All About Ancestors

04/08/2025

⚓ Understanding Merchant Navy vs Royal Navy Records

If your ancestor was a British seafarer, it’s important to know whether they served in the Merchant Navy or the Royal Navy — because the record sets are completely different.

🔹 Royal Navy records (military) include service papers, promotions, and disciplinary actions.
🔹 Merchant Navy records (civilian) focus on certificates, voyages, and discharge books.

Some men served in both during war years — especially in WW1 and WW2. Understanding their role helps you locate the right archives… and the right story.

🗂️ Need help navigating maritime records?
You’ll find more info and support at https://allaboutancestors.com/

31/07/2025

👩‍💼 Meet Your Researcher – Nicola Johnson

Hello! I’m Nicola — a qualified genealogist, DNA detective, and the researcher behind All About Ancestors.

I help people uncover their family stories through traditional records, DNA analysis, and specialist maritime research — including Titanic crew families.

🧬 Whether you're looking for missing relatives, puzzling over DNA results, or wondering if a family legend is true, I can help you make sense of it all with care and clarity.

📚 I hold a Master’s in Genealogy from the University of Strathclyde, and I’m a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG). Before that, I spent 20 years as a BBC journalist — so investigation and storytelling are at the heart of everything I do.

From birth certificates to shipwrecks, census clues to DNA matches — every family has a story waiting to be told.

Curious about yours?
📩 Drop me a message or book a free consultation. I’d love to hear from you via Facebook or at https://allaboutancestors.com/contact/.

27/07/2025

🗺️ Not All Ancestors Stayed Put

Most people assume their ancestors lived and died in the same county. But many 19th-century families moved frequently — for work, land, or opportunity.

Some followed canals, railways, or the shipyards. Others relocated due to mining closures or agricultural decline.

If your family “vanished” from one area, check neighbouring counties, port towns, or inland industry hubs. They might just be one step away.

🔎 Tracing a family on the move can be tricky — I can help you follow the clues at https://allaboutancestors.com/titanic-maritime/

23/07/2025

🚢 Passenger Lists: What They Do (and Don’t) Tell Us

Passenger lists can be fascinating — showing who left Britain, when, and with whom.

But not every emigrant appears. Some left through Ireland, some through private shipping lines, and children were often unnamed.

Clues can hide in onward journey records, shipping company papers, or even newspapers. Tracing migration means casting a wide net — and understanding the gaps.

🌍 Need help following a migrating ancestor’s trail?
Find expert support at https://allaboutancestors.com/titanic-maritime/

20/07/2025

📖 Women and the Genealogy Disappearing Act

In family history, women can be hard to trace — especially after marriage.

That’s because:
✧ Surnames change
✧ Wills often name husbands, not wives
✧ Women rarely appear in occupations or military records

But they are there. Parish records, census returns, school registers, and midwifery logs can all hold clues. It just takes a shift in perspective — and patience.

🔍 Struggling to trace the women in your tree?
I offer research support at https://allaboutancestors.com/research/

20/07/2025

🚨 AncestryDNA currently has an offer on their DNA test for £49—already a great deal. But here’s the interesting bit… several clients have clicked through and found it showing as just £29 for them! 😲

It seems a bit random who gets the lower price, but either way, this is by far the cheapest we’ve ever seen it.

If you’ve been thinking about taking a test—or getting one for a relative—now’s definitely the time to check!

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Sale ends 22/07/25

17/07/2025

🧬 Triangulation: The Secret Weapon in DNA Research

Triangulation is when three or more DNA matches all share a specific segment of DNA — and they all trace back to the same ancestor.

It’s one of the most powerful tools for proving a relationship, especially when paper records are lacking or uncertain.

Used correctly, triangulation can confirm ancestral lines with a level of confidence traditional research can’t offer alone.

🧬 Want help applying triangulation to your matches?
Explore DNA services at https://allaboutancestors.com/dna/

13/07/2025

🔍 What Does 'Reputed Child’ Mean in Old Parish Records?

If you’ve come across the phrase “reputed child of” in an 18th-century baptism entry, don’t be alarmed — it was a common way for parish clergy to record a child born outside of marriage.

Rather than omitting the father altogether, some registers included his name after the phrase, which can actually be a goldmine for family historians.

In many cases, these records offer more than just names:
• The mother’s maiden name
• Where she lived
• The social circumstances of the birth
• And sometimes even lead to court records for maintenance claims

Illegitimacy was certainly stigmatised at the time — but from a genealogical point of view, it often leaves a richer trail than a standard baptism.

🧾 Need help interpreting parish records or tracing illegitimate lines?
You’ll find expert support at https://allaboutancestors.com/

09/07/2025

⚓ How the Titanic Relief Fund Shaped Lives

After the Titanic sank, a Relief Fund was set up to support the families of lost crew and passengers. It paid out pensions, supported education, and even influenced careers.

In some cases, sons of Titanic firemen went on to become clerks, engineers, or tradesmen — a level of social mobility their fathers never had.

These records give us more than just names. They show how lives were rebuilt, one decision at a time.

📜 Want to explore Titanic connections in your own family?
Find out more at https://allaboutancestors.com/titanic-maritime/

06/07/2025

📜 Why Your Ancestor May Not Be in the 1911 Census

The 1911 Census of England and Wales is an amazing resource — the first to show a family’s handwriting, number of children born, and more.

But some people are mysteriously missing. Why?

✧ They may have emigrated recently
✧ They were on a ship at sea or serving in the military
✧ They lived in an institution recorded separately
✧ Or… the page was simply lost

Knowing how to look around missing people — in neighbours, siblings, or parish records — is often the key.

03/07/2025

🧬 The Power of Second Cousins in DNA Research

Did you know that a second cousin match on your DNA test can be more useful than dozens of distant ones?

That’s because second cousins share great-grandparents — close enough to give clues, but far enough to point toward previously unknown branches of your family. With just one or two second cousin matches, it’s sometimes possible to reconstruct entire family lines.

Working with second (and third) cousins is often where breakthroughs happen — especially in cases of unknown parentage.

10/06/2025

🌿 Your DNA Match Said What?!

A third cousin? A total stranger? Or the key to a forgotten family branch?

We break down your DNA matches by centimorgan values, relationship estimates, and shared surnames. It's part science, part sleuthing.

👩‍💻 Confused by your Ancestry or MyHeritage matches? Book a DNA session—we'll untangle it with you.