BRITISH RESEARCH: A TREASURE TROVE OF HELP AND SUPPORT

Tracing your British ancestry has never been more accessible. Thanks to digitization, online communities, and global outreach, millions of records are now at your fingertips—whether you’re just beginning or diving into advanced research.

ESSENTIAL ONLINE RESOURCES:

·        FamilySearch.org – Free access to millions of records, including census, vital, probate, and military collections.

·        FindMyPast – A subscription site specializing in British and Irish records, with exclusive parish registers and newspapers.

·        Ancestry – Extensive databases and digitized collections, plus a growing library of free online instructional videos.

·        MyHeritage – A powerful platform offering DNA testing and a wide range of digitized records, including many collections relevant to English ancestors.

·        TheGenealogist.co.uk & British Newspaper Archive – Perfect for niche records, newspapers, and contextual research.

·        Archive.org – A hidden gem with thousands of digitized parish registers, books, and historical resources freely available online.

·        YouTube – A surprisingly rich resource, with genealogy channels, conference recordings, and tutorials on British research.

RESEARCH SUPPORT & COMMUNITY:

·        FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and Family History Centers worldwide provide expert assistance and access to subscription databases.

·        FamilySearch Community Pages and Facebook genealogy groups connect you with fellow researchers who share tips and answer questions.

·        FamilySearch Research Wiki offers country, county, and parish-level guidance, helping you understand what records exist and how to use them effectively.

LEARNING TOOLS:

FamilySearch hosts dozens of instructional videos and webinars, from beginner guides to advanced topics like probate records.

Ancestry provides free online video tutorials, making it easier to learn how to navigate their collections.

YouTube expands the learning landscape with thousands of genealogy-focused videos, including lectures by experts, tutorials on record sets, and even recordings of major genealogy conferences.

BEYOND ONLINE RECORDS:

Digitization has transformed access, but don’t forget the treasures still in archives, libraries, and local repositories. Parish registers, probate files, and newspapers continue to be digitized, yet many gems remain in physical collections waiting to be discovered.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Researching at the FamilySearch Library is an unforgettable experience, but technology now allows us to explore, share, and connect from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re uncovering a census record, watching a free instructional video, or browsing parish registers on Archive.org, the resources available today make British genealogy more exciting than ever.

Start exploring your British roots today—visit FamilySearch, FindMyPast, Ancestry, MyHeritage, Archive.org, or YouTube, connect with the genealogy community online, and share the stories you uncover.

Learning Spotlight: Ongoing Education

Researching family history is more than just accessing records—it’s about learning how to interpret them, connect the dots, and tell the stories. Two standout platforms for ongoing education are:

Ancestry Family History Learning Hub – A dedicated space with free tutorials, guides, and videos to help researchers of all levels. Whether you’re just starting out or refining advanced techniques, the hub offers structured learning that complements their record collections.

YouTube Genealogy Channels – A surprisingly rich resource, with thousands of videos from experts, societies, and conferences. You’ll find everything from beginner tips on English parish records to advanced methodology sessions. A deep dive here can uncover lectures, tutorials, and even full conference recordings.

Quick Links: Here are direct links to the resources mentioned above:

FamilySearch	TheGenealogist ($)
FindMyPast ($)	British Newspaper Archive ($)
Ancestry ($)	Archive.org Parish Records
MyHeritage ($)	YouTube Genealogy Channels
Ancestry Family History Learning Hub

MyHeritage's DeepStory: A Genealogist's Reflection on a ByGone Tool

"DeepStory"

A funny thing happened on my way to adding a link to my DeepStory creation featuring one of my ancestors—it had vanished! I searched high and low, knowing I’d just added new photos and updated details for her to narrate on June 4th. This was all in my preparation for a presentation on using AI in genealogy and family history, I wanted to showcase it as a promising, creative way to share an ancestor’s story. But now I was facing the classic tech mystery: “Where did it go?”

So I reached out to Daniel Horowitz, the genealogy expert at MyHeritage, hoping he’d point me toward a workaround or hidden button I’d missed. Instead, his response came with a gentle letdown: "I am sorry to tell you the DeepStory feature was ‘sundown’ recently. If you created videos with it, you can find them under the profile of the person or the photo area. No new DeepStories can be created." It felt like losing a beloved tool from my storytelling toolbox—one that gave ancestors a voice, even if through synthesized speech and curated slideshows. The stories I’d helped shape weren’t gone, thankfully, but the chance to breathe new life into others had quietly closed behind a digital curtain.

Naturally, I was deeply upset. The possibility of revisiting my DeepStory through her profile offered a flicker of hope—a chance to reconnect with the voice and essence I had carefully crafted. But when I arrived at her page, I found only the script: the words she would have spoken, now stranded without breath or motion. The video itself had vanished. The disappointment settled in not just as a technical inconvenience, but as a personal loss and one I had recommended to fellow genealogists and shared with family. 

While on the profile page of my ancestor, I noticed MyHeritage had introduced the AI Biographer™. I gave it a try—hoping it might fill the void left by DeepStory. It did offer some intriguing insights and layered in historical context, which is always helpful, however, DeepStory allowed for a voice for our ancestors. I urge you revisit your creations. My heartfelt concern is that we were never notified. A tool with such emotional weight deserves a respectful farewell—not a silent vanishing. Technology many evolve, but the stories we craft deserve continuity and care. A simple notice and backup notice would have made all the difference. While we are grateful to have had the tool, we know that history doesn't vanish, it waits to be retold and we have to adapt to new ways of retelling it.