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27 Jan 2011Volunteers 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.
I am not a professional family historian, but I would love to help out in any way I can.
As an Australian with an all British heritage, I am a huge fan of Find My Past & this would be a great way of giving back.
Please keep me posted.
Cheers
Helen Uhe
i would be pleased to do some of the work
I would like to help
I would like to help with this project
Hi everyone – it’s great to see your enthusiasm! Please email the FFHS if you’re interested in getting involved: projects@ffhs.org.uk
I am a member of the Powys FHS, so, as alot of my ancesters were from Wales originally, I would be particularly interested in this line, but am prepared to do whatever is needed in the time I have available.
I am probably one of those ‘family historians searching for that elusive family or ancestor’myself! so I am more than willing to help despite being in Australia.
I just an e-mail to address stated and got an auto response saying the guy who is dealing with it is on holiday until the end of January. Now what do I do??
I do Transcribing for FREE Bmd and would be interested in helping with this project as well.
I would like to be involved. I emailed the above address and got an away message.
I have for my family tree om find my past and would love to help in any way I can.
Hi everyone – please don’t worry if you get an out of office message from the FFHS. All your emails will be read, and it’s great to see such an interest in this brilliant project.
Hi
The person within the Federation who is dealing with the Lost Ancestors project is not available at present. Please EMail me at fmp.liaison@ffhs.org.uk if you are interested in volunteering, giving the name of your society, your personal name, your EMail address (& telephone number – although this is optional).
I will get back to you in the next few days
ROB WHITE
FFHS Liaison Officer
I would love to help with this project. Tracing my own family tree and really enjoy it. Its fascinating to go into the past and find your relatives and it throws up a few surprises.
I would love to help, i’ve done a lot a transcribing and love the work.
Transcibed many registers before – find it so interesting and a great way to pay back for transcriptions by other volunteers.
I have researched our branch of the Oxfordshire Coles family back to 1430 and have an extensive family tree
centred on Launton Oxfordshire, and South London (Clapham and Streatham).
I have researched the Launton Coles family back to 1430. I have an extensive family tree covering Oxfordshire, Clapham and Streatham.
wow thanks
Hello im seeking a women called Alice Dignam she came from Drogheda Co Louth Ireland she could have been known as Agnes or Mary or had a different first name. She was born about 1878 and was missing in the year 1905. Her parents were Thomas Dignam and Catherine Weldon. If anyone out there around the world has relations from Drogheda Co Louth the the Surname Dignam please email me on