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Who Do You Think You Are?

For six weeks in January and February 2006, BBC2 broadcast a series of programmes entitled Who Do You Think You Are?, following celebrities ranging from Jeremy Paxman and Stephen Fry to Sheila Hancock and Jane Horrocks as they traced their family history.

You can find out about archives relating to many of the themes covered by the series by using A2A. Below are some examples. You might like to try other searches too.

Family secrets

F There is a wealth of references to individuals and families in A2A catalogues. These catalogues describe archives created both by individuals and families and by a wide range of organisations (such as local government bodies, courts, businesses, charities and local societies), held in hundreds of record offices and other repositories all over England and in Wales. To get an idea of what is available, go to the standard Search page (use the magnifying glass icon on any A2A page) and enter your surname or the surname of a friend or family member in the Keyword (or Phrase) box. Then click the red Search button.

Your results should be a list of catalogue titles. Click the link to 'hits' to the right of each title to see an extract from the catalogue in question, with your search term highlighted. At the top of each extract, you will see a link to contact details ('To find out more about the archives described below, contact ...') for the repository where the original archives described are held and made available to the public - so you can get in touch with the staff to arrange to visit, or find out if (usually for a small fee) you can order copies or arrange for research to be carried out on your behalf.

Working life

F There are thousands of references to apprenticeship records in A2A catalogues. On the standard Search page, try a Keyword (or Phrase) search, using the NEAR operator and then clicking the red Search button, to find the word "apprenticeship" in the same part of a catalogue as a personal or place name: so, a search on

apprenticeship NEAR3 Jane Jenkinson

finds the description of the 1637 apprenticeship indenture of Jane Jenkinson of Cambridge, with a link to contact details for Cambridgeshire County Record Office where the document is held;

apprenticeship NEAR15 Spittle Boughton

finds the description of apprenticeship indentures dating from 1803 for the city of Chester, including that of John Spencer who was apprenticed to a goldsmith at Spittle Boughton (or Spital Boughton) in the city, with a link to contact details for Cheshire and Chester Archives and Local Studies Service where the documents are held.

For more information on using NEAR and other search operators, see Help with Searching

F Selected archives relating to mining and to the 1980s miners' strike are described in A2A. From the standard Search page, a Keyword (or Phrase) search on

miners strike

finds over 100 catalogues - click the red search button after entering the search text. Your search results are extracts from the catalogues which relate to the 1980s strike and to earlier disputes.

To find whole A2A catalogues rich in information on the 1980s strike (particularly in archives held in Yorkshire) and on earlier labour disputes, click the link to the left of the standard Search page to People, Places and Subjects. In order to search for

Labour disputes

in the 'Subjects' option, scroll down and follow the steps.

Migration

F Many A2A catalogues relate to temporary or permanent migration from England and Wales to other parts of the world, notably India. To search catalogues of archives relating to the British in India before 1948, enter a name (for example, Rai Kashi Ram or James Achilles Kirkpatrick) or other search term in the Keyword (or Phrase) search box, and select

British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

from the 'Location of Archives' drop-down menu before clicking the red Search button. Your results will be extracts from catalogues from the British Library, each with a link to contact details for the Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections department.

F Migration within England and Wales of less well-off individuals and families can often be traced through settlement papers, which are found among the archives of Quarter Sessions courts and of parishes. Before the establishment of the modern social services and benefits system, the Poor Law required the authorities of a parish to be responsible for the support of poor people settled there. Settlement certificates were issued to those who moved to another parish. If the need for support arose, the authorities could make a removal order to send them and their dependents back to their parish of origin, after carrying out an examination (or interrogation) as to their settlement.

Many settlement papers are described in A2A catalogues. On the standard Search page, try this search using the NEAR operator to find the word "settlement" in the same part of a catalogue as a personal name, but only in catalogues of archives in the Eastern Region of England. Enter the text

Johnson NEAR3 settlement

in the Keyword (or Phrase) search box; scroll down to select

Eastern

from the 'English Region' drop-down menu, and click the red Search button. Your second result should be an extract from the catalogue of the parish records of St Margaret, Ipswich. This extract includes a description of the 1734 settlement certificate of Matthias Johnson and his family, originally of Henley-upon-Thames, miles away in Oxfordshire, with a link to contact details for the Ipswich branch of Suffolk Record Office where the document is held.

For more information on using NEAR and other search operators, see Help with Searching

You might also like to try browsing the Quarter Sessions catalogues in A2A to find out about settlement records, among a wealth of other archives (Quarter Sessions were the main judicial and administrative bodies of the English and Welsh counties and some towns from the 16th century onwards). Click the link to the left of the standard Search page to Extended Search. Scroll down and select

Quarter Sessions

from the 'Archive Category' drop-down menu; if you like, restrict your search to archives in a particular region or record office by scrolling up and using the 'English Region' or 'Location of Archives' drop-down menus. Click the red Search button to browse catalogues and see contact details for the record office where the archives they describe are held.

See the A2A Glossary for more information on the Poor Law and the documents it created.

Military history

Some A2A catalogues describe archives relating to the pre-1948 Indian Army, the two World Wars, and to other military topics. Some catalogues describe the personal papers of officers and other ranks in the armed forces.

F To search for records of cadetships in the pre-1948 Indian Army, enter a name (for example, Leggatt, Edward) or other search term in the Keyword (or Phrase) search box, and select

British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

from the 'Location of Archives' drop-down menu before clicking the red Search button. Your results will be extracts from catalogues from the British Library, each with a link to contact details for the Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections department.

F Try searching for personal papers of soldiers using the 'Creator(s) of Archives' option. Click the link to the left of the standard Search page to Extended Search. Scroll down and enter the text

sergeant

in the 'Creator(s) of Archives' search box. Click the red Search button. Amongst the first results should be a catalogue of letters written by Sergeant Harry Hopwood, 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment, to his family during the South African War (1899-1902). This archive is held at the National Army Museum in London, and a link to contact details for the Museum appears in the catalogue. You might also like to search on a surname using the 'Creator(s) of Archives' option.

And finally...

Click here to search A2A (or use the magnifying glass icon on any A2A page), using the examples above or your own search terms. Return to our Family History page and see also New A2A Users for other useful information. You can also visit this guide to resources page on The National Archives' website for more information and links on 'Who Do You Think You Are?'.

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