ancestors, try searching these records again – there’s a good chance you’ll find who you’re looking for.

The Derbyshire Family History Society provided us with these records, in association with the Federation of Family History Societies.

Search these records now to find your Derbyshire ancestors.

Volunteers needed for Lost Ancestors project

The Federation of Family History Societies is carrying out a new and exciting transcription project to help trace missing ancestors, in partnership with findmypast.co.uk: the Lost Ancestors project.

The FFHS would like to invite family history societies and any family historians to help with this project. It involves indexing information from a collection of UK strays, kindly donated to the FFHS by Dennis Pearce and many other collectors.

A stray is someone who is described in a record as being from, or connected with, a place outside the area in which they normally lived or were born. Examples of strays include a girl who went into service then married many miles away from her parish, a soldier serving in the West Indies or in India, or one killed in action, a family awaiting removal from one parish back to their original birth place and many, many more interesting records that cover all dates to the present century.

This project could help to solve the problems of disappearing ancestors for so many family historians. This is a fantastic opportunity to produce a good financial boost for your family history society and provide high quality work for any family historians searching for that elusive family or ancestor.

To transcribe and index, the information will be placed online as excellent, clear images of each original card from the UK Strays collection. Using findmypast.co.uk’s specially adapted transcription tool, volunteers can type up the entries online no matter where they live. Full instructions and help are on hand to give assistance whenever needed – no experience is necessary.

If you would like to get involved in this valuable project and can volunteer a few hours, days or even weeks to help, please contact projects@ffhs.org.uk by 28 February 2011, giving a society name, your personal name, email address and telephone number (optional).

There’s more information on the FFHS website.

Would you like to be on TV?

We’re on the lookout for anyone who wants to tell their family history story on TV.

Have you researched your family tree using findmypast.co.uk? Did you make any interesting discoveries along the way? If so, and you’d be happy to tell your story on TV, we want to hear from you. Your story would feature on a community TV family history programme and you’d need to be available to come to London for filming on one day between 7 and 18 February. Travel expenses within the UK will be reimbursed.

If you’re interested, please tell us about your family history stories in 500 words or fewer. Email your story to casestudies@findmypast.co.uk with ‘Family history research’ in the subject line and we’ll get in touch with anyone whose story is suitable. Please remember to include a daytime telephone number in your email.

The closing date for entries is Monday 31 January 2011.  We look forward to reading your experiences of researching your family tree with findmypast.co.uk

Christmas newsletter competition winner

We’ve picked the winner of our Christmas newsletter competition in which we asked you this question:

‘Can you tell us how many houses in Mistletoe Road, Northumberland appear in our 1911 census records?’

Congratulations go to Michael Plaister from Cornwall who correctly answered that there are 13 houses.

Michael used our 1911 census address search to find the correct answer. He wins a year’s subscription to Your Family Tree magazine.

Many thanks to all of you who entered – look out for the next competition question in our newsletter this Friday.

Ask the Expert – Gunner RFA

Our military expert Paul Nixon, pictured below, answers your queries.

From Judy Cligman:

‘I am researching Richard Edwards who was married in Hoxton, London on 25 December 1915 and whose profession was given on the marriage certificate as Gunner RFA. I suspect that he was killed in the Great War. I have found two records of soldiers of that name from London in the list of soldiers who died in the war but don’t know whether either of them could be him.

Could either of these regiments be described as RFA?

One is William Richard Edward: L/CPL enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London regiment) at the Finsbury Barracks.

The other is Richard Edwards: Regiment Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Richard Edwards’ father was given on the marriage cert as Edward Edwards Sapper RE.

I would be most grateful for any pointers you could give me on finding the military records of Richard and Edward Edwards.’

Paul says:

‘It’s unlikely to be either of the two men you mention but there appear to be three possibilities on Soldiers Died in The Great War for men of this name who died while serving with the Royal Horse and Field Artillery:

1. 78081 Gnr Richard John Edwards, R and E Neath; KiA 7 August 1916
2. 185151 Gnr Richard Edwards, R Seaham Harbour, Durham; E Sunderland; DoW 27 July 1916
3. 77935 Gnr Richard Edwards, B Preston, E Manchester; KiA 21 March 1918

B = born
R = residence
E = enlisted
DoW = died of wounds
KiA = killed in action

Of these, we can rule out no. 2 and no. 3 because the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records fathers with names other than Edward Edwards. That suggests, by default, that 78081 Richard John Edwards is your man, although I could find no trace of him on the CWGC website.

The marriage records on findmypast.co.uk, however, note that Richard Edwards (no middle name) married Elizabeth M Castleman at Hoxton in the December quarter of 1915. The absence of a middle name means we can also probably rule out Gunner Richard John Edwards as the candidate. Could it be perhaps that he didn’t die during WWI? It might also help to narrow down possibilities if you know where he was born.’

If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!

Ask the Expert – Royal Field Artillery driver

Our military expert Paul Nixon, pictured below, answers your queries.

From Jean Perrin:

‘My father, Charles Martin, was a driver in the Royal Field Artillery. I think his regimental no. was 101046.

The medal roll shows he received the Victory Medal and British War Medal. I think it says beside these: ‘Roll – RFA/239B, Page 27719′. This is all I can find for him in the military records. I think he would have been living in London when he enlisted, somewhere around Canning Town or maybe Stepney.

He mentioned many times that he rode a horse and was involved in taking ammunition to the troops at the front. He was born in 1890 in Sculcoates, Hull, Yorkshire but lived in London from around 1911 onwards, and I think he enlisted near the beginning of WWI.

I would be really grateful if you could throw any more light on his enlistment or service.’

Paul says:

‘Receipt of the Victory Medal and British War Medal only shows that he didn’t arrive overseas until 1 January 1916 at the earliest, and unfortunately the corresponding medal roll for these medal is unlikely to tell you which battery he served with.

His number looks as though it dates to between August and October 1915, so that’s when he presented himself at the depot. It might be worth visiting the Great War Forum and posting a message there to see if any of the Royal Artillery experts there has information on this man. Also try contacting the Royal Artillery archive in Woolwich.’

If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!

Ask the Expert – mystery medal

Our military expert Paul Nixon, pictured below, answers your queries.

From Teresa Donaghue:

‘According to my eldest sister who is now deceased, my father, Vincent Maguire, served eight years and 153 days with the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery. He enlisted on 17 November 1910. He transferred to the Army Res. on 22 February 1919 and received his army discharge on 15 November 1922 at Woolwich. He served in the Cheshire Reg.

He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. I looked up the citation on findmypast.co.uk which I believe is his. It states: 77441 Sig. V Maguire 28th Bty… 9th Bde. R.F.A. Altrincham (LG .3 Sept. 1919) but I don’t know what this means. My father was born 15 March 1893 in Altrincham, Cheshire. His father’s name was John Maguire, also born in Altrincham.

I know from family knowledge he served in India and France, where he was gassed with mustard gas and suffered trench foot. I cannot trace any more information as my siblings are either dead or of poor memory now. On the medal rolls it states ‘77441 28 By 9 Bde MAGUIRE V’. Under Operations it states ‘DCM’, under Vol. it states ‘1 Jan.’, under page it states ‘..19′. In another column it states ‘D162- 42′.

His brother Barry James Maguire also served in the above Reg. ‘R.H & R.F Art’. He served six years with the regulars and six years with the reserves. He enlisted in October 1907 when he was 20 years old.

If you can direct me to any relevant help with this information or can help me in any way I would be very grateful.’

Paul says:

‘I’ve found the following information for you:

Vincent Maguire: The DCM citation abbreviations are expanded as follows:

Sig: Signaller (his rank)
28th Bty: 28th Battery
9th Bde: 9th Field Artillery Brigade
Altrincham: place of birth
LG 3 Sept 1919: notification of his DCM published in the supplement to the London Gazette of 3 September 1919

The number ‘77441′ looks to date to May or June 1914 rather than 1910, but he was certainly overseas by 14 October 1914 and qualified for the 1914 Star. The 9th Brigade was a regular brigade of artillery.

Barry James Maguire: I could only find one Barry Maguire listed and that is ’48421 Gunner (later sergeant) Barry Maguire’ who was a regular soldier who arrived overseas with the 5th Royal Field Artillery Brigade on 6 November 1914. His number suggests that he enlisted around October 1907. He also received the India General Service Medal (with Waziristan clasp) and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (in 1926). The 5th Brigade was also a regular army brigade of artillery.

Contact the Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich (Firepower) to see if you can glean further information on either of these two men, their batteries or brigades.’

If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!

Ask the Expert – missing military death

Our military expert Paul Nixon, pictured below, answers your queries.

From Doreen Caparn in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand:

‘I am looking for a military death record and hope you can help. Here are the details:

Name: Ernest Groves
Born: ? 1879 in Preston, Dorset
Married: 1900 Devizes, Wiltshire
Spouse: Ellen (nee Tucker)
Children: Reginald Ernest Groves, born 1902 and Gladys Groves, born 1901

Ernest was known to have served in the army during World War I. He was very ill when he returned from France and was diagnosed to be suffering from Type 1 Diabetes. This eventually killed him – I don’t know the date but presumably it was before the discovery of insulin.

I am unable to find any record in civilian deaths of his demise. His widow successfully claimed his death was due to the effects of trench warfare and was awarded a pension. Would his death, therefore, be recorded in military records? If so, where would I start looking?’

Paul says:

‘If you know the regiment he served with during WWI, that will help narrow down your search results. His record may survive in the WO363 burn documents series at The National Archives but almost certainly not in WO364 which is the series for soldiers discharged to pension (but it’s still worth checking).

His record could also be in PIN 82 at TNA. This is a very small series of pension records – 183 in total – which records details of widows who received a pension in respect of their late husbands’ WWI service. Your first port of call, however, should be to determine his regiment. This will tell you his army number which should make life easier for you when it comes to tracking him down. If he died before 1921, you may find that he also has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.’

If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!

Problems with our customer support email address

We’re experiencing some problems with our customer support email address. Your emails are coming through, but much more slowly than usual.

We’re working on a solution to this now and we’re confident we’ll fix it soon. Apologies for any inconvenience this causes you and thanks for your patience while we solve this issue.

Update 26 January: we’ve fixed the problem now – thanks for bearing with us!

February's issue of Discover My Past Scotland magazine goes online soon

Look out for February’s issue of Discover My Past Scotland magazine. This issue will be published online on Monday 31 January.

This 40-page A4 issue is packed with special features and how-to guides to connect you with your Scottish heritage, including:

• Coastal customs – captured on film
• Irregular marriages – top tips for your research
• Bell Rock – 200 years of light
• Records from a royal hospital
• The Scottish workhorse – a breed apart
• Spotlight on Pitlochry
• Expert Q&A
• Family history newsround, library and events

Find out more about Discover My Past Scotland