UK Family Tree Researcher

05/05/2025

VE Day, we honour the courage and sacrifices of those who helped secure peace in Europe on May 8, 1945. Do you have a family story from WWII? Share how your ancestors contributed to this historic moment or how it shaped their lives. Let’s celebrate their legacy together!

03/04/2025

Another month and lots of family research completed. If you are researching your family tree yourself I would recommend checking the local newspapers for any articles. Newspapers are an invaluable resource for researching your family history; they can really help with any brick walls too. I have found some fascinating articles over the years; families fighting in the street, sailors lost at sea, railway and mining accidents, inquests and advertisements for family businesses.

08/03/2025

I can’t believe it is March already and what a lovely time I have been having researching some interesting families.

AI has also helped by flagging up newspaper articles and other documents for family members; however if you are building a family tree yourself beware of blindly adding AI hints to your tree. Hints are really only meant to be clues and these need to be carefully checked. If a couple of trees have an error the AI can offer this same incorrect information to more people researching the same family and in doing so end up compounding the issue. If in doubt it is well worth checking online parish records or ordering certificates. There is nothing worse than finding an error and having to delete hundreds of names from a customer’s family tree.

20/12/2024

I can’t believe we are coming to the end of another year of research already. I would like to thank all my customers past and present for all the enjoyment researching your families has given me. I look forward to discovering more family history secrets, heroes as well as ordinary people and the occasional scandal which makes every tree unique. Happy Christmas to you all and Best Wishes for 2025 Jane.

25/09/2024

Family Tree News 25 September 2024

I have added some more information to my website to help people interested in the Coventry Blitz, and anyone researching their family tree who had ancestors with the surnames of Collins / Holroyd, Clifford, Courts and Cramp, including information about where their lived, their occupations, who their relatives were, how they tragically lost their lives in the blitz, and where their remains were buried, in case relatives wish to pay their respects. Have a look on familyresearcher.co.uk for more details.

07/09/2024

Looking for a special gift for Christmas? Check out my research options. These are also available as gift certificates.
https://www.familyresearcher.co.uk/default.html
The Coventry Blitz Resource Centre has received a large update to over 25 names including Arthur Thomas Butler who posthumously received a medal for his bravery during the April raids.
Arthur Thomas Butler
Born 08/09/1923 in Coventry, Warwickshire. Son of Thomas Arthur Butler and Rose Esther Egan. Resided at 25 Cheveral Avenue, Radford, Coventry, Warwickshire. Home Guard and Assembler at Humber Ltd. Posthumously Awarded with a National Commendation for Bravery during the April Raids on 09/04/1841. He had stopped a dangerous escape of gas and tackled a fire at a factory using a fire hose. He worked in dangerous conditions for four hours receiving injuries to both hands and legs from incendiary bombs that required his legs be heavily wrapped in bandages. Finally he was badly injured at Lydgate Road while attempting to fetch an ambulance for a badly wounded man and died Aged 17 at Gulson Road Hospital, Coventry, Warwickshire. Buried in the Communal grave at London Road Cemetery, Coventry.
Also updated were the Harrison, Cuthbertson and Evans Families including Dudley Firefighter William Verdun Evans.

23/08/2024

My lovely flowers from another satisfied customer. They really made my day.😁

15/08/2024

I have had a little break and spend this adding extra information to my Morris family tree. 😁

02/08/2024

Family Tree News August 2024

Of interest this month was a Cornish family who went to Brazil in 1833 to find work after mine closures in their native Cornwall. We tend to think that our ancestors didn’t travel much, especially before modern times but it is amazing to see how far people were prepared to travel for work. Some of these miners left children at home with relatives or even in the Workhouse, sending money back for their support while others made the move permanent.

The Coventry Blitz Resource Centre has been updated with new information about sad deaths in the Knight and Lee families, and information regarding Emma Knutton has been expanded. If you have any further information for any of the other people listed, just let us know and we’ll be happy to add it.

Coventry Blitz Home page. Here you will find Coventry Blitz facts and information about various Coventry air raids including Operation Moonlight Sonata, and a lists of Coventry blitz victims, researched by Jane Hewitt.

12/07/2024

Fords Hospital

10/07/2024

Some interesting snippets from the families we have been researching this month include one with an ancestor who married five times. Starting with the second husband, the lady had a new husband approximately every ten years.
I have also been exploring a Coventry family who were butchers based in Butcher Row. This enabled me to use some of my local history knowledge. It was interesting to see several newspaper articles about their businesses and a story about the theft of their horse!
Update: I added additional information to the Dictionary of Old Occupations. The new occupations added were Sally Winder, Simoloer, Sleeper Cutter / Sleeper Chopper, Ticket Porter, Wire Card Setter / Wire Setter and Wood Collier / Wood Colyer. You can access the information for free on familyresearcher.co.uk.

03/07/2024

Family Tree News July 2024
I have added a few more old job title definitions to The Dictionary Of Old Occupations. If you find any of the following terms listed on your family census records, you can look them up here. The newly added job titles are: Chip Seller, Cop Winder, Medical Rubber, Pirn Filler and Poindler. I also expanded the existing definition of Floatman.
A big thank you to John L who got in touch about the occupation of Poindler. Much appreciated.
Hope you find these helpful!