Findmypast.com.au launches the Anzac Memory Bank

Thousands of new military records added to mark Anzac Day

With Anzac Day fast approaching, Australians and New Zealanders are preparing to reflect on the heroic efforts of their ancestors. To commemorate this important event, leading family history site, findmypast.com.au, has just launched its inaugural Findmypast Anzac Memory Bank and has also added thousands of new military records to its collection. Plus, to commemorate Anzac Day the entire military collection (including the newly released records below) will be available free of charge in the week leading up to Anzac Day (Monday 22 to Friday 26 April, 2013).

The comprehensive military collection includes 3.6 million records from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Britain and the United States. The updated archives will make it easy for Australians and New Zealanders to investigate their family’s past and learn more about their achievements and efforts during Australia’s and New Zealand’s international conflicts. Some of the new records available on findmypast.com.au include:

* Australasian Imperial Expeditionary Forces Roll of Honour — An index to the roll of honour of the soldiers and sailors of Australian Imperial Expeditionary Forces

* New South Wales Roll of Honour — A comprehensive list of the names of service personnel extracted from honour rolls in schools, public halls, clubs and village war memorials across NSW

* New Zealand War Medal Roll — An index of returns of Officers and Men of the Colonial Forces who made applications for the New Zealand War Medal for services before 1866

* New Zealand Boer War Servicemen — A list of New Zealand servicemen who took part in the Boer Wars

The updated military records will be another essential tool for anyone currently using the Anzac Memory Bank available exclusively on findmypast.com.au. The Anzac Memory Bank is a commemorative archive, which contains heroic stories, exclusive photos, and expert information about Australian and New Zealand involvement in all wars and conflicts around the world. Users have shared their own personal and family stories, photos and diary entries so that others can learn what it was like to live through these times of turmoil.

Paul Nixon, military expert from findmypast.com.au, commented: “The updated military records and the online functionality of the Anzac Memory Bank make it easier than ever for Australians and New Zealanders to commemorate the efforts of our bravest men and women. The simplicity and ease of use make findmypast.com.au a fantastic resource for finding out more about your military ancestors.”

Tara McMahon is one of countless Australian and New Zealand descendants who have discovered the phenomenal efforts of their ancestors with findmypast.com.au.  She said of her great uncle:

“Private Francis McMahon of the 10th Lighthorse Division was killed in action on the third wave at the Battle of Hill 60. Witnessing his death was one of Australia’s first Victoria Cross recipients, Lieutenant H.V Throssell. Through findmypast.com.au I found a private letter from Lieutenant H.V Throssell to his commanding officer commending the efforts of my ancestor and three other men who took part in the battle. Lieutenant H.V Throssell spoke about my great uncle for years after the war as he toured Australia recalling the moments resulting in his Victoria Cross award.

“Were it not for findmypast.com.au I would never have known of the exceptional bravery and passion that my great uncle displayed. It fills me with pride to know that one of Australia’s bravest men commends my ancestor for his bravery!”

Photo to the right of Private Francis McMahon Trooper 89 10th Lighthorse.

In addition to the updated records findmypast.com.au and Inside History are thrilled to announce a collaboration to produce an exclusive free digital magazine. The digital magazine will showcase new international historical records as well as providing intriguing case studies from around Australia. The free digital magazine is available on iPad, click here to download.

With even more military records included in the findmypast.com.au archives and a new digital magazine it’s easier than ever before for Australian and New Zealand descendants to uncover the lost history of their ancestors.

Find your Irish ancestors online this St Patrick’s Day

Findmypast.com.au launches Irish Births, Deaths and Marriages records

In the lead up to St Patrick’s Day, the world’s most famous celtic celebration, findmypast.com.au has added new Irish Births, Deaths and Marriages records for people looking to research their Irish ancestry. To celebrate, findmypast.com.au is giving you 50 credits to test this amazing collection. Simply click here, sign in or register, enter the code ‘STPATRICK’, and start searching! You can use these credits on the entire findmypast.com.au World Collection of over 1.5 billion records!

We’ve been busy adding lots of international records to the site. This week we would like to announce the British records just added. In these records you will discover everything from schools registers, dental and medical registers, various directories, police indexes and much more! Search the following recently added useful British records today on findmypast.com.au.

Nether Hallam, Sheffield 1831 Census

Glamorgan Schools Admission Registers

Suffolk Testator Index 1847-1857

GWR Shareholders

Lincolnshire Parish Apprentice Indentures

Corfe Castle and District 1790 census

Land Tax Billingshurst

Medical Register 1913

Manchester Police Index

Manchester Industrial School Registers 1866-1912

Manchester Jewish School Admission Index

Lincolnshire Settlement Examinations

Lincolnshire Settlement Certificates

Thames Watermen & Lightermen 1688-2010

Prestwich Asylum Admissions 1851-1901

Business Index

Dental Surgeons Directory 1925

Bury Workhouse Creed Registers

Dorset Hemp and Flax growers

Pigots Directory of Herefordshire

Freemen of Ipswich

Find your family villains with new online records

Findmypast.com.au has published 2.5 million British criminal records for the first time ever

Use the promotional code ‘criminal‘ for 20 free credits to test this amazing collection out.

Today we launched Britain’s biggest collection of historical criminal records, allowing Australians to uncover any villains lurking in their family trees.

Over 2.5 million records spanning 1770-1934 from The National Archives of the United Kingdom will be easily searchable and provide a wide variety of colour, detail and fascinating social history, chronicling the fate of criminals ranging from fraudsters, counterfeiters, thieves and murderers and their victims.

They contain mugshots, court documents, appeal letters, examples of early Edwardian ‘ASBOs’- where habitual drunks were banned from pubs and entertainment venues - and registers from the prison ‘hulk’ ships, which were used when mainland prisons were overcrowded. One such hulk, the ‘Dolphin’, housed 6,000 prisoners between 1829 and 1835.

There are details of Victorian serial killers including Amelia Dyer, who, between 1880 and 1896, is believed to have murdered 400 babies by strangling them with ribbon and dumping them in the Thames. She was hanged at Newgate Prison in 1896 aged 57.

Another particularly gruesome murderer who appears in the Crime, Prisons and Punishment records is Catherine Webster, who killed widow Julia Martha Thomas, 55. She pushed her down the stairs, then strangled her, chopped up her body and boiled it. Julia’s head was found in David Attenborough’s garden in 2010.

Vicki Dawson, General Manager, findmypast.com.au said: “We have been eagerly anticipating making these records public. It will be an incredible resource for Australians with British heritage links to locate any criminal history in their family tree.

“The records include entire registers containing mugshots of habitual drunks that feature incredible descriptions of criminals’ appearances, demeanour and identifying marks.

“There are also a number of newspaper articles that are available on findmypast.com.au which provide unparalleled detail and show how the crimes were reported when they were committed. This supplements the new criminal records and makes searching through as enjoyable as it is easy, whether you are researching your own family history or are interested in social history.

“These records span several government series and show the evolution of the criminal justice system in the nineteenth century, which shaped Australia’s own judicial system.

“They record the intimate details of hundreds of thousands of people, beginning with judges’ recommendations for or against pardons, to petitions through which criminals and their families could offer mitigating circumstances and grounds for mercy, and later, licences containing everything from previous convictions to the state of a prisoner’s health.

“As well as the Georgian highway robber, the Victorian murderer and the Edwardian thief, the courts often dealt with the rural poacher, the unemployed petty food thief or the early trade unionist or Chartist. The records are a fascinating source for family, local and social historians.”

The information in the records comes from a variety of British Government departments including the Home Office, Prison Commission, Metropolitan Police, Central Criminal Court and the Admiralty. The records from 1817-1931 will be published first followed by the period 1770-1934 in the coming months.

Search the records in this intriguing set of records today:

Home Office: Criminal petitions

Metropolitan Police: Habitual criminals and miscellaneous papers

Admiralty: Convicts in Hulks

Central Criminal Court: Calendars of prisoners

Home Office and Prison Commission: Prisons records

Home Office: Calendar of prisons

We are really pleased to announce that we have new records available. Discover these new records that will help you find out more information about your ancestors from South Australia and Queensland. The records include catholic baptisms, crown land sales and census records.

South Australia Catholic Baptisms 1840-1863

Prior to 1875 parents were under no obligation to register births and Catholics were actively encouraged not to do so. Therefore these early South Australian Catholic baptism records can be useful as Catholics often failed to register births prior to 1875. A loophole in the legislation meant that if a birth was not registered within six months it could no longer be registered and no fine was applicable. In 1874 legislation corrected this problem and parents then faced a fine for failure to register regardless of the time lapse beyond the 42-day window to register a birth.

Search South Australia Catholic Baptisms 1840-1863

1841 South Australia Census

This is an index of the 1841 South Australia Census containing 7000 records. The page numbering outlined in this listing was created after the papers were transferred to the Archives from the Colonial Secretary’s Files held in the Chief Secretary’s Office in 1920. The records were originally held in geographical order.

An attempt has been made to link the names in the census with those in the following material:

• Register of Emigrant Labourers seeking Free Passage 1836–1841

• 1840 SA Directory

• 1841 SA Directory

• SA Births 1842–1906

• SA Marriages 1842–1916

• SA Deaths 1842–1915

• Biographical Index of South Australians 1836–1885 [BISA]

• Hotels and Publicans in South Australia

• Government Gazettes to 1842

This should enable the user to identify some of the occupants in households other than the head. The material in each biography only relates to the circumstances of the family up to the census and therefore later births, deaths etc. are not included. Although this information is useful, please be careful and confirm all material as only the most cursory research has been done.

Search 1841 South Australia Census

Crown Land Sales in Queensland 1842-1861

These records are an index of land sales in Queensland spanning 1842 to 1861. Early records in the database are for lands sold before the separation of Queensland from New South Wales while later records, from December 1859 to February 1861, contain details of lands sold after Queensland became a separate colony.

The 1842-1859 records cover lands sold in what later became Queensland. Details recorded in the register include the date of sale or offer at auction, no. of lot, date of selection, county, parish town or place, area (acres, roods, perches), allotment or portion, section, upset price, realized, amount of purchase money, purchaser, residence and remarks.

The registers covering the 1859-1861 period list the date of sale or offer at auction, no. of lot, date, county, parish town or place, area, allotment or portion, upset price, realized, amount of purchase money, purchaser and residence. Places where sales were conducted are Ipswich, Brisbane, Warwick, Drayton, Rockhampton, Dalby, Maryborough, Gayndah, Callandoon, Condamine, and Gladstone.

Search Crown Land Sales in Queensland 1842-1861

Crown Land Sales in Queensland 1860-1911

These records are an index of land sales in Queensland covering 1860 to 1911. These records have been indexed from material created by the Queensland Lands Department and held at the Queensland State Archives, Brisbane.

The main series indexed are as follows:

• Triplicate Deeds of Grant - Land Purchase A Registers (Series ID 47; formerly SRS 47) – this series starting in 1860 consists of copies of the original Deeds of Grant. The deed may contain information such as deed number, folio number, county, parish, date of purchase, date of surrendered certificate of title and so much more

• Town Lot B Registers (Series ID 46; formerly SRS 46) – this series starting in 1860 consists of deeds issued under various land acts. The information contained on each deeds includes deed number, folio number, county, parish, town, date of purchase, area, plan catalogue number and much more

• Registers of Land Purchase Deeds under Pre-Emptive Right (Series ID 10373; formerly A/66816, A/66817 and A/66818) - Under 1847 regulations, lessees of runs in unsettled districts were allowed to purchase portions of their runs before the leases expired. The regulations were repealed in 1869 – there are just two entries in the database after that date. Information in the registers usually includes the name of the purchaser, residence, the amount paid, the area in acres, county, portion and description.

Search Crown Land Sales in Queensland 1860-1911

Return of Crown Lands 1854

These records are an index of land records in Queensland in 1854. The districts listed in this database include: Albert, Bligh, Burnett, Clarence River, Darling Downs, Gwydir, Lachlan, Liverpool Plains, Lower Darling, Macleay River, Maneroo, Maranoa, McLeay, Moreton, Murrumbidgee, New England, Wellington and Wide Bay.

There are six tables that have been indexed:

(1) Return of Crown Lands held under pasture and promise of lease. The number of stock, as given in this return, for each run, is taken from the assessed grazing capabilities of the runs, as far as they have been returned. The government is not in possession of the number actually depastured.

(2) Return of new runs of Crown Lands, under promise of lease, obtained and rented under accepted tender

(3) Return of adjusted, vacated, and forfeited runs of Crown Lands, rented under accepted tender, and under promise of lease

(4) Return of lands brought within the Settled Districts, and at present held, under Order in Council of 19 June, 1850

(5) Return of leases of runs of Crown Lands beyond the Settled Districts issued

(6) Return of applications to purchase portions of Crown Lands beyond the Settled Districts, showing date of application, number of acres applied for, run of which purchased, date of sale, and amount paid where purchase has been completed

The information provided in each of the six tables is not consistent hence some fields have data in only a small number of entries.

Stories of torpedoes and cannibals - British Newspapers launch on findmypast.com.au
More than 6 million pages of fully-searchable articles spanning over 250 years
Huge variety of Australian and New Zealand news reported

We are happy to announce that more than six million pages from British newspapers, including original images, have been added to our extensive historical records collection. The British newspapers include local and regional titles from England, Scotland and Wales from 1700 to 1950 and encompass nearly 200 titles. The British newspapers are part of an exclusive partnership with the British Library to digitise 40 million pages over the next 10 years.

These fascinating newspapers contain a huge variety of stories about Australia and New Zealand. One article from The Star in 1891, explains the tragedy when four men died following the accidental discharge of a torpedo exploding in Sydney Harbour in 1891. This tragic case occurred when a fireworks show went horribly wrong on ‘show day’ in front of The Governor and Lady Jersey, a large party from Government House and the general public.

Another major story reported in numerous British newspapers in 1835 was the narrow escape of Mrs. Guard and her children from cannibals in New Zealand. The detailed stories tell of a harrowing escape when the family was captured, stripped and dragged to nearby huts. Having been interrupted, the party escape being eaten by natives and lived to tell their story.

“This British Newspaper collection is really significant for people researching their ancestors’ lives. They are also invaluable for those interested in how great events of the past were reported at the time,” said Vicki Dawson, General Manager of findmypast.com.au. “It’s fantastic to discover an image of an original article about an ancestor or to read a description of their life in an obituary. Now our subscribers have access to these valuable records from anywhere in a matter of seconds.”

Learn more about the British Newspaper Collection

• Over 14,000 useful rate payer records

• Published online for the first time

• Really useful for researching your local family history

Family history website findmypast.com.au, together with the Bega Valley Genealogy Society Inc. have been working together to publish over 14,000 rate payer records for the first time online. These records are now on findmypast.com.au and will greatly assist researchers tracing their family history in the Bega Valley Shire area.

In 1884 the Municipality of Bega was formed, and together with the Mumbulla and Imlay Shires both formed in 1907, provided local government of the Bega Valley. All three amalgamated in 1981 to form the Bega Valley Shire Council. It is now one of the largest shires in NSW, ranging from the Victorian border in the South, Cobargo in the North, Benboka and Cathcart in the West and the Pacific Ocean to the East.

The rate indexes include property owners and many occupiers and can show where and when their ancestors lived in the Bega Valley Shire.  It can follow their movements as they changed addresses and will show if they lived in their properties or rented them to others.

Ursula Hunt from the Bega Valley Genealogy Society Inc. commented: “These records are a wonderful resource when searching for information on people from the Bega Valley Shire. These indexes provide information on property owners and occupiers, so are very helpful when gathering important information on your ancestors from this area. Having them on findmypast.com.au is really exciting as they are now much more easily accessible for everyone. “

Search the records now!

Index to Ratepayers & Occupiers 1885-1939, Municipality of Bega, New South Wales

Index to Ratepayers & Occupiers 1907-1953, Mumbulla Shire, Bega, New South Wales

Index to Ratepayers & Occupiers 1907-1958 Imlay Shire, Bega, New South Wales

Ireland Births and Deaths 1864-1958

These Irish birth and death records on findmypast.com.au are an index to civil registration which began in Ireland in 1864. You can order a certificate from The General Register Office. You will need to provide the registration year/quarter, registration district and volume and page number provided in the transcript and pay a fee.

The records cover all 32 counties in Ireland for 1864–1921 and 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland for 1922–1958. The original civil registration districts were based on 160 medical dispensary districts and in many cases cross county boundaries. This means that in certain cases births will be recorded in a county other than where the person lived. You can find a list of the registration districts and their counties for births and deaths.

Ireland Marriages 1845-1958

In 1845 government civil registration of marriages began for non-Catholic marriages and in 1864 for Catholic marriages. These records on findmypast.com.au are an index to these civil registrations. The full records reside in The General Register Office and can be ordered, for a fee, from that office. To order a certificate you will need the registration year/quarter, registration district and volume and page number provided in the transcript.

All non-Catholic Marriages in all 32 counties in Ireland are covered for 1845–1863. For 1864–1921, all marriages in all 32 counties in Ireland and for 1922–1958, all marriages in 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland are covered.

The original civil registration districts were based on 160 medical dispensary districts and in many cases cross county boundaries. This means that in certain cases marriages will be recorded in a county other than where the person lived. We have provided a list of the registration districts and their counties for marriages.

Do you have multiple spouses in your family tree?

We have taken the work out of searching the Index of Ireland Marriages. Our flexible search allows you to search for a married couple using first names. This is particularly useful in cases when the bride’s maiden name is unknown. Use the ‘What Else?’ box at the start of your search, or the Spouse Forename/Spouse Surname boxes on the left hand side after choosing the Ireland Marriages record set.

Our search matches people found on the same page of a register (volume). Your ancestor is listed alongside several possible spouses. This does not mean that your ancestor married each of these people! Instead this extremely useful function allows you to match spouses more easily, especially in cases where a spouse’s first name is all that is known, or both spouses have very common surnames, or where the precise year or registration district is not known.

Findmypast.com.au just added 21 million new Irish Birth, Death and Marriage records (1800s – 1950s) to its already extensive collection of historical records.

“The addition of 21 million new birth, marriage and death records to our website means we will now have more than 60 million Irish records on our website, including census and parish records,” said Vicki Dawson, General Manager of findmypast.com.au. “There has never been a better time for people to explore and discover the details of the lives of their Irish ancestors.”

Births, deaths and marriages are central events in peoples’ lives and people researching their family history can use these to develop their family tree.  Findmypast.com.au carries the most detailed and thorough collection of Irish records ever seen in one place – providing a fascinating insight into Ireland’s history and making Irish family research easier and more accessible than ever before.

Findmypast is a proud partner of The Gathering Ireland, a year-long celebration in 2013 of Ireland and all things Irish.

The Ireland birth, death and marriage collection is also available across all international findmypast sites as part of a World subscription:

www.findmypast.ie

www.findmypast.co.uk

www.findmypast.com

For more information:

- Follow findmypast.com.au on twitter

- “Like” findmypast.com.au on Facebook for exclusive competitions and offers

The Green Redcoats

• Military record found of “Green Redcoat” Hugh Burke shot in the Battle of New Orleans (1815)

• Part of a collection of almost 20,000 new soldiers’ records published

• First major coordinated release across the findmypast family of international sites

Records of an Irish soldier, Private Hugh Burke, one of the so-called “Green Redcoats”, have been published online today for the first time by leading family history site findmypast.com.au. These records are part of a major collection of newly-digitised records of those pensioned from the British army by the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

The records, including those from the Royal Hospital Chelsea and those of Imperial Yeomanry from the War Office, represent the first major coordinated release across the findmypast family of international sites after it launched its world collection in August.

These records contain the names and discharge documents of almost 20,000 soldiers held at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham from 1783-1822. The task of cataloguing the records took a team of 14 people from the Friends of The National Archives volunteer group just over 3 years and includes the records of 19,109 soldiers. The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the building that now houses the Irish Museum of Modern Art, was established in 1681 to house sick and veteran troops from the British Army.

The records show details of soldiers, including their height, weight, colour of hair and eyes and any distinguishing features such as a tattoo or scar, as well as where they served and their regiment.

Among them is Private Hugh Burke from Wicklow, who was pensioned from the army on the 26 June 1816 after four years’ service.  He was deemed unfit for further service after receiving “a gunshot wound to the left shoulder received in action near New Orleans in America on the 8th of January 1815.”

The Battle of New Orleans is famous because it was the last major battle between the British and American forces in the War of 1812 and was fought after a peace treaty had already been signed. The Treaty of Ghent, which signalled the end of the war, came into effect at the start of February 1815 but due to slow communications the news did not reach New Orleans until two weeks later. Unfortunately for Private Hugh Burke this left him with “a mark on each side of his left shoulder” - entry and exit wounds from the bullet.

Brian Donovan, a family historian from findmypast said: “The number of Irish men who fought in the British army was extensive and these records allow us to glimpse the lives and careers of these soldiers. What makes the Kilmainham series so exciting is how far in time they stretch back. There is detailed information about rank and file soldiers born before 1750, about the regiments they served with, where they travelled, and injuries received. Scanned in colour, indexed and published online for the first time, these records are a fantastic addition to the findmypast collection.”

William Spencer, military expert at the National Archives added: “Many soldiers born in Ireland served in the British Army from the 18th-20th centuries yet the careers of these brave men have been hidden amongst some fragile and complex records. The digitisation of the Kilmainham papers in WO 119, will at last provide access to the brave men of Ireland.”

The Royal Hospital Kilmainham pension records are part of a larger collection of military discharge documents today released by findmypast including:

• Royal Hospital, Kilmainham: pensioners’ discharge documents 1771-1821 (known as WO 119 at the National Archives)
• Royal Hospital, Chelsea: pensioners’ discharge documents 1760-1887 (WO 121)
• Royal Hospital, Chelsea: pensioners’ discharge documents, foreign regiments 1816-1817 (WO 122)
• War Office: Imperial Yeomanry, soldiers’ documents, South African War 1899-1902 (WO 128)
• Royal Hospital, Chelsea: documents of soldiers awarded deferred pensions 1838-1896 (WO 131)