Learning Centre

In March this year, we released our first set of Poor Law records. Now, only a few months later, we're delighted to announce the release of 1 million more of these fascinating records.

The poorest in society had recourse to some form of relief since Elizabethan times by virtue of the Poor Law. A significant development occurred in 1834 when the Poor Law Amendment Act went further and created boards of Guardians responsible for the care of the poor in their respective Poor Law Unions – administrative areas usually consisting of a group of individual parishes.

It is the paper trail created by these boards that now comprises this intriguing collection, and we're happy to say that more than a million additional records covering the period from 1834-1940 have now been added to the site.

Poor law relief generally applied to the poorest and most vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, orphaned, unemployed, or the sick and afflicted. These individuals were eligible to receive help such as monetary relief and other daily necessities like food, clothing, and work – usually administered via the dreaded workhouses. Children could be appointed to apprenticeships or placed in schools and other institutions. The records also include registers of creed, school, apprentices, servants, children, and inmates among others.

As you'll see from a recent blog, the Poor Law Records can unearth some fascinating stories.

Sometimes we run across a record that really grabs our attention. Such was the case of the Dunage children who were all listed in an index to apprenticeship papers in the London Poor Law Records database.

Scrolling through the Ds for Westminster, 1844-96 we find Julia Dunage, Edward Dunnage, and William and Sarah Dunege. Noting the similarities in the surname, there is the hint of a story here.

Julia was the first to be apprenticed. On 10 January 1854, at 12 years of age, she was apprenticed with eleven other girls to John Woollam, a "silk throwster" in St. Albans for a term of seven years. Under the column for her parents' names, it reads "Mother & Father both deserted her."

A Julia Dunage is listed in the England Birth, Marriages, and Deaths (BMD) index. She died at age twenty-five. You can't help but wonder whether it was the same girl.

On 23 November 1858, Edward was apprenticed to a boot and shoemaker, William Andrew, also for a term of seven years. William Dunege followed a similar route, apprenticed to another boot and shoemaker. His entry lists the parents as "Father dead, Mother deserted him." Sarah was apprenticed to a dressmaker in 1860 and her entry lists the same for her parents.

So are all of these children related? Only further investigation will discover the truth.

Start searching the Poor Law Records 1834-1940

back▲

We have teamed up with Who do you think you are? magazine to bring you a special subscription offer. Trial the next three issues, packed with great celebrity stories, authoritative features, practical advice, local history plus free CD each month for just £3 when you subscribe by easy Direct Debit.

Simply click here to take out this special Ancestry members offer. Or call 0844 844 0260 quoting ANNS09.

back▲

Upload files from Family Tree Maker™ onto Ancestry.co.uk™ trees

You can upload files from the UK version of Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum onto Ancestry.co.uk trees. This means you can upload all your photos, stories, and certificates. All you have to do is click on the 'Share' button in the upper right hand corner of the 'People' workspace. Then select 'Upload to Ancestry.'

And now we've updated our site functionality so you can also export and download your Ancestry.co.uk tree into Family Tree Maker. Just click on the link to export the tree, and then follow the instructions to download it.

Now, no matter what version of your family tree you're working on, they'll always be up to date.

Get 40% off the Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum Edition.*

It's the no.1 selling family history software, so now you can bring your family tree's stories to life for £35.99 instead of the usual price of £59.99.

You'll get new charts, reports and timelines plus:

• Six months' Ancestry.co.uk Essentials Membership - worth over £65
• Getting Started Guide
• Interactive Training Tutorial
• The Family Tree Maker Little Book of Answers
• 50% saving on Your Family Tree Magazine
• Up to £25 saving on Online Family & Local History Learning Course

To claim your Family Tree Maker discount click here and in the shopping basket enter promotion code: FTMAMU.

That's all for this month. We'll see you next month with more fascinating family history news.

The Ancestry.co.uk Membership Team

back▲

Updated "What's new" widget

We're constantly updating and improving our site, and this month you'll see that the "What's New" widget has a new banner that will be used for keeping you up-to-date with the latest content releases and updates. Each time there's an update, you can click on the banner which will take you through to the "What's New" page so you can find out more.

It's the best way to hear about the latest news, so make sure you check out the What's New page each time you log in.

Trees get easier to use

We're launching 2 new improvements to make managing your tree much easier. The new Person Page and the Family Tree viewer page will make it easier to access person details, see more generations, and navigate your tree faster. The new navigation will give you more freedom to explore and expand the branches of your tree, and on the Person page you'll be able to see your sources and compare search matches more easily.

For more information, look out for the blue bar at the top of the people page tab and at the top of the family tree page tab and click through to check out what's going to change.

back▲

Last month we asked you if you'd like to receive more information on any changes we make to the Ancestry.co.uk site. A big thanks to the 1979 members who responded. You'd be interested to know that 96% of members said 'yes' they would, while 3% said 'no' they would not and 1% said they 'didn't know.'

This month, we'd like to know if you'd be interested in receiving information about our existing collections that you might not be aware we have?

Yes   No    Don't know

back▲