Newspapers

Since the 17th century, newspapers across the British Isles have informed the public about social, cultural, religious, and political events. They're a great source of information for discovering detailed insights about the world your relatives inhabited.

Looking through old newspapers may also help you discover news items about people in your family tree. You could find an article in The Bath Chronicle from August 1916 detailing your great-great-grandfather's experience in the trenches during the Battle of the Somme. Or you might learn that your cousin was a member of the local swimming team from The Journal, published in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Ancestry^® makes over 23 million historic UK newspaper articles from over 950 papers available through Newspapers.com. Use them to uncover potentially eye-opening stories about historical events, insights into the community in which your ancestors lived, and maybe even detailed tales of your family’s lives across Britain and Northern Ireland.

Using Historical Newspapers for Family History Research

Newspapers can provide glimpses into your ancestors’ social interactions, occupations, and personal milestones. Local and national publications offer different types of information and perspectives.

Local newspapers are particularly valuable for family tree research, focusing on community news, such as births, marriages, deaths, church events, and social activities. For example, an obituary in the Birmingham Gazette from 1922 could provide comprehensive information about your great-grandmother’s life. You might find the names of family members you hadn’t known about, learn about her accomplishments, and read personal anecdotes that could give clues about her personality.

National newspapers help contextualise your ancestors' lives within broader historical events. Knowing what happened in the country or the world during your ancestors' lifetime enables you to understand the challenges and opportunities they could have encountered. For instance, a 1916 edition of the Dumbarton Herald might give insight into your great-great-aunt’s experience working in the shipyards during Glasgow's shipbuilding boom while men were on the frontline.

Starting Your Search in UK Newspapers

A good first step for family history researchers is to use newspapers to find items related to key dates in a person’s life.

Obituaries can offer detailed life stories and descriptions of relationships. For instance, an obituary in The Liverpool Echo from 1898 might include information about your great-great-grandmother’s siblings, like her sisters’ previously unknown married names.

Birth and marriage announcements could help you learn about your family’s connections and social networks. A posting in The South Wales Gazette and Newport News from 1935 might list the names of parents, grandparents, godparents, or witnesses.

Other Types of Articles to Search for in UK Newspapers

When you’re ready to take your research to the next level, consider looking through additional types of news articles in English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish newspapers. You might discover new nuggets of information that can help you understand someone’s life beyond vital statistics like birth, marriage, and death dates.

Community event announcements can be treasure troves of information about local sporting events, public meetings, and fairs. For example, a 1925 article in The Sevenoaks Chronicle that describes the annual St. Mary Platt Church fair could mention that one of your family members won a prize for their exceptional damsons or marrows. Or you might find that a Yorkshire relative was active in their local Women's Institute.

Newspaper adverts provide insights into local businesses, economic conditions, and daily life. An ad from the Tunbridge Wells Courier in 1902 might feature your great-grandfather’s local tailor shop. Ads also reflect consumer habits and needs, as shown by ads for Cockle’s antibilious pills and announcements of travel dates for Anchor Line steamers going from Liverpool to New York.

Crime reports reveal legal and social issues of the time. You might find a crime report in the Manchester Evening News from 1925 that details a burglary at your ancestor’s home. Subsequent articles could highlight the efforts of the local police to track down the thieves and recover stolen family heirlooms. As a next step, you might want to complement your findings by looking at the Ancestry UK collections, Calendar of Prisoners (1868-1929) and Criminal Records (1780-1871).

Military news articles may report information about enlistments, battles, and soldiers' roles. During the First World War, for example, The Birmingham Mail might list local men who signed up for service and insights into their lives. Imagine discovering your relative lied about their age and enlisted at the tender age of 17. You could also find descriptions of battles another ancestor fought during the Second World War and possibly photographs of him and his comrades-in-arms.

Legal notices usually focus on property transactions, wills, and estate settlements. A legal notice in The Edinburgh Advertiser from 1811 might detail the settlement of your ancestor’s estate and provide information about their property and heirs.

Editorials often reflect societal attitudes and cultural values. An editorial in The Times during the 1830s might discuss the impact of the Swing Riots in the south and east of England, providing context on your farming ancestors’ struggles. And a 1982 letter in The Guardian might offer a first-person view of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp protests.

Reports about ancestors who migrated can be of great value to family historians. Many British and Irish people left their homes and looked for a new life in parts of the British Empire, like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the Irish Free State. Others may have migrated from overseas territories like Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. Perhaps your ancestors made one of those journeys, too. You might find newspaper articles documenting their journey and the ship's departure and arrival times. You may even find reports from them about life in their new homes or articles covering their return to visit friends and family.

Occupation-related stories can describe activities about a particular industry in a specific location. If your ancestor lived in Gwynedd, you might discover a connection to the Penrhyn Quarry. And if you have seafaring ancestors, you can look for new reports that highlight ship arrivals and departures.

How to Use Newspapers to Find Family Ties to Historical UK Events

Understanding historical context can help you know what may have impacted your family at a particular time. Familiarise yourself with key periods, such as the Industrial Revolution, the Victorian era, and the times of WW1 and WW2.

You can also look through newspapers in your family’s area to find mentions of these notable events. Think about how they might have impacted your family.

• The Bank Holiday Act of 1871: For the first time, citizens could enjoy regular state-sanctioned holidays—time to relax with family and friends. Might your family have used a newspaper to help them plan a rail trip to the seaside in Blackpool? To visit the aquarium in Brighton? To picnic in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens?
• First Proms concert: The Proms concerts began in 1895 and quickly became a cultural staple. Perhaps your ancestors attended these concerts in person or started listening to them on the radio in 1927 when the Proms made its BBC debut. The program description listed in The Standard might have tempted them.
• The sinking of the Lusitania: The 17 May 1915 disaster, which had global repercussions, was widely reported in the news. If one of your distant aunts or uncles was involved in this event, The Daily Telegraph could mention their name, role in the tragedy or involvement in subsequent relief efforts.
• 1926 General Strike: Does your family tree include miners, dock workers, power station workers, and railroad workers? Those are some of the more than 1.5 million labourers—across England, Wales, and Scotland—who participated in the strike that began May 4th.

Tips for Newspaper Research

Considering all the information available in the Ancestry and Newspaper.com collections, it might be daunting to dive in. Keep these tips in mind as you navigate the UK newspaper collection on Ancestry:

• Focus on one ancestor at a time. To avoid getting overwhelmed, concentrate on researching one ancestor or branch of your family tree at a time. Taking a focused approach facilitates a more detailed and thorough investigation. Getting sidetracked frequently can diminish the quality of your research.
• Look at multiple locations. Search beyond where your ancestor was born or died. Broader area searches could uncover additional family connections or moves across the country. For example, your ancestor may have moved from a Norfolk village to London during the Industrial Revolution. Conversely, the Blitz during World War 2 may have prompted a family move from London or Liverpool to the countryside.
• Cross-reference with official records. Start by noting key details, such as names, dates, and locations from newspaper articles. Next, search for these details in official documents, such as parish registers and census records. It’s a verification process that can confirm the accuracy of your findings. If you find two people with similar names, the cross-check process may clarify which person is your real family member.

UK Newspaper Collections on Ancestry^®

The Ancestry UK newspaper collections feature publications from regions across the British Isles—including Gwent, Carmarthenshire, Dumfries and Galloway County, Avon County, Humberside County, and many others. Available issues are mainly from the 1800s and 1900s, but some publications offer earlier or later issues. The collections on Ancestry include national newspapers, regional publications, and local papers.

A search of Ancestry records will also turn up an extensive index of articles from the different Newspapers.com Stories and Events Index collections, which are available with full images on Newspapers.com. Below is a small selection of the available newspaper collections from those very large collections.

England, Newspapers.com^™ Stories and Events Index includes more than 740 titles and 17 million pages from publications like:

• Birmingham Evening Mail, 1871–1999
• Herald Express (Torquay, Devon), 1921–1999
• Hull Daily Mail, 1885–1999
• Leicester Mercury, 1874–1996
• Liverpool Echo, 1879–1999
• Manchester Evening News, 1868–2000
• The West Briton (Truro, Cornwall), 1810-1999
• The Daily Telegraph (London), 1855-2013
• The Times (London), 1785–1921

Scotland, Newspapers.com^™ Stories and Events Index encompasses some of the oldest publications in the UK:

• Aberdeen Journal, 1798–1900
• Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser, 1858–2000
• The Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh), 1720–1867, contains some of the earliest news articles
• The Courier and Argus (Dundee, Tayside), 1844-1900
• Daily Record (Glasgow, Strathclyde), 1895-1999, includes more than 1.2 million searchable pages

Wales, Newspapers.com^™ Stories and Events Index includes publications like:

• Baner ac Amserau Cymru (Dinbych, Clwyd), 1857–1900, published in English and Welsh
• Merthyr Express (Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan), 1864–1995
• North Wales Weekly News (Colwyn Bay, Clwyd ) 1889–1999
• South Wales Evening Post (Swansea, West Glamorgan) 1893–1999

Ireland and Northern Ireland, Newspapers.com^™ Stories and Events Index features pages from newspapers across the island, such as:

• The Belfast News-Letter, 1828-1900, is among the oldest English-language newspapers
• The Irish Times Journal (Dublin), 1864–1889

The Value of UK Newspapers in Family History Research

The comprehensive collection of UK newspapers on Ancestry links your family history to pivotal historical events, helping you build a vivid narrative of their lives. As your knowledge of historical events expands, you may gain a deeper understanding of their lifestyles and decisions. It might also open up new avenues for research.

Piece together the puzzle of your family history with detailed newspaper records. Ancestry collections can help you find the context and stories that bring your family tree to life. Visit the UK Newspaper Collection on Ancestry to begin your research.