Imagine the thrill of pulling up a page on from an old newspaper on your computer screen and seeing your ancestor’s name in print. It’s an event any genealogist would enjoy (and the reason I wrote the book How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers.)
Findmypast.com just made the possibility of that happening a little more likely by adding more than 6 million pages from British newspapers to it’s subscription website. Here are all the details from their recent press release:
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 6, 2013) – Findmypast.com, an international leader in online family history, today announced the addition of more than 6 million pages from British newspapers, including original images, to its extensive historical records collection. The British newspapers include local and regional titles from England, Scotland and Wales from 1700 to 1950, and encompass nearly 200 titles. The British newspapers are part of an exclusive partnership with the British Library to digitize 50 million pages over the next 10 years.
With this new addition, findmypast.com World Subscribers will have access to all of the records and articles they need to research their family tree in one website. Throughout the next 10 years, approximately 8,000 new pages will be digitized every day and every new addition will be included in existing subscriptions.
“This incredible collection of British newspapers breathes life into the past, from local happenings to events of international importance. Each page provides a unique look into the lives of our ancestors – how they lived, worked and died – through notices of vital events and daily activities,” said D. Joshua Taylor, lead genealogist for findmypast.com. “The collection is truly unique with its extensive number of local and regional newspapers each containing intricate details from the lives of our millions of British ancestors.”
The British have always had a particularly voracious appetite for newspapers, especially during the 19th century when nearly every town in the country had its own newspaper. From the man who decided to walk around the world in an iron mask to the coronation of Queen Victoria, British newspapers have captured every aspect of people’s lives.
MyHeritage.com has announced the release of the free MyHeritage app version 2.0 for iPad, iPhone and Android smartphones and tablets. Now you can build and edit your family tree, add more information to it, and take your heritage with you anywhere you go.
The app has been optimized for each platform using cutting-edge HTML5 and SVG technologies. Download the new app now, for free, from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.
The app was first launched in December 2011, and has been installed over 1 million times. If you already have an older version, the good new is that the new app will upgrade it seamlessly without affecting your data.
According to MyHeritage.com “The new app version 2.0 lets you create and edit your family tree, add relatives and photos, edit profiles, info and events – wherever you are – in the palm of your hand. Meeting with family members? Together with your relatives, you can add missing details and correct errors on the spot with new editing screens. Profile pages have also been optimized for mobile devices.”
As the new year begins, we all have family history research challenges we are targeting. The newest episode of the free Genealogy Gems Podcast (Episode 148) is packed full of brand new quick genealogy gems to help you hit the mark, including:
What you’ll get from the new free RootsMagic App
5 reasons you need the new YouTube app for family history
Ancestry search tips video
Upcoming free genealogy webinars, and more
We’ll also discuss a disturbing case of alleged website theft in the genealogy community, and what it means for you.
If you got an iPad or tablet for Christmas, you may have spent a good deal of time playing angry birds and checking your email. (Come on, be honest!)
But, if you got a copy of my new book Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse, then you have moved well beyond hurling squawking pudgy red birds at piles of wood, and you are now pivoting to your pad for nearly every area of your family history research.
