Here’s something the others can’t match. The MyHeritage website is now fully available in 50 languages
The newly added languages are Albanian, Basque, Bosnian, Georgian, Icelandic, Irish, Luxembourgish, Maltese, and Welsh. There are now localized domains for these languages, so users are automatically served the most relevant version of the site.
Find out more on the company blog.
Join Saturday’s online meeting by registering, which covers both events.
Who Pays the Piper? Wills and Testaments of Scottish Musicians 1513-1800 / 9 a.m. EST
Presenter: Robert Urquhart, a retired archivist from Fife.
Family historians sometimes think wills and testaments were only made by the wealthy, but many were registered in Scottish courts for people of “small estate,” including pipers and other musicians. This presentation uses examples to explain will and testament terminology and to show how these records reveal details of the lives and families of pipers, drummers, trumpeters, minstrels, and others.
“It All Started with Some Buttons… Looking for a Stewart Piper” / 10 a.m. EST
Presenter: Susan Reany Iskra, a keen genealogist from Dryden
While visiting family in England some years ago, Susan Reany Iskra was shown a set of buttons and told of a connection to a Stewart piper at Drummond Castle. These buttons were the starting point for a research journey that Susan will share in her presentation, covering her search, the processes she used, the resources she consulted, and what she learned about this piper in 19th-century Scotland.
I stumbled across this ad for 50% off Ancestry.ca until 12 January. It’s undoubtedly for “new” subscribers only.
Find the details here.
The National Library of Scotland was quick off the mark, putting online 9,851 maps at scales of 1:1,250 to 1:10,560 published in 1975. They came out-of-copyright on 1 January 2026.
These maps cover areas in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and include 2,872 more detailed maps at scales of 1:1,250, 6,281 maps at 1:2,500, and 699 less detailed maps at scales of 1:10,000/1:10,560 . A graphic index includes these new maps published in 1975. These are usually the most detailed, basic scales of Ordnance Survey maps for these areas.
Check here if you missed any recent additions.
Legacy is starting 2026 with a four-presentation marathon. I missed the post so the first two are already over, but available for the next 7 days.
11:30 am – Archive and AI: A Comprehensive Review, by Thomas MacEntee.
12:45 pm – Human-Led Research Planning in the Sally Keaton Case, by Nicole Elder Dyer
2:00 pm – ChatGPT: Unravelling Family History with AI, by Diane Henriks
3:30 pm – From Problem to Solution: A Case Study Approach to Using AI in Genealogy, by Andrew Redfern.
They’re all free. Register at https://familytreewebinars.com/upcoming-webinars/
Keynote speakers for RootsTech 2026 are set. I hope you’re at least as excited as I am.
Marlee Matlin—Award–winning actor and deaf rights advocate
Tara Roberts—Author, historian, and National Geographic Ocean Explorer
Steve Young—Record-setting American football player, philanthropist, and business leader
The Gardiner Brothers—Irish dance world champions and TikTok superstar
José Hernández—Scientist, engineer, author, and NASA astronaut
Jessica Soho—Award-winning journalist and host of the most popular news program in the Philippines
Zico—Legendary soccer player and coach from Brazi.
For further information and registration, go to RootsTech. It’s free and online, 5-7 March 2026.
These updates, to the Historical Records catalogue, just this year, span centuries of English vital records and parish registers.
National Collections:
There are no images for these.
County-Specific Updates:
Each has a link to an image of the original
There are no additions to the Full Text Search collection for the UK, Ireland or Canada this year.
That’s a wrap for Yuletide R&R for another year; going out on a high note.
MyHeritage has expanded its genealogical offerings with the release of two passenger list collections on 2 January 2026. While these records have been available through Ancestry and Findmypast, their presence on MyHeritage provides another access point for researchers.
The United Kingdom and Ireland, Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1890-1960, contains over 23 million records of individuals departing from UK and Irish ports, while the Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960, document arrivals with more than 15 million records. Records typically include names, birth dates or ages, residences, departure and arrival details, and vessel names. Record images are linked.
While this doesn’t represent newly discovered historical material, it does represent increased accessibility—a straightforward expansion that offers convenience for researchers already working within MyHeritage’s platform.
Note that this is based on information posted by MyHeritage; I was unable to test the collections. At the time of writing, there was an issue with the MyHeritage website, including problems entering information into the search box. Patience.
Miscellaneous items I found interesting this week.
Latest MyHeritage news, not in the review, is that parent company, the private equity firm Francisco Partners, hired Jefferies in late 2025 to explore a potential sale of the genealogy giant for around $1 billion, testing an exit strategy after acquiring it in 2021 for $600 million.
The January 2026 appointments to the Order of Canada include 63 individuals across three levels: 6 Companions (C.C.), 15 Officers (O.C.), and 42 Members (C.M.). While the Order aims to reflect the “tapestry of Canadian life,” an analysis of the 2026 list reveals several distinct patterns and biases:
Based on population, there is a significant over-representation of individuals from Ontario and British Columbia. The North. Quebec and the Prairies are under-represented.
The list leans heavily toward “elite” professions. A large majority of the recipients hold PhDs, MDs, or Law degrees and are affiliated with major research universities.
The Order of Canada often recognizes lifetime achievement, which naturally skews toward older demographics.
The 2026 list shows a conscious effort toward inclusivity compared to historical cohorts, though some gaps remain.
5. Philanthropy
A notable presence as a primary or secondary reason for appointment.
Genealogy
Alamin Proton Rahman, is appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. A renowned genomics expert and Memorial University professor, he is transforming arthritis care in Canada. Notably, he created the Newfoundland Genealogy Database to trace genetic disease links across generations. As a provincial scientific advisor, he played a key role in shaping Newfoundland and Labrador’s COVID-19 response, and in advancing public health and medical research.
In the UK New Year Honours, the British Empire Medal was awarded to William Macfarlane Lawson, Genealogist, for services to the community in the Western Isles.
The British Association for Local History presents a talk exploring the research behind the Historic Towns Trust’s London on the Eve of the Great Fire project. Find out how historians reconstruct the city’s built environment just before 1666. It offers insight into the sources, methods and challenges involved in mapping streets, buildings and placenames across the early modern metropolis.
Blackadder – the making of the final scene
Thanks to the following individuals for their comments and tips: Anonymous, Alison, Basil Adam, Brenda Turner, Charles Godwin, Christine Jackson, Dianne Brydon, Gail, John Estano DeRoche, Nancy Cutway, Teresa, Sunday Thompson, Victor Badian, Unknown.
A unique interpretation.
