Anglo-Celtic Connections

Finding out what’s new and planned in tech at FamilySearch is a highlight of RootsTech. Here is an AI summary of comments posted by FamilySearch staff and attendees during the session, which should be available for replay.

– FamilySearch’s strategic shift — FamilySearch appears to be moving toward becoming an index/bridge to other online content rather than directly hosting data itself.
– Agentic AI integration — FamilySearch is incorporating agentic AI, meaning AI tools assigned to specific, designated tasks rather than generic question-answering.
– Full-text search — Full-text search is a popular new feature, with a “Simple Search” tool available in FamilySearch Labs for testing it.
– Guided merge limitations — The guided merge feature has a drawback: unlike the older merge process, you cannot remove parental links within it.
– Get Involved program — FamilySearch actively encourages volunteer participation via familysearch.org/getinvolved, which feeds into indexing and other contributions.
– FamilySearch Labs — Labs (familysearch.org/labs/) serves as a testing ground for new features before wider rollout.
– Records depth matters to users — Users expressed a desire for more localized, county-level catalogue browsing and specific state records (e.g., Wisconsin), reflecting demand for granular coverage.
– Diverse research breakthroughs — The full-text capability is enabling discoveries previously hard to find, such as post-slavery land purchase records.
– Tree import question — A user raised the practical question of importing a tree from Ancestry.com to FamilySearch, suggesting interoperability between platforms is a common user need.

I’ll say it again, Legacy Family Tree Webinars is the best deal in genealogy. Well, I’ll qualify that, the best deal in commercial genealogy, not counting non-commercial FamilySearch.

Get the same 50% discount as attendees at RootsTech. The offer is valid through Saturday, 7 March at 11:59pm for new memberships only. New membership means anyone without a currently active membership.

Subscribeto the discount offer here.

Ancestry’s recently updated database, UK, Wartime Records and Material, 1914-1918, 1939-1945, sourced from the Imperial War Museums (IWM), is primarily composed of 30,182 photographs, but also includes illustrations, letters, newspapers, leaflets, and posters.

The search interface allows for specific filtering by military year, catalogue number, and description. Some of the images include names in their original descriptions, so a keyword search should find them. Otherwise, the collection provides visual context for uniforms, equipment, and daily life in various theatres of war.

Search fields available are: military year (Range), keyword (e.g., “pilot” or specific unit names), description, catalogue number.

The browse feature is helpful for finding representative imagery of specific battles, home front activities, or military roles.

Researchers with Quebec interests need no introduction to the Drouin Collection or the Notarial Records, which were updated on Ancestry on 4 March.

Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968, with 41,012,598 records.
Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1637-1935, with 16,529,462 records

With 6,852,775 records, this collection is a vital resource for tracking West Midlands  ancestors between decennial census counts.

The collection has two primary types of documents:
Poll Books (1676–1870): Early records of how individuals voted (before the secret ballot).
Electoral Registers (1832–1954): Annual lists of those eligible to vote.

Information typically includes: name, street address, city, ward, and parish of residence

These records are sourced from the Shropshire Archives in Shrewsbury.

Choose from these selected free online events. All times are Eastern Time, unless otherwise noted. Registration may be required in advance—please check the links to avoid disappointment. For many more events, mainly in the U.S., visit ConferenceKeeper.

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Tuesday, 3 March

• 2:00 PM: Ottawa Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, for OGS Ottawa Branch. https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/virtual-genealogy-drop-in/

• 2:30 PM: Learning Your Family History, for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. https://acpl.libnet.info/event/15848152

• 7:30 PM: AI in Genealogy: Say Hello to Your Personal Research Assistant, by Michael Nettleton for OGS Durham Branch. https://ogs.on.ca/events/durhams-march-3rd-meeting-ai-in-genealogy/

Wednesday, 4 March

• 7:30 PM: Second World War: Researching the Canadians Who Served, by Ken McKinlay for OGS Huron Branch. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ItB6AnjtSrucq1YTyLYsxw

Thursday, 5 March – Saturday, 7 March: RootsTech 2026

• RootsTech 2026 (Global Virtual Event): The world’s largest genealogy conference is free online. While there are hundreds of sessions, these are some that may be of interest:

  • British and Irish:

    • 9 Common Pitfalls in English Genealogy: Learn to navigate name variants and parish boundaries with Karen Kowallis.

    • Gardiner Brothers Virtual Keynote: Award-winning Irish dancers share stories of heritage and connection.

  • Technology & AI:

    • A Beginner’s Guide to Finding Ancestors Using FamilySearch’s AI Research Assistant: Ian James introduces the new AI tool for record discovery.

    • Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in Genealogy in 2026: A critical session on ethical AI implementation.

  • Canadian & Migration:

    • Canadian Immigration, Naturalization, and Citizenship: Kaye Prince Hollenberg explores records of those who made Canada home.

    • DNA Analysis Methodology: Karen Stanbary on using DNA to break through stubborn “brick walls.”

  Register for free access at: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/

Saturday, 7 March

• 10:00 AM: Genealogy at the London Psychiatric Hospital – A Brief Introduction, by Paige Murray for OGS London & Middlesex Branch. https://ogs.on.ca/events/london-and-middlesex-branch-genealogy-at-the-london-psychiatric-hospital/

Among top 2025 baby names, England, Scotland, and Canada share 6–8 overlapping names (e.g., Amelia/Olivia/Lily girls; Noah/Oliver/Theo boys), reflecting British heritage and North American migration.
Irish distinctiveness: Ireland stands out with Gaelic names (Éabha, Fiadh, Rían, Oisín) in the top 5.

Girls Top 10

Boys Top 10

The Bona Vacantia list of unclaimed estates in England and Wales, an unusual source for family historians and genealogists, is back online after being taken down in July 2025 — good news.

Following unsubstantiated allegations of fraud, the data being published as a spreadsheet has been scaled back. Where the list previously contained more detailed information, it now shows only:

• Deceased’s name
• Date of death
• Area where they died
• Bona Vacantia case reference number

The current spreadsheet contains 5,457 unclaimed estates. If you believe you may be entitled to one of these estates — perhaps through a relative who died without a will or known next of kin — the list is the starting point. You can access it at gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia.

Miscellaneous items I found interesting this week.

TheGenealogist’s Extends National Probate Calendar Coverage
Now with an additional 2.5 million names from 1880 to 1899. Every field within each entry is transcribed, allowing searching beyond the deceased’s name.

Empathy, anti-empathy
From The Medium blog

What is Bona Vacantia 

1. A list of unclaimed estates in the UK.
2. A list of properties that became available after Henry VIII abolished the monasteries.
3. A branch of the Vatican that organizes pilgrimages to the Holy See.
4. None of the above.

The answer will be posted tomorrow.

RootsTech
A reminder that this annual event starts on Thursday. 

Google Home Frustration
Copied from Research Buzz and Android Authority
Months after the promised change, Google Home is as unreliable as it ever was. “Hundreds of users are still complaining about Gemini, or Assistant, or both on Reddit. Commands that don’t work, routines that refuse to execute, mishearing, mis-executing, black-box troubleshooting when something fails, and on top of it all, a Gemini AI that is as good as throwing a ball at a stray dog and hoping they understand the concept of catch without ever being trained to.”

FreeBMD February Update
The FreeBMD database was updated on 23 February to hold 295,226,698 unique records, up from 295,018,312 in January.
Years with more than 10,000 additions are, for births and marriages 1995-96, for deaths 1996-97.

On 27 February, FamilySearch made available

1. Ireland, Dog License Registrations, 1810-1926, with 7,270,375 records. Available from home are the owner’s name, residence place, event type, event date, event place, and court. Images may be viewed at a Family History Centre or an Affiliate Library.
2. More Ireland, Petty Sessions Court Registers, 1828-1912, with 21,724,948 records. Available are the name,  event type, event date, event place, court and the LDS affiliate publication number. There’s a link to an image of the original available with a Findmypast subscription.

Findmypast has released nearly 370,000 new military records, including a massive 1881 worldwide index for the British Army and detailed lists of Australian Navy officers. The newspaper archive has also expanded by over 250,000 pages.

British Army, Worldwide Index 1881

This massive index is a crucial snapshot of the British Army during the year of the 1881 Census. It helps locate soldiers who may have been missed in domestic census records due to overseas service.

• Records added: 235,390.

• Details: Typically includes name, service number, rank, unit/regiment, and location (such as Gibraltar, India, or various colonial outposts).

Royal Horse Artillery & Royal Artillery, 1877-1882

Specifically targeting the “Gunners,” this collection provides deeper insight into those serving in the artillery during the late 19th century.

• Records added: 72,673.

• Details: May include enlistment dates, age at enlistment, battery and brigade numbers, and specific remarks regarding transfers between units.

Australia, Navy Lists

This collection offers a professional record of officers serving in Australia’s naval forces, charting the transition from colonial forces to the Royal Australian Navy (established 1911).

• Years covered: 1905–1985.

• Records added: 60,909.

• Details: Includes names, ranks, seniority, appointments, and postings. These lists are excellent for tracing career progression and identifying specific ships or shore establishments.

Newspaper Additions

New Titles:

• Doncaster Free Press: 125,566 pages (1986–2004).

• Leinster Express: 25,306 pages (1831–1919).

• Mansfield & North Nottinghamshire Chronicle-Advertiser: 23,898 pages (1989–1998).

• British Temperance Advocate: 946 pages (1853–1884).

• British Cinema Chronicle: 4 pages (1918).

Notable Updates:

• Midland Free Press: Over 16,000 pages added (1858–1913).

• Bognor Regis Observer: Over 13,000 pages added (1986–2004).

• Reading Mercury: Over 7,000 pages added (1951–1960).

Contents

Online Parish Registers: Jonathan Scott provides a guide to online resources, organized by region.

Oral History: Capturing voices from the past: Bill Laws reveals how oral history sheds much-needed light on the lives of ordinary people and their experiences of historical events.

Ring Ring: Celebrating 150 years of the telephone, Caroline Roope recounts its early days in Britain.

In Children’s Workhouses, Peter Higginbotham charts the history of these national institutions and explains the records available to research ancestors who were in the workhouse as youngsters.

Two more from Jonathan Scott

WW2 Army Records: The best websites, with a focus on the ongoing digitization project by Ancestry based on records recently transferred from the military to TNA.

And another in the Around Britain series, this issue for Northumberland