British Army research: tips, links and articles from a British military history expert.
Wednesday 19 February 2014
Wednesday 12 February 2014
Hart's 1908 Army List
I see Ancestry has published Hart's Army List for 1908. If it's anything like the Army List for 1909 on my desk at work it's a mighty tome. The 1908 list publishes, for the last time, details of officers serving with the militia. One year later and the militia was a thing of the past, replaced by Special Reserve and Extra Reserve battalions. For me, the beauty of these books is not only details of the men in every conceivable British Army unit, but the incidental adverts like the ones above and below.
Monday 10 February 2014
Soldiers in the News
More and more pages from British newspapers are now appearing online as part of the British Newspaper Archive. Long-overlooked as a research tool, it's now easier than ever to search hundreds of periodicals at the click of a mouse. I've been a subscriber for a long while and now I've just joined the British Newspaper Archive's affiliate programme. The BNA website says that 7,390,497 pages have already been scanned, and by the time I finish this post the total will probably be 7,390,498. There are already a lot of First World War era pages online and you can bet that there will be plenty more added in time for the onslaught of centenary memorial programmes. If you've not already visited the BNA, you can do so right now by clicking on the link above.
Friday 7 February 2014
Middlesex Military Service Tribunals online
The National Archives writes:
You can now explore the case papers of over 8,000 individuals from the Middlesex military service appeal tribunal. These records provide a unique insight into the impact of the First World War on families, businesses and communities far from the battlefields.
One of only two complete surviving collections of tribunal records, they reveal the stories of men seeking exemption on medical, family or economic grounds, as well as the relatively small proportion wishing not to fight on moral grounds as conscientious objectors. Digitised in partnership with the Friends of The National Archives and the Federation of Family History Societies, they are free to search and download.
Thursday 6 February 2014
findmypast reduces prices
FINDMYPAST OFFERS EVEN BETTER VALUE WITH NEW
SUBSCRIPTION PRICES
New findmypast.co.uk prices give even better value at
a lower price
•
Monthly subscription offered for the first time, for less than £10
•
12 months’ access to all UK records now less than £100
•
Simpler options give better value without compromising quality
Leading family history website findmypast.co.uk is changing
subscription prices to create a more accessible service and provide even better
value to both new and existing customers.
Anyone can start discovering their family history from only
£9.95 with findmypast’s brand new one month Britain subscription. This allows
you to explore all records from the UK for an entire month for under £10, a
unique price point in the family history market. Findmypast is also offering a one month
World subscription for only £12.95, which includes access to records from
around the world, including the largest collection of Irish records online.
This is the first time that findmypast has offered a monthly subscription, giving family historians the opportunity to get to know the site without any long-term commitment. Viewing all of the UK records for a whole year is now available for less than £100, and the findmypast 12 month world subscription is now only £129.95. Findmypast aims to make subscription options simpler, offering consistently better value while maintaining a premium quality service. Customers will see new records published every month, constantly increasing the value of all findmypast subscriptions.
Paul Yates, Brand Director for findmypast, says: “At findmypast we believe everyone should
have the opportunity to understand their place in history through their
ancestors’ stories. By offering a new monthly subscription for under £10 we are
making family history more affordable and accessible, enabling more people to
share magical moments of discovery.”
Wednesday 5 February 2014
Ancestry thumbnails back on WO 363 and WO 364
For those with good eyesight this is a boon. It means that you can now see the first page in a man's series of papers. So, for instance, you can tell if a man is enlisting into the TF or Special Reserve without having to open his record. For those of us, like me, who have an interest in regimental numbers and are searching for particular types of enlistment, this is good news. I don't know why Ancestry discarded the thumbnails in the first place. Now, where are my glasses?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)