Nurture your family tree with thousands of new global records

3-4 minute read

By Jessie Ohara | October 28, 2022

Nurture your family tree with thousands of new global records

Take your research from 17th-century Pennsylvania to Canada in the First World War.

If your ancestors have a history of global migration, it could be more difficult than you'd like to pin them down. But don't give up - this week, we've released births, baptisms and honour rolls, all from the US and Canada. Read on for everything that's new.

Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Births & Baptisms

We've added over 20,000 new births and baptisms to this collection, all from Indiana County.

Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Births & Baptisms

A snippet from this collection. View this record here.

These records span all the way from 1660-1992, meaning you could discover both your more recent forbears and those who lived four or five generations ago. They will give you the standard biographical information you'd expect for a birth or baptism record - name, birth year, parents' names, and so forth. Make sure to check the original image with this collection, though. Some records will have details such as the names of godparents, who were often close friends or family, and some even have longer biographies of certain people.

Canada, McGill University Honour Roll, 1914-1918

This brand-new collection commemorates the graduates of McGill University in Quebec, Canada, who gallantly served in the First World War.

A snippet from this collection. View this record here.

A snippet from this collection. View this record here.

It was common practice for universities and colleges across Britain, Canada and the United States to document and commemorate students who served in military engagements through an honour roll.

These records will give a rich summary of your ancestor's military experience, how long they served in the military for, any honours they received, and often details of their rank or rating. You may also find information on their academic experience, including the years they were at university for, and the subjects they studied.

Canada, McGill University Honour Roll, 1914-1918

Photos from this collection. View this page here.

If the soldier was killed during a military engagement, you are more likely to find a photograph of them, and a longer biography. This could give you a further glimpse into the lives of these soldiers and help you connect more poignantly to your military heritage.

From Brent to British Guiana

We've added over half a million newspaper pages this week from all across the globe. The Official Gazette of British Guiana, one of our new titles this week, offers a vivid snapshot of life in a colonial world. It is name-heavy, often dropping the names of British civil servants or those involved in mining operations.

The Official Gazette of British Guiana, title page, 1918.

The Official Gazette of British Guiana, title page, 1918.

Amid reports of Indian emigrants being sent to plantations, the selling of natural resources, and militia notices, it is a truly arresting glance into the White successes - and the atrocities that entailed for indigenous populations and non-White immigrants - throughout the colonial era.

If you're searching for news more locally, however, fret not: we have nine other new titles, and 75 updated titles. Just give the list below a glance over, head to our newspaper archive, and filter by title.

New titles:

Updated titles:

If you just can't get enough, make sure to join us at 4pm UK time on Facebook, where every Friday we go live and take you through each release, showcase any new product features, and answer all your wonderful questions.

Share this article

About the author

Picture of Jessie O'Hara - Brand Marketing AssistantJessie O'Hara

Related articles recommended for you

taylor swift ancestry

Taylor Swift’s family tree shines with love, heartbreak and the triumph of the human spirit

Discoveries

king charles iii family tree

Who's who on King Charles III's family tree?

Build Your Family Tree

Here's how to research the double-barrelled surnames in your family tree

Help Hub

Unleashing the power of ChatGPT in family history research

Help Hub