Anglo-Celtic Connections

On 20 April 2026, the UK government unveiled a national vision for England’s archives, centered on three pillars: Sustainability, Accessibility, and Inclusivity. Facilitated by The National Archives, it aims to ensure records remain a vital resource for identity and justice.

The focus on accessibility highlights a “tipping point” where limited staffing and obsolete systems threaten both physical and “born-digital” records. To combat this, the vision emphasizes:

• Using Artificial Intelligence to clear cataloging backlogs and streamline searches.

• Adopting jargon-free, intuitive digital platforms to reach global audiences.

• Expanding digital capacity to prevent the loss of modern data.

• Implementing a National Touring and Supported Regional Loan programme to bring collections to local communities.

• Launching a “Belonging and Placemaking” grant program and a leadership initiative with the Archives and Records Association.

By embracing hybrid access models and innovative technology partnerships, the sector aims to remove barriers, ensuring shared history is preserved and easily discoverable for generations to come.

In general terms, this vision reflects the same challenges faced by Library and Archives Canada.  As archives wander through a financial desert, to what extent will the vision prove to be a mirage?

When the Probate Registry took control of proving wills and administrations in 1858, a Principal Probate Registry was established in London and several district probate registries created around the country.

On 20 April, Ancestry added wills from 1858 to 1940 from the Shropshire Registry to its collection. There are 205,769 records, likely reflecting all names mentioned in the wills. 

Searching for Canada in the Location box for Any Event yields 134 results.

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.

Tuesday, 21 April

2:00 PM: Genealogy Drop-in: Genealogy Software and Programs, for OGS Kingston Branch. https://kingston.ogs.on.ca/events/kingston-branch-genealogy-drop-in-virtual-4/

2:30 PM: The Queen City: Tracing Ancestors in Cincinnati, by Kate McKenzie for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. https://acpl.libnet.info/events

7:00 PM: The Role of Remembrance & How to Research Your Ancestors’ Wartime Histories, by Vanessa Kirtz for OGS Nipissing Branch. https://nipissing.ogs.on.ca/events/nipissing-branch-the-role-of-remembrance-how-to-research-your-ancestors-wartime-histories

8:00 PM: What’s in a Name? Finding Your Norwegian Ancestors, by Kristina Gow Clever for Board for Certification of Genealogists (hosted by Legacy Family Tree Webinars). https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/whats-in-a-name-finding-your-norwegian-ancestors/

Wednesday, 22 April

10:00 AM: Introduction to Family History: Researching Your Family Tree, by Anne Coulter (BIFHSGO) for the National Association of Federal Retirees. https://nafrottawa.com/our-events/introduction-to-family-history-researching-your-family-tree-with-bifhsgo/

2:00 PM: Fields of Hope: African Americans, Immigrants, and Women in the Homesteading Era, by Angela Packer McGhie for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/fields-of-hope-african-americans-immigrants-and-women-in-the-homesteading-era/

8:00 PM: From Research to Data with AI 5 of 5: Your AI Research Assistant—Logs, Notes, and Citations, by Andrew Redfern and Fiona Brooker for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. (members only). https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/from-research-to-data-with-ai-5-of-5-your-ai-research-assistant-logs-notes-and-citations/

Thursday, 23 April

6:30 PM: Wills and Their Whereabouts (England), by Rachael E. Mellen for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. https://acpl.libnet.info/events

7:00 PM: Logging Experiences on the Ottawa River, by Gord Black for OGS Ottawa Branch. https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/logging-experiences-on-the-ottawa-river-ottawa/

Friday, 24 April

2:00 PM: Essential Skills for New Genealogists 2 of 12: Vital Records—Records of Hatchings, Matchings & Dispatchings, by Dave McDonald for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/essential-skills-for-new-genealogists-2-of-12-vital-records-records-of-hatchings-matchings-dispatchings/

Saturday, 25 April

8:30 AM:  Genealogy in Bloom: Canadian Genealogy and Cross-Border Family History, by Kathryn Lake Hogan for Rochester Genealogical Society  https://mms.nyrgs.org/Calendar/moreinfo.php?eventid=200494

I notice OGS has a limited-time discount offer for MyHeritage subscriptions. Could you benefit?

Click to find out more.

I have DNA tests from four companies: Ancestry, FamilyTree DNA, Living DNA, and MyHeritage. They use different reference populations and algorithms. The table combines them into five ethnicities. 

Ethnicity	MyHeritage	Ancestry	Family Tree DNA	Living DNA
British & Irish	70.1%	76%	29%	46.1%
W. & Continental Europe	11.4%	2%	40%	40.2%
Jewish	16.5%	22%	19%	0%
Scandinavian	1.9%	0%	8%	0%
Near East / Other	0%	0%	4%	12%

Family Tree DNA’s British and Irish is exclusively Irish. It does not separate out English, Scottish and Welsh ethnicity, grouping them into W & Continental Europe. 

Living DNA does not identify Jewish ethnicity. MyHeritage likely attributed some of my Jewish ancestry to W & Continental Europe.

Overall, I’m most comfortable with Ancestry’s results, especially the breakdown by regions of the British Isles, which aligns reasonably with my own study of records.

Miscellaneous items I found interesting this week.

Internet Archive Canada and the Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario Partner to Expand Access to Historical Newspapers

Maps
TheGenealogist’s MapExplorer is enhanced with newly added historic
maps from the 1940s–1970s.

A selection of map-related books on sale from the TNA bookstore.

A conversation with Claude – the AI program

The 2026 OGS Virtual  Conference
Early-bird registration is now open for the conference, themed “From Steamship to Microchips”.

Ireland 1926 Census
You never know! I hadn’t expected to find anyone in this census from my family tree. So I was surprised to find my great-aunt’s husband. His ship, which traded between Ireland and England/Wales, was in the port of Dublin on census day.

Thanks to the following individuals for their comments and tips:  Anonymous, Barbara Tose, Gail, Paul, Peggy Chapman, Teresa, Unknown.

Findmypast added more than 400,000 records, a busy week, across four collections and over half a million newspaper pages to its archive.

Northamptonshire Records

 Three new collections shine a light on everyday lives — and sometimes difficult ones — in the county across several centuries.

Northampton Infirmary Child Patients, 1744–1801 contains 4,210 records documenting children who received care at Northampton’s infirmary during the 18th century.

Northamptonshire Burials adds 63,258 records spanning 1543 to 1858 — a substantial sweep of parish burial registers stretching from the mid-Tudor period through to the Victorian era.

Northamptonshire Baptisms rounds out the county offerings with 41,688 records covering the 16th to 19th centuries, offering another avenue for tracing families through the generations.

England & Wales, Divorce Court Index, 1858–1937

Findmypast has significantly expanded its divorce records collection, with 296,824 additions to the England & Wales Divorce Court Index, now covering 1858 to 1937. Since the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 first made civil divorce accessible to ordinary people, these records can reveal a great deal about family circumstances that might otherwise go undocumented.

Newspapers

This week’s newspaper update adds 526,032 pages across seven new titles and updates to 28 existing ones.

New titles range from the Sheffield Free Press (1851–1857) and Common Good (1880–1881) in the 19th century, through to Fairplay (1883–1914), the Welsh Llangollen Advertiser (1869–1896), the Scottish Gourock Times (1915–1966), Rugby Observer (1911–1939), and Sound Wave (1907–1933).

Among the updated titles, several offer substantial multi-decade runs reaching back into the Victorian era: the Ripley Advertiser now spans 1864–1917, the Roscommon Journal, and Western Impartial Reporter runs from 1865 to 1927, and the Dundalk Examiner and Louth Advertiser covers 1881–1929. The Commercial Daily List (London) reaches back to 1839, the Daily Telegraph & Courier to 1855, and the Kelso Chronicle and Southwark and Bermondsey Recorder add 19th-century coverage too. Maritime researchers should note new additions to Lloyd’s List and the Liverpool Shipping Telegraph. Scottish researchers are well served with updates to the Fife Herald, Highland News, Inverness Courier, John o’ Groat Journal, and Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express.

On 18 April 2026, exactly 100 years after it was conducted, the 1926 Census of the Irish Free State will be released.

Last month, on his blog, John Grenham gave a preview.

Soon, no more teasing. All will be revealed on Saturday for the 2,971,992 residents. Check it out at https://nationalarchives.ie/.

ONLINE IRISH WORKSHOPS FROM TNA – FREE

Irish ancestry essentials
Tracing your Irish ancestors
Tue, 21 April
Join experts from The National Archives and the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland to start tracing your Irish ancestry.
More info and book

1926 Census of the Irish Free State
Tue, 28 April
Join us online for an unmissable exploration of the biggest new arrival in Irish family history. In partnership with The National Archives of Ireland.
More information and book

 

These geography-delimited indexes allow you to search for names in Newspapers.com™ from the 1800s to the present. Viewing the corresponding image requires a newspapers.com subscription.

The updates are for:

Ireland and Northern Ireland, with 124,816,700 records, including 100,410,009 new records. Coverage is fairly even since 1850, with enhanced coverage after 2000.

Scotland has 134,006,386 records, including 63,310,198 new records. Coverage is best for the latter part of the 19th century and the 1st part of the 20th.

 

For many of us, the moon landing and the attack on the Twin Towers in New York in 2001 were major events we recall vividly.  Where were you when you heard about them? What similar event would your ancestors remember?

You can refer to books such as Tracing Your Ancestors Using the UK Historical Timeline by Angela Smith and Neil Bertram, published by Pen and Sword. 

I asked AI for a list of similar sudden events for England between 1850 and 1950.

Indian Rebellion of 1857: A rapid imperial uprising that sent shockwaves through Britain.

Great Stink of 1858: An abrupt sewage crisis that overwhelmed London withunbearable odour.

Royal Charter storm of 1859: A ferocious storm that wrecked ships and killed hundreds off the coast.

Death of Prince Albert (1861): A shocking personal loss for Queen Victoria and the nation.

Great Sheffield Flood of 1864: A sudden dam burst that devastated the city and killed over 240.

Princess Alice disaster of 1878: Rapid collision and sinking on the Thames, drowning over 600.

Great Blizzard of 1891: Intense storm that paralyzed southern England.

Death of Queen Victoria (1901): End of the Victorian era; a profound national emotional shock.

1946–47 severe winter: Abrupt post-war crisis with extreme cold, blackouts, and shortages.

The two world wars might be included as individual events, such as the Battle of Passchendaele and the D-Day landings.

Add to those personal events, such as family BMDs.

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.

Tuesday, 14 April

2:00 PM: 5 Ways to Use AI to Find Family in Final Records at MyHeritage, by Cathy Wallace for Legacy Family Tree Webinars and MyHeritage.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/5-ways-to-use-ai-to-find-family-in-final-records-at-myheritage

2:00 PM: Ottawa Virtual Genealogy Drop-in, for OGS Ottawa Branch
https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/virtual-genealogy-drop-in-2-2026-01-06-2026-01-20-2026-02-03-2026-02-17-2026-03-03-2026-03-17-2026-03-31-2026-04-14/

2:30 PM: Develop and Digitize Your Family History Archives, by Chris K. Morton for Anderson Archival and Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. https://acpl.libnet.info/event/15983759

7:00 PM: Rum Runners of Essex County, by Glen Baracco for OGS Essex Branch. https://ogs.on.ca/events/essex-branch-april-14-2026-webinar-rum-runners-in-essex/

7:00 PM: Ireland’s Pension Records, by Ron Gilmore for OGS Lambton Branch.
https://lambton.ogs.on.ca/events/lambton-webinar-irelands-pension-records-with-ron-gilmore/

Wednesday, 15 April

2:00 PM: DNA in Action 2 of 6: Writing Proofs including DNA, by Karen Stanbary for Legacy Family Tree Webinars
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/dna-in-action-2-of-6-writing-proofs-including-dna

7:00 PM: “Herstories” – Listening to Women’s History, by Sara Janes for OGS Thunder Bay Branch.
https://thunderbay.ogs.on.ca/events/thunder-bay-district-branch-herstories-listening-to-womens-history/

8:00 PM: From Research to Data with AI 4 of 5: Seeing Patterns—Summaries, Timelines, and Clusters, by Andrew Redfern and Fiona Brooker for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. (for subscribers). https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/from-research-to-data-with-ai-4-of-5-seeing-patterns-summaries-timelines-and-clusters

Thursday, 16 April

6:30 PM: Genealogy Research Around the World, by Debbie Kroopkin for JewishGen.Org and Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. https://acpl.libnet.info/events

Friday, 17 April

2:00 PM: Researching Métis Ancestors: Origins, Scrip, and Red River Records, by Christine Woodcock for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/researching-metis-ancestors-origins-scrip-and-red-river-records

Saturday, 18 April

10:00 AM: Migration to Wolfe Island and on to Minnesota, for OGS Kingston Branch. https://kingston.ogs.on.ca/events-views/kingston-branch-meetings/

1:00 PM: Brighton Digital Archives, Historic Images and More, for OGS Quinte Branch. https://quinte.ogs.on.ca/events/

I posted first impressions of this plan on 20 March. As I wrote then, the alarming metric is:

Providing access to documentary heritage is bearing the brunt of cuts, falling from a projected $95 million this year to $76 million in 2026-2027, $31 million (sic) the following year, and $28 million in 2028-2029.

Examining further, the plan skews heavily toward planning activity (45% of initiatives). This is not inherently wrong — LAC is mid-transformation, opening Ādisōke, and absorbing significant budget cuts — but it does mean that a large proportion of staff effort in 2026–27 is devoted to producing internal documents and governance structures rather than delivering direct public value.

Accountability is thin on the delivery side. Of 12 client delivery initiatives, only about 7 have hard, quantified targets, most without prior-year history. The remaining 5 are described in qualitative terms (“continue to,” “advance,” “explore”), meaning they could be claimed as complete even if output is minimal.

The planning-to-delivery ratio worsens under budget pressure. Despite cutting $11.1M and ~100 staff, the number of planning and framework initiatives does not shrink proportionally. This is a common pattern in government restructuring — planning activity expands to manage the change, crowding out front-line delivery capacity.

The strongest delivery accountability is concentrated in three areas: digitization (500,000 images, 14,500 microfilm reels), ATIP response rates (80% target), and visitor/online engagement counts. These are where LAC’s commitments are most testable.

A practical concern: four major initiatives — the AI governance model, CRM integration, Indigenous action plan, and Collections Metadata Framework —are being launched concurrently during a period of active downsizing. The plan offers no sequencing or prioritization logic to prevent all four from being indefinitely deferred.