Ancestories: telling the tales of our ancestors

Something we never tire of hearing are the stories our customers have uncovered through their research. From tales of simple but content lives lived to the fullest, to bold settlers and radical activists, it’s encouraging to see how our ancestors helped forge the ideals of the future generations.

Which is why we wanted to start bringing you ‘Ancestories’ – tales of the characters and events that you discovered in your family trees and which will go on being remembered thanks to your passion for research. Here are a few of our recent Ancestories.

Janice’s story
We’re not sure whose more passionate about their family history – Janice, or her husband! Through their research together on Ancestry, they discovered one ancestor whose passion for activism would go on to force change in Britain (and the world) during the late 19th Century.

Rob’s story
When Rob began researching his family history, he never expected to find a criminal in the family. Find out how Rob was able to trace his ancestor (and her sticky fingers) from England to Van Diemen’s Land.

Rob and Annie’s story
How would you feel if you discovered your ancestor was responsible for burning down one of the most iconic architectural structures in Britain? Tim and his daughter Annie share the story of their (slightly complacent) ancestor, Patrick Furlong.

Jo’s story
After her father passed away, Jo began exploring her family’s history and the stories surrounding her connection to the ‘father of advertising’. Remember those cute Pears soap ads? Yeah, her great great great uncle, Thomas Barratt, created them.

Watch all of Ancestry UK’s testimonial films and ‘how to’ videos on Youtube.