Anglo-Celtic Connections

A quick shoutout to the blog, and a new item on The Ragged School Museum , a guest post by Stanley Slaughter. The museum is on Copperfield Road, Mile End, London which was previously a ragged school operated by Thomas Barnardo. The school taught tens of thousands of local children until it closed in 1908. The blog post tells the story of Alex Mead, who attended the ragged school for four years before moving to Canada at age 15, and serving with the CEF.

More than just autumn leaves, October in Canada is packed with official recognitions.

• Canadian Islamic History Month

  In 2007, IHMC was proclaimed by the late Mauril Belanger, MP, for Ottawa-Vanier. Today, nearly 5 percent of the Canadian population is Muslim. representing a diverse range of backgrounds and origins from every continent.

• German Heritage Month

Happy German Heritage Month. Happy Oktoberfest. Perhaps 10 percent of Canadians report being of German descent, representing more than 3 million people who make a difference in their communities every day.

• Latin American Heritage Month

Over half a million Canadians are of Latin American descent, representing all 22 Latin American countries. The month, officially designated by Parliament in 2018, also honours the service of Latin American veterans who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces.

• Library Month

Launched in 2006 by the Canadian Library Association (CLA), Canadian Library Month (CLM) provides “an opportunity for Canadians not familiar with their local library to come down and experience all the services available to them. Ontario Public Library Week is the third week in October.

• Women’s History Month

In 1992, the Government of Canada designated October as Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month coincides with Persons Day, the commemoration of the 1929 “Persons Case,” when the Famous Five fought to have women legally recognized as persons under the British North America Act, securing the right to sit in the Senate.

What about other months, days and seasons? Check out https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/important-commemorative-days.html

Seeing the results of your family history research through to a published document, physical or digital, is a thrill. Writing your history is the best way to preserve your years of effort.

This month’s UK Family Tree Magazine provides expert guidance to help you capture the past in ways your family will treasure. If you dream of publishing a book, Canadian Wayne Shepheard provides a complete guide to writing for publication. For those starting smaller, find out how to structure your stories for blogs or digital family history books.

The issue also equips you with the latest tools and research strategies. Carole McCulloch (Coach Carole) explains how to integrate Artificial Intelligence into your process while maintaining authenticity. Find a review of the new Family Tree Maker 2024 for Mac and look at the latest developments in DNA, including what’s new for mtDNA testers (John Cleary) and four ways a DNA test can advance your research (Karen Evans).

Research advice covers challenging lines, such as Graham Bandy’s practical guide on 20th-century Army ancestors. For medieval records, Richard Tolson uncovers people and places in the Records of the Crown back to 1066. Julie Johnson gives us the story of Theodore Oriel, exploring the psychological impact of war on a serviceman.

Throughout the BIFHSGO weekend conference we were asked to be patient while the editors processed the videos. It’s done, all of them, along with the handouts, are now posted in the Registrants’ Portal. If you registered, or register post-conference, you will have access to view them until the end of November. Recordings of the Expert Connect sessions are also posted.

There wasn’t a dud presentation among them. Some were more specialized and will be of most interest to a select few — perhaps that’s you.

My top three were, in order of presentation:

The History of the Workhouse, by Peter Higginbotham
Family Felons: Uncovering the Criminal Past, by Dr. Angela Buckley
Finding Henry, by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

Library and Archives Canada honored Sir Arthur Doughty on Monday morning with the reinstallation and of his  renovated statue at the LAC Preservation Centre in Gatineau. Doughty served as Canada’s second National Archivist and remains the most celebrated figure to hold that position.

Librarian and Archivist Leslie Weir opened the event, then invited Ian Wilson to speak about Doughty’s legacy. Wilson, who served as Librarian and Archivist from 2004 to 2009, has conducted extensive research on Doughty’s contributions. During his remarks, Wilson suggested updating Canada’s 1921 Coat of Arms to recognize Indigenous heritage, a proposal worth considering as the country continues reconciliation efforts.

Attendees learned about the technical challenges involved in restoring the statue and watched footage of its relocation from behind 395 Wellington Street to its new home. Weir acknowledged everyone who contributed to the project’s completion and gathered those of them in attendance for a group photograph.

The event provided an opportunity to ask about Adisoke, the new joint facility with the Ottawa Public Library scheduled to open in 2026. Most research facilities currently at 395 Wellington will transfer to the new location. Some present open-access resources will have limited availability. An instance is the magnificant directories collection. While many city directories are now digitized, those needing to research extensive date ranges may still need to visit 395 Wellington by arrangement.

A recent survey has prompted LAC to accelerate digitization work. This is welcome news for researchers, particularly those away from LAC’s physical locations. Can we hope for accelerated access to the 1940 National Registration records recently transferred from Statistics Canada. (The National Registration was a census-like survey that documented every Canadian, making it valuable for genealogical research.)

However, government-wide budget cuts are affecting LAC. These reductions inevitably impact staff morale as the organization balances preservation, digitization, and public service with fewer resources.

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.org.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Russia now has a strategy for a permanent state of hybrid war

BIFHSGO Conference 2025: Day 1
Excellent presentations. If you missed the live presentations, it’s not too late to register to attend day 2, and review all the presentations in replay until 30 November, through www.bifhsgo.ca

12 billion-to-one odds

Online New Brunswick Land Records
The latest discovery by Ken McKinlay.

From snails to street signs: Soho’s history revealed on a new digital map

Thanks to the following individuals for their comments and tips: Anonymous, Barbara May Di Mambro, Daniel Horowitz, Gail, Ken McKinlay, Penny, Teresa, and Unknown.

 

Sussex Burials

For those with roots in Sussex, a substantial new collection of 16,014 burial records from St Mary, Eastbourne is now available. Sourced from the Family History Society for Eastbourne & District, they cover the 1800s and 1900s,
Tabulated search results show the first and last names and date of birth. For the year of burial you need to click through to view the full transcription. The Findmypast whole Sussex Burials collection now totals 1,211,532 records.

The Dorset Poor

This week’s update includes a small addition of just 119 records, the Dorset Adult Paupers Workhouse Register, 1860. The registers can reveal an individual’s name, date of admission, the institution they were in, and even personal details like their physical condition (e.g., “blind”).

In a rural county like Dorset, the workhouses in unions such as Dorchester, Blandford, and Bridport were often filled with agricultural labourers and their families, especially during winter or times of illness when work was impossible to find.

Over 250,000 New Newspaper Pages

This week, The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer received new pages covering much of the 1980s and 1990s. Five brand-new titles have also been added:

The Highlander (1877)
Charity Record (1881-1921)
Ironworkers’ Journal (Darlington) (1884-1885)
Seren (Bala, Wales) (1891-1892)
Longford Leader (1916-1917)

Anyone interested in British Home Children should read the articles in the Charity Record about immigration to Canada. Here’s the text of an article from 24 March 1894 under the heading Dr. Barnardo’s Homes and Emigrants.

* Night and Day” for March is, as usual, filled with interesting
particulars concerning Dr. Barnardo’s great work. From some per- |
sonal notes it looks as if the Homes and the Church of England
Waifs and Strays Society are not as well disposed towards each other
as they should be. A gentleman of position in Sunderland has
written to Dr. Barnardo that the agents of the Church Society have
been calling upon the Home’s subscribers in that town and urging
them to transfer their support to that Society, and Dr. Barnardo
adds that complaints of similar unfriendly rivalry reaches him from
various quarters. It is a thousand pities that this jealousy should
prevail, and some explanation is certainly wanted from the managers
of the Church Society. |
It will doubtless be within the recollection of our readers that
very adverse criticisms were made some months ago, based upon a
presentment by a grand jury in Manitoba, as to the emigration
work of Dr. Barnardo. The Doctor has written a long article lo deal-
ing with the question from which it seems clear that the objections
which the jury placed on record in such sweeping terms, were based
upon one solitary case of failure on the part of a Barnardd boy ” 1
For 10 years after the emigration work was started, that is up to
1884, not a single conviction was recorded against emigrants from
the Homes. Since that year the total is 52. The average percent.
age of convictions among the emigrants for 10 years is *136; the
percentage for the general population of Canada is “766. Dr.
Barnardo says, in conclusion .—” Reviewing calmly and dispassion-
ately the successes and failupes of the 6,128 young people sent out
from these Institutions to Canada and judging the same by the
criterion of the criminal statistics of the general population of
Canada published under official authority, it would appear that,
taken as a whole, the class of youths brought to the Barnardo
Home from the old country are much more free from crime, vice,
general profligacy, or vagrancy than is the population of the,
Dominion generally, or any particular section of it considered
separately.”

 

Before online databases took over, the Genealogical Research Directory was essential for connecting family historians. If you’ve got old volumes gathering dust, they may still be valuable research tools. Now, Ancestry has some of them online.

Published in Australia, Ancestry calls the database Australia Genealogical Research Directory, 1981-1993. They compiled submissions from researchers in 30 countries, containing over 100,000 surname entries. Contributors listed the families they were researching, along with locations and time periods, making it easier to find others working on the same lines.

British and Commonwealth entries heavily dominated the directories: England had 408,110, Australia 177,481, Ireland 81,313, Scotland 79,058, Canada 38,500, New Zealand 19,126, and Wales 11,052.

Ancestry’s digitized volumes are searchable through their standard search interface. Since surnames are arranged alphabetically in each issue, you can browse to spot variant spellings and alternative forms of names you’re researching.

A surname search gives a date range, year of publication and reference number. Then go to the browse volume for that year and find the start page for the contributors’ addresses. Move forward from that page to find the reference number. It yields the enquirer’s name and postal address, as of at least 30 years ago!

 

After researching my great-grandfather, Henry Barnett, at Birmingham Archives, I became curious about his early life. My starting point was the 1861 census—the first in which he appears.

A Village in the Staffordshire Hills

Henry was born in 1856 in Ellastone, a small Staffordshire community near the Derbyshire border, where the River Dove winds through rolling hills, fertile farmland, and scattered woodlands. This pastoral landscape supposedly inspired George Eliot’s fictional village of ‘Hayslope’ in her 1859 novel Adam Bede.

The Barnett Family

In 1861, five-year-old Henry lived with his parents and siblings—a family of eight headed by William Barnett, who worked as both tailor and grocer, and his wife Mary. The children ranged from 22 years old to 3 years old. Older offspring had already left. Age gaps suggest some infant deaths—a common tragedy of the era.

As a tradesman, William would have valued education. Their son, also named Frederick, was 18 and nearing the end of his five-year term as a pupil-teacher at the village school, located across from the church near the family’s home on Church Lane.

A Stable, Rooted Community

Ellastone was remarkably stable in 1861, with a population of just 269. Nearly three-quarters of residents were born in the village itself, and many surnames in the census appear in earlier generations of the Barnett family tree, evidence of deep, multi-generational roots.

Only 50 people were born outside Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Of these, 39 came from other English counties, seven from Ireland (including the Vicar of Ellastone), three from Scotland (including a farm bailiff and his wife), and one from Wales.

Occupations and Village Life

The Genealogist is currently the only genealogy service that has extracted occupations from the 1861 census, which reveals the economic fabric of the village.

Unsurprisingly, agricultural labourers were the most common, with 15 listed. This was followed by farmers (13), farmers’ wives (9), farmers’ sons (7), and agricultural labourers’ wives (5).

The village also supported an array of tradespeople: joiners, carters, grocers, tailors, butchers, bricklayers, nurses, and others—though no baker or candlestick maker! Three teachers served the community (not counting the pupil-teacher), and one man held the combined role of Railway Station Master and Registrar of Births and Deaths. The railway station itself was a mile away, across the River Dove in Derbyshire.

A Fading Way of Life

Village life in 1861 reflected rural rhythms and close-knit community ties, set against the backdrop of agricultural labour and the enduring presence of the residents of the “big house” and village church. But this way of life was already beginning to fade. By 1901, Ellastone had lost about a quarter of its population as people, including Henry Barnett, moved away to seek opportunities in growing urban centers.

I asked ChatGPT to give me some ideas for an AI gamification of family history research for BIFHSGO.

Here are some of its ideas (or are they only notions?) that combine education, fun, and community collaboration. For what it’s worth, 

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🎯 OVERARCHING CONCEPT: “The BIFHSGO Genealogy Quest”

A web-based (or event-based) AI-powered challenge designed to:

• Teach effective genealogical reasoning.

• Encourage use of British and Irish sources.

• Build community interaction among BIFHSGO members.

• Offer recognition (badges, leaderboards, or certificates).

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🧩 1. Genealogy Detective Challenge

Core Idea

Each month, members receive a “mystery ancestor case” — a realistic problem built from real but anonymized historical data (e.g., census records, parish entries, newspaper clippings).

Players must deduce the person’s identity, migration path, or family connections using clues.

How AI Helps

• Case generation: AI assembles historically plausible but slightly incomplete cases from real data (e.g., “Jane, born c.1823 Devon, last seen in 1861 census in Ontario”).

• Hints & analysis: AI offers tiered hints (“check marriage records,” “think about occupational clues”).

• Feedback: AI evaluates answers for logic and evidence — rewarding process, not just correctness.

• Educational tie-in: At the end, AI explains how professional genealogists solved it with citations and reasoning.

Integration with BIFHSGO

• A new case could launch monthly on the BIFHSGO website.

• Members could play individually or in teams (Branches vs. Branches!).

• Short presentations at monthly meetings could reveal the “solution” and highlight sources used.

• AI could summarize how many members found the right ancestor and show a leaderboard.

Benefits

• Encourages ongoing engagement between meetings.

• Builds research skills in a light, non-competitive way.

• Encourages the use of British and Irish records, migration reasoning, and source evaluation.

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🕰 2. Time Traveler: Recreate an Ancestor’s Life

Core Idea

Members input a few known facts about an ancestor (e.g., birthplace, occupation, emigration date), and the AI builds an interactive life simulation.

You “travel” decade by decade through your ancestor’s world:

• Social changes (e.g., industrialization, famine, migration).

• Local maps and historical weather (BIFHSGO’s weather-history link!).

• AI-generated short narratives (“In 1846, John Reid’s village saw record rainfall — how might that have affected his livelihood?”).

How AI Helps

• Pulls from historical datasets to enrich the story.

• Suggests research paths (“People leaving this parish often went to…,” “Try the 1851 census in Staffordshire”).

• Adds narrative coherence without inventing untrue facts.

Integration with BIFHSGO

• Could be part of a “Family History Showcase” at conferences or meetings.

• Members could submit the most interesting “Time Traveler” journeys for publication in Anglo-Celtic Roots.

• Workshops could focus on “how AI reconstructed this story” — teaching evidence-based narrative writing.

Benefits

• Makes dry records come alive.

• Bridges research and storytelling — a BIFHSGO strength.

• Accessible for both beginners and experienced members.

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🧬 3. DNA Detective Challenge

Core Idea

A friendly learning game for those exploring genetic genealogy.
AI generates realistic DNA match data (using public patterns), and members must deduce possible relationships or build a tree.

How AI Helps

• Simulates shared DNA segments and relationship probabilities.

• Provides feedback (“These matches likely share a great-grandparent — what records confirm that?”).

• Offers short lessons in each round (e.g., “Why 3C1R matches can overlap with 4C predictions”).

Integration with BIFHSGO

• Could be offered as a workshop or an online course module.

• Members earn digital “badges” for solving levels (e.g., “Match Whisperer,” “Endogamy Aware”).

• Ties directly to BIFHSGO’s DNA SIG (Special Interest Group).

Benefits

• Makes complex concepts intuitive.

• Reinforces ethical DNA use and analytical thinking.

• Encourages cross-pollination between research and DNA communities.

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🗺 4. Archive Explorer (Live or Virtual Event)

Core Idea

A scavenger hunt where participants “explore” virtual British or Irish archives, guided by AI.
Each clue teaches a record type or historical context.

Example Round

“Your ancestor was married in 1842 in Dublin — where would you search for the record?
a) Parish registers
b) Civil registration
c) Griffith’s Valuation”

AI gives hints or explanations depending on the player’s answer.

Integration with BIFHSGO

• Could run live during the annual conference — attendees compete on tablets.

• Prizes for highest score or most sources found.

• Later turned into an online self-learning module for members.

Benefits

• Educational but fun — great outreach for new genealogists.

• Highlights BIFHSGO’s expertise in British Isles resources.

• Strengthens partnerships with archives and libraries.

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🏅 Implementation Options

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🌱 Why It Fits BIFHSGO

• Reinforces education and skill-building (core society goals).

• Encourages intergenerational participation — making genealogy appealing to digital natives.

• Provides new content streams for meetings, the journal, and social media.

• Aligns with BIFHSGO’s ethos of combining rigorous research with storytelling and innovation.

There it is. Ideas are a dime a dozen. To go further, it takes a couple of volunteers, along with vision and open minds from the Directors willing to experiment, not the “can’t do that, it sets a precedent!” mentality.

The following is a press release of a significant development from MyHeritage.

MyHeritage Upgrades Its Consumer DNA Tests to Whole Genome Sequencing

MyHeritage becomes the first major DNA testing company to fully adopt Whole Genome Sequencing; the upgrade leverages technology by Ultima Genomics and processing at the Gene by Gene lab

TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah & HOUSTON & FREMONT, California October 14 , 2025 — MyHeritage, the leading global platform for family history and DNA testing, announced today a landmark move to Whole Genome Sequencing for its at-home DNA test, MyHeritage DNA. Leveraging cutting-edge sequencing technology from Ultima Genomics and processing at the Gene by Gene lab, MyHeritage is the first major consumer DNA testing company to adopt Whole Genome Sequencing at a scale of more than one million tests per year. The enriched data will empower MyHeritage to deliver more accurate ethnicity analysis and DNA matching, and unlock opportunities for future innovation in consumer genomics and genetic genealogy.

Whole Genome Sequencing reads almost the entire human genetic code, covering around 3 billion base pairs (nucleotides). This is superior to the standard genotyping arrays used by most consumer DNA tests, including MyHeritage until recently, which read only about 700,000 base pairs. More data enables deeper insights across all types of genetic analysis. Whole Genome Sequencing is now being applied to most new MyHeritage DNA kits currently being processed at the lab, and to every new MyHeritage DNA kit sold moving forward. MyHeritage DNA kits already processed with the older genotyping array technology will not be reprocessed with Whole Genome Sequencing. Customers whose MyHeritage DNA kits are processed with Whole Genome Sequencing will be able to download their entire genome from MyHeritage at no cost, in CRAM format. They may also unlock additional insights by uploading their data to other trusted genetic service providers that support such uploads.

Due to its high technological potential, MyHeritage has been eying Whole Genome Sequencing for years. A pioneering study by the MyHeritage Science Team published in 2020 validated Whole Genome Sequencing for reliable relative matching at scale. Following that study, MyHeritage has been collaborating closely with Ultima Genomics since its emergence from stealth mode in mid-2022, and later jointly with Gene by Gene, to prepare the scientific and logistical foundation for upgrading the MyHeritage DNA processing pipeline to Whole Genome Sequencing using Ultima’s technology. The upgrade was completed successfully and creates new opportunities for MyHeritage to deliver deeper insights into ethnic origins, family connections, and genetic genealogy, without any price increase to consumers. Even before this upgrade, MyHeritage was consistently the most affordable DNA test on the market among the major DNA testing companies. The upgrade to Whole Genome Sequencing makes the MyHeritage offering even more compelling.

“This is a pivotal moment for genetic genealogy,” said Gilad Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “We are proud to take this pioneering step into Whole Genome Sequencing together with Ultima Genomics and with our longstanding partners at Gene by Gene. MyHeritage customers will enjoy the fruits of this technological upgrade for years to come, through increased accuracy, deeper insights, and exciting new products.”

“MyHeritage’s move to Whole Genome Sequencing marks a major milestone for consumer DNA testing,” said Dr. Gilad Almogy, Founder and CEO of Ultima Genomics. “It demonstrates the scalability and maturity of Ultima’s innovative technology and accelerates the immense value that Whole Genome Sequencing can bring to consumers. It has been a pleasure collaborating with MyHeritage over the past few years, and we are proud to work together with them and Gene by Gene to bring genetic genealogy to new heights for millions of consumers worldwide.”

“The transition to Whole Genome Sequencing represents the most ambitious project in our years-long partnership with MyHeritage,” said Dr. Lior Rauchberger, CEO of Gene by Gene. “We are proud to help set a new standard in consumer genomics and support the growth of what will soon become the world’s largest database of whole genomes. The rollout is centered at Gene by Gene’s state-of-the-art laboratory in Houston, Texas, which will house a large fleet of Ultima UG100™ sequencing instruments.”

Privacy Commitment

MyHeritage is committed to the privacy and security of its customers’ data. All genetic data is encrypted and stored securely, and MyHeritage does not sell or license data to third parties. MyHeritage strictly prohibits the use of its platform by law enforcement. All genetic samples are automatically destroyed by the lab after processing, except those stored securely for customers who have enrolled in the MyHeritage DNA BioBank service. This provides customers with peace of mind not offered by most other major DNA testing companies.

About MyHeritage

MyHeritage is the leading global platform for family history. It enriches the lives of people worldwide by enabling them to uncover more about themselves and where they belong. With a suite of intuitive products, billions of historical records, AI-powered photo tools, and an affordable at-home DNA test, MyHeritage creates a meaningful discovery experience that is deeply rewarding. The MyHeritage platform is enjoyed by more than 62 million people around the world who treasure and celebrate their heritage. MyHeritage is committed to the privacy and security of its customer data and is available globally in 42 languages. www.myheritage.com

About Ultima Genomics

Ultima Genomics is unleashing the power of genomics at scale. The company’s mission is to continuously drive the scale of genomic information to enable unprecedented advances in biology and improvements in human health. With humanity on the cusp of a biological revolution, there is a virtually endless need for more genomic information to address biology’s complexity and dynamic change—and a further need to challenge conventional next-generation sequencing technologies. Ultima’s revolutionary new sequencing architecture drives down the costs of sequencing to help overcome the tradeoffs that scientists and clinicians are forced to make between the breadth, depth and frequency with which they use genomic information. The new sequencing architecture was designed to scale far beyond conventional sequencing technologies, lower the cost of genomic information and catalyze the next phase of genomics in the 21st century. www.ultimagenomics.com

About Gene by Gene
Gene by Gene is a world leader in genetic testing services with over 20 years of experience. Its laboratory holds accreditation from multiple agencies, including CAP, CLIA, New York State Department of Health, California Department of Public Health, and AABB. With a cutting-edge laboratory and highly trained team of experts, Gene by Gene is committed to excellence in the field of genetic analysis. www.genebygene.com

Contacts
MyHeritage
Margaux Stelman
+972 52-953-4295
pr@myheritage.com

Ultima
Vikki Herrera
408-206-7009
vikki@oakstreetcommunications.com

Gene by Gene
Josie Zohny
jzohny@acmarketingpr.com