Discover your family story

David Annal explains how a small percentage of census returns have been lost, damaged or destroyed over time, and how to establish whether a return we struggle to find has actually suffered this fate

Family Tree recently worked with Findmypast to bring you a special webinar demonstrating how newspapers can help us understand the people behind the records – their voices, their choices, and the world they lived in.

What do you do when the paper trail for an ancestor suddenly dries up? Where did they go? What happened to them? How will you solve this family history mystery? Phil Isherwood provides some useful strategies for tracking down those elusive ancestors who appear to have completely disappeared from the records.

Transform your research into a treasured family story on this innovative, interactive family history course. Over five in-depth video recordings, tutor Carole McCulloch will share practical steps you can implement to build your family history project and tell your family story, all with the assistance of AI tools.

While internet search engines are invaluable for tracking down new leads, a directory of resources can save you time. This directory features websites of use to family historians, organised by topic.

Understand the military records of your ancestors with this comprehensive list of military acronyms, covering the British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and military medical terms.

How can a family history program help you? Read on to learn how leading UK family history software Family Historian, version 7, from Calico Pie, can help you as you work on your genealogy. Guide by Phil Isherwood.

The recording of the March Family Tree Brickwalls Club meeting, at which researcher David Ryan spoke about the steps to take, to ensure you are best-prepared to make the most of the forthcoming 1926 Census.

View the recording of the March Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Professor Tom Licence spoke about the story the Bayeux Tapestry tells, the events which it depicts, and the people who feature in it, in an interview with Helen Tovey.

Join Family Tree Plus and enjoy impartial expert advice, easy-to-follow tutorials, and friendly support so you can research your family history with confidence. Find out more about the popular online membership in our special guide.

Are you looking for a way to share your family history findings with family and friends? Writing down your discoveries is a great way for relatives to enjoy your family history now, and in the future. Our step-by-step plan takes you from the planning stage through to a written family history you will be proud to share.

View the recording of the February Family Tree Brickwalls, Skills & Solutions Club webinar, at which Nathan Dylan Goodwin took us behind the scenes of The Hop-picker Murders, in an interview with Helen Tovey, and spoke about both the nuts and bolts of doing thorough, research, and the skills needed to weave an evocative, exciting story inspired by real people, lives and events.

Discover how to use maps as a key part of your family history research to plot where your ancestors lived and worked, to discover crucial clues and to make so much more sense of your family history findings. Using historical maps is a truly useful way to visualise the evidence, identify clues - and find research solutions.

View the recording of the February 2026 Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Steve Roberts presented on the topic of the royals from the time of King Alfred the Great, through to recent generations.

View the recording of the January 2026 Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Julie Johnson spoke on the subject of bigamy and the reasons why our ancestors resorted to it.

View the recording of the December Family Tree DNA club webinar

View the recording of the December Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Wayne Shepheard presented on the topic of occupations, once the employment of many, particularly in London, that are no longer practiced

View the recording of the December Family Tree Bonus webinar, The Letter of the Law, with David Annal

View the recording of the November Family Tree Brickwalls, Skills & Solutions Club webinar, at which Kathie Ross took us on a tour of Reunion for Mac & iOS.

View the recording of the November Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Patricia Sears presented on the topic of her research into the tough, cramped living conditions in an East London Victorian slum/

View the recording of the October Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Julie Johnson tutored us in story-telling - using genealogical research and historical records, to bring to light the voices from the workhouse that history often overlooks.

If your house is more than a few years old, the chances are you’ll have wondered who used to live there, what it used to look like and how the area has changed. Discover how to uncover clues that can tell you when your house was built, who lived there before you and even what stood there before it was built in our house history guide.

View the recording of the SeptemberFamily Tree Study Club meeting, at which genealogical researcher and therapist Celia Heritage discussed how delving deeper into our family history can enable us to process ancestral trauma.

Legacy Family Tree is a popular choice among genealogists, offering powerful tools to build, manage and explore your family tree. In this review, genealogist, author and presenter Wayne Sheapheard takes a look at the software's key features and whether it’s the right fit for your research needs.

View the recording of the August Family Tree Brickwalls, Skills & Solutions Club webinar, at which Claire Bradley took us on a tour of family history software, RootsMagic.

View the recording of the July Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Julie Johnson spoke about a little-known story ‘The Akhenam Burial Case’ and its wide-reaching impact on burial laws.

Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting your family tree, choosing the right family history software can make all the difference. In this detailed review, professional genealogist Claire Bradley explores what RootsMagic offers, how it performs, and how it compares to other software available to genealogists.

View the recording of the Bonus webinar Discover Your Victorian Criminal Ancestors: Online Masterclass with Dr. Dean

View the recording of the June Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which Janna Helshtein spoke on the topic of your chance to leave more than data—leave yourself. Discover how to turn memories into meaning, and presence into legacy. Because no one can tell your story better than you.

View the recording of the May Family Tree Study Club meeting, at which at which Linda Broenniman spoke about: the box of family papers that survived a housefire, her quest to find the truth, and the book she