Here’s what I saw recently while browsing the True Crime section at Waterstones in Basingstoke, England.

There, displayed face out, was The Bermondsey Murders, a book by Dr Angela Buckley. I’d offered to introduce her at BIFHSGO’s online conference, so naturally I had to purchase. I’m glad I did, as it took me only about a day to finish it – every chapter. That’s unusual; with most books, I rarely read beyond the first two chapters. That’s why I love the public library.

Angela will be presenting Family Felons: Uncovering the Criminal Past. Crime, even murder, touched the lives of ordinary people who struggled to survive in a harsh and challenging landscape, whether as victims, witnesses, perhaps in the huge crowd at a hanging, or even wrongdoers. Using a mix of case studies, archival sources, and practical research advice, she will examine the lives and social conditions of our criminal ancestors, the range of offences they may have committed, and how the criminal justice system evolved over time.

Her talk is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, just before the Expert Connect session, followed by popular author Nathan Dylan Goodwin’s presentation on Finding Henry.

You won’t want to miss those. Check out the other presentations on Saturday, 18 October, particularly Peter Higginbotham on The History of the Workhouse, and Sunday morning at https://www.bifhsgo.ca/program-and-schedule where you’ll find a link to register.

Before everything else, let me mention that the weather cooperated throughout the two weeks I was in England. On a couple of days, there were brief periods of very light rain, more like drizzle. I was lucky; there was plenty of water flowing downstream for these folks working up a sweat at Henley-on-Thames.

My first research stop was a day-trip to London’s Hackney Archives. Most people think of the London Archives (formerly the LMA) when researching London ancestors. There are genealogical treasures to be found at London’s borough archives, too.

To get there, I travelled from Waterloo Station via the Jubilee Line, changing at Canada Water to the Windrush Overground. Then it was eight stops with familiar East End names to Dalston Junction station, which is steps from the combined library and archives building.  After I completed the brief formalities and paid (no cash accepted) for unlimited use of my cellphone camera, I was set up at a table where my preordered material, copies of The Review, the unofficial magazine of Hackney Downs School, was waiting for me. The facility was well used, with a continual buzz of activity. It took only a couple of hours to complete my research, enough time for a late sandwich lunch in a nearby park and to walk over to a cemetery where two ancestors are buried.

Birmingham Library and Archives was an overnight trip, although it turned out  I could have completed the research in a day. New Street Station and my hotel were within comfortable walking distance of the archives. It’s in a new facility since the last time I was there, when you had to climb a dizzying spiral staircase to get to some of the holdings. Once again, my pre-ordered materials, including annual reports and meeting minutes for Saltley (Teacher Training) College, were waiting for me at a table with a comfortable chair and plenty of indirect natural light. I found I needed material from earlier than I’d ordered. Staff were able to retrieve those within 10 minutes – not the days it can take at Library and Archives Canada.

My final research stop was Great Yarmouth Library, which had relocated to a former department store since my last visit. Once again, although I’d not ordered in advance, they were able to retrieve the street directories I wanted within 10 minutes. With the directory information, I was able to pinpoint precisely where I was on 4 December 1950.

Overall, I was happy with the archival research facilities. The only negative aspect was the payment required for using your camera at both Hackney and Birmingham. For one day, it was acceptable, but it would be different if your research were ongoing. I did find everything expensive, but my frame of reference for what things should cost in the UK is a bit dated!

Jet lag is the bane of enjoying a vacation in Europe, which is why I’ve not ventured to Australasia. My second night back was better, if being wide awake at 4 am is better!

Here’s a breakdown of the new records added to Findmypast in the past three weeks, including this week, organized by the date they were posted.

September 19

The middle of September brought a major update for anyone with Scottish and northern English ancestry. Over 12,000 new marriage records and more than 1,500 baptism records were added to the Scotland Roman Catholic Parish collections, both covering the years 1881-1934. Additionally, over 63,000 directory entries from 1829-2016 were added to the Scotland Roman Catholic Directories.

For those with academic ancestors in England, almost 15,000 new records were added to the Edge Hill University Student Records, covering students from 1885-1947.

September 26

The focus shifted to London with some significant updates. Over 122,000 new records were added to the Greater London Burial Index, extending its coverage from 1530 to 1812. The London, Archdeaconry Court of London Wills Index also saw an update with over 1,200 new entries from 1570-1582.

October 3

The latest updates include new records for Middlesex and Suffolk. The Middlesex Baptisms collection has over 900 new records (1657-1841). In Suffolk, over 5,300 Coroners’ Inquest Records are now searchable, covering 1767 to 1921.

Newspapers

Here’s a compilation of all the newspaper pages added over the three weeks.

I’m back home and thoroughly jet-lagged after two fantastic weeks of archival research in England. It was a memorable experience. I’ll share some of the highlights in a future post.

But for now, I’ll do a quick catch-up on genealogy news I missed while I was away, starting with Ancestry.

NEW UK Collection:

• UK, Death Notices, 1980-2022: The database is an index of information from death notices, funeral notices, obituaries, and memorials published in the UK. While it doesn’t include images of the original documents, it serves as a great starting point, providing names, ages, and dates of birth and death, as well as places of birth and death. The information can point you to the time and place to search for other sources about the person’s life and family.

Updated UK and Canadian Collections:

• Web: UK, Register of Railway Employee Injuries and Deaths, 1880-1939: If you have an ancestor who worked on the railways in the UK, this is a database you’ll definitely want to check out. The newly updated collection from the “Railway Work, Life & Death” project contains details on railway worker accidents. Records can include the individual’s name, age, job title, and the company for which they worked, as well as details about the accident itself.
• UK and Ireland Obituary Index, 2004-Current: This index has been updated to include information from online obituaries published in the UK and Ireland. It’s a great resource for finding more recent family history details, as obituaries often provide information not found in other records, like names of living relatives, military service, or hobbies and activities.
• Canada, Obituary Collection, 1898-Current: Canadian researchers will be pleased to know this database has been updated with over 12 million records. The amount of information compiled from various online sources and newspapers can be a goldmine for finding details about your ancestors and their family connections.

A significant new batch of historical documents has been added to the Canadiana Heritage collection, a mix of monographs and serials. For anyone doing family history research in Ontario, the most exciting additions are the numerous illustrated historical atlases. These are not just maps; they’re rich with detail, often including:

Property owner names: These atlases can help you pinpoint the exact location of your ancestors’ land.
Business listings: You can discover what businesses your family members ran or where they worked.
Biographical sketches: Some atlases contain short biographies of prominent residents, which may include details about your family’s history.

The newly added atlases, many from Beldon, cover a wide range of Ontario counties, including:
Bruce County (1880)
Brant County (1875)
Elgin County (1877)
Grey County (1880)
Haldimand County (1879)
Kent County (1881)
Lambton County (1880)
Lanark County (1880)
Middlesex County (1878)
Norfolk County (1877)
Oxford County (1972 reprint of 1876 edition)
Peel County (1877)
Perth County (1879)
Simcoe County (1881)
Victoria County (1881)
Waterloo County (1881)
Wellington County (1877)
Wentworth County (1875)
York County (1878)

Also find two volumes of The Development of Transportation in Modern England, published in 1916. Plus, volumes 2 -5 of The New Practical Reference Library from 1913, published in Toronto and Chicago. It’s organized alphabetically with major Canadian content, although the authors were US-based.

Not yet available, but coming soon, are two serials, the London evening advertiser (1922-1929) and the London morning advertiser (1926-1929).

Expect no postings to the blog for a couple of weeks. I’m doing real archival research.

How do you feel about AI altering a family photo?

You want to see what your ancestors looked like, including any blemishes.

But they didn’t!

How deceived might you be?

From the earliest days, photographers used pencils, brushes, and etching tools directly on the glass plate negative to soften wrinkles, lighten skin blemishes, or sharpen outlines.

Later, retouching became a standard studio practice. Skilled specialized “retouchers” (often women) worked on negatives to smooth complexions, slim faces, or brighten eyes.

From the 1920, with roll film and gelatin silver prints, airbrushing became common.

Here’s what the Ottawa Daily Citizen of Monday, July 6, 1874, included in an article, Artistic Photography in Ottawa, about the Notman (later Topley) Studio.

A skillful retoucher who takes out all markings in the face, softens all lines and makes folks “beautiful for ever.” ‘This is indeed one of the most interesting departments in the establishment. To compare the rough proof with the finished print, it seems almost incredible that both are from the same negative.

AI may only be doing what a retoucher would do. Mild application of AI may be just another step in the progression (of deceit)? If it is mild, why acknowledge AI involvement? We don’t expect to see an acknowledgement of the retoucher’s work. Perhaps the photographer’s studio logo on the print serves as an acknowledgement that it has (likely) been retouched. 

But AI may go much further. Where do you draw the line?

Effective 24 September, Library and Archives Canada is changing logon procedures. Here’s the information as posted on their website.

I have asked LAC whether this is 2FA, what the impact will be on non-Canadian clients outside Canada and on Canadians travelling abroad who may not have access to their phone or text accounts.

UPDATE

The following is in response to my query to LAC.
Non-Canadians will be able to access their LAC account using the GCKey option – all that is required is a valid email address in order to receive a verification code that is sent via email. If you do not already have a GCKey, you will be able to create one during the log in process. Additional information, including a step-by-step guide will be made available online after the 24^th. Information for preparing for this transition can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/corporate/updates/2025/online-services-new-authentication.html

It’s the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. The issue uncovers how the railways shaped our ancestors’ lives and the free resources that can help trace their employment.

Explore the little-known pre-1841 censuses, gain fresh insights into DNA testing, and discover records stretching back a thousand years.

Also find expert guidance on British Army research, thoughtful discussion on the responsibilities of family historians, and reviews of top family tree software.

TheGenealogist has released the Sussex Lloyd George records in partnership with The National Archives, bringing together the Valuation Office Survey field books (“Lloyd George Domesday”) and georeferenced historical maps for Sussex in a single, searchable resource.

A free search will reveal the occupier’s name, ward, and parish in the early 1910s. Click through to the corresponding survey book entry for details such as ownership/occupancy, property description and assessed value available to subscribers.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Liberal Democracy is in Danger
From Dan Gardner.

Research the origins and distribution of your surname

Canadians made three million fewer trips to the U.S. during summer: The Canadian travel backlash has hurt key U.S. tourism destinations, notably Las Vegas.

On Working with Wizards
The latest from Ethan Mollick

Ancestry adds Australian Police Gazettes.
New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes,1862-1938
Victoria, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1925-1933
Queensland, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1864-1945
Nearly 3 million records in total with fascinating details you never knew before, or maybe wanted to know! How else would I know my distant cousin of 137 Hoddle Street, Richmond, had a gent’s black Holland bicycle stolen from Lygon-street on 22nd September, 1932!

Pedents
Foot soldiers in the War on Error,
they’re here to save us from ourselves,
with Fowler’s Modern English Usage
(first edition, nineteen twelve).

They scrutinise each word we write
for typos, gaffes, et cetera,
correcting all our dumb mistakes
to make our grammar betterer.

They sigh and tut and tell us off
for the rules we have forsaken
and chart this nation’s steep decline
by the care we should of taken.

Custodians of the King’s English,
they merely serve to keep it pure
and restrict, they hope, the ignorant
to three mistakes or less.

In doing so, they hold no fear
they will deprive a thing of life:
for it’s not important what is said,
what matters is that its right.

Brian Bilston

Thanks to the following for comments and tips: Anonymous, Barbara May Di Mambro, Brenda Turner, Gail, Patti M., Teresa, and Unknown.