Benny on August 28th, 2010

Ancestry.com today launched millions of records that now make up the largest searchable collection of yearbooks available online. Along with Ancestry.com’s existing collections, there are now more than 60 million yearbook records available in the site’s U.S. School Yearbook collection, which also includes class and candid photos of famous celebrities.

via Ancestry.com – Press Releases.

Worlds Largest Family History Web Site Continues Sponsorship of Critically Acclaimed TV Series That Takes a Personal Look at Celebrity Family Histories

via Ancestry.com – Press Releases.

Benny on August 19th, 2010

Thousands of pages of Victorian workhouse and poor law records have been made available online today following the conclusion of a major project by The National Archives. Living the Poor Life involved more than 200 volunteers across the country, including local and family historians, researching and cataloguing 19th century records from the huge Ministry of Health archive MH12.

via Living the Poor Life: untold history of the poor now online | The National Archives.

Benny on August 13th, 2010

Communist and anti-capitalist philosopher Karl Marx died a poor man and once-rich polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left even less than Marx, the records show.  Naturalist Charles Darwin, by contrast, left the Victorian equivalent of about £13m today, and Charles Dickens £7m.

via BBC News – Marxs will among millions online.

Benny on July 27th, 2010

The UK Statistics Authority welcomes the Government’s decision to proceed with the existing plans for the 2011 Census in England and Wales, set out in an answer by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Rt. Hon. Francis Maude MP, to a Written Parliamentary Question.

via News : NDS.

94 years to the day since thousands of men died at the Battle of Fromelles, the last of 250 First World War soldiers, recently discovered in communal graves, was today laid to rest in a new, purpose-built, Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery.

New Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery becomes final resting place for 250 soldiers in dedication led by HRH Prince of Wales

Benny on July 15th, 2010

The national census due to take place in 2011 could be the last of its kind.The BBC understands that the government is examining other ways of measuring population and other statistics than the survey of all homes every 10 years.

via BBC News – National census in 2011 could be last of its kind.

Benny on July 15th, 2010

A combination of genetics and archaeology has helped scientists identify 94 of 250 soldiers buried in a mass grave in France

See Story at new Scientist

With the first UK ‘walk-in’ DNA Testing facility now open, DNA Diagnostic Centre UK confirms large numbers of families are being re-united through DNA immigration testing services.

http://www.prlog.org/10790005-re-uniting-families-on-the-increase-with-dna-diagnostics-centre-uk.html

Benny on July 7th, 2010

A DNA test could pinpoint the roots of a persons family to within a few miles, according to a new study.Edinburgh University experts found genetic testing can detect the origins of people from a rural area to within five miles of their family home.

via BBC News – DNA test to help find family roots.