We’ve just launched onsite the new Manchester Parish Records, 1541-1985. These crucial records are the result of months of work behind the scenes to digitise the original registers. I can give you an insight into that work from my point of view as one of the camera operators.

The registers are held by Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives which is the appointed Diocesan Record Office for the area. The registers date right back to Tudor times, and consist of baptism, marriage and burial records.

The role of the camera operator involves entering details about each register onto the Ancestry software, including the name of the church and date range covered. Then the register is photographed from cover to cover, with the images saved directly to the computer.

Many of the volumes are fragile due to their age, and careful handing is essential to prevent damage. We use book supports and archival weights to protect the documents and hold pages in place. The camera height can be adjusted depending on the size of the volume – obviously the key is to make sure the writing is in focus. It’s important to get as clear an image as possible as some of the ink has faded and handwriting styles vary greatly.

Different types of register reveal different information. Most of the early registers grouped baptisms, marriages and burials in the same volume.  As time went on more information was recorded; the mother’s name was more likely to be entered on baptism records, the parishes of both the bride and groom appeared in marriage registers and the age of the deceased and sometimes cause of death were noted in burials.  Then in 1813 pre-printed baptism and burial registers were introduced, recording details of where people lived and their professions.

These professions are one of the most interesting features of the parish registers, and they often reveal the development of local industries. Greater Manchester is well known for its manufacturing, transport and textiles heritage and trades relating to these industries were commonly recorded. For example, spinner, carder, dyer and spindle maker were common occupations for people working in the cotton industry.

When we’ve finished the digitisation process, we send the photographs of the registers to be transcribed, and then the images and the information they hold can be put online. Hopefully you all enjoy them, and find some useful information about your family.

Clare Connolly is one of a team of Ancestry camera operators who have been working on the digitisation of the new Manchester Parish Registers, 1541-1985.

©Images reproduced with courtesy of the Manchester City Council

Last year, we launched the Interactive Image Viewer as an interactive tool to help you view and interpret information from many of the Census records available online. We’re excited to announce that the Interactive Image Viewer will now be available for several more collections in the coming weeks. Finding and understanding historical records is one of the most exciting and important parts of family history, so we’ve been working hard to make an intuitive and enjoyable experience that will work for different Web browsers and devices. Although we still have work to do, here are a few changes you’ll find:

James Walsh was a 26 year old shoemaker when he arrived in Australia on board the Edward in February of 1831.  Born in Waterford, Ireland in 1805, he was convicted of receiving stolen goods and given seven years transportation.  His Convict Indent (an official list of convicts being transported aboard a particular ship) describes James as just shy of 5’6” (172 cm) with a ruddy ‘pock-pitted’ complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes.

The indent goes on to describe James as having a crooked right arm with a mermaid and fish tattoo on his left arm, a tattoo of an anchor between the left thumb and forefinger.  Interestingly it also tells us that James had taken an earlier voyage to Australia at his majesties pleasure – on board the Prince Regent in 1821 – served his time (7 years) and then made his way home only to be shipped out again.

James’ first ‘involuntary cruise’ to Australia on board the Prince Regent (arriving in Sydney in January 1921) was uneventful. His second trip out on the Edward was far more terrifying.  James boarded the Edward in late August 1830 with 157 other male convicts in Cork and they set sail in November.  According to the UK Royal Naval Medical Journals (records kept by the ships surgeon to assist with improving conditions on-board in future voyages) in December there was an outbreak of Cholera that infected , among others Patrick Carroll – the ships cook.  Five convicts were to die on the voyage, another two in hospital shortly after disembarking in March 1831.  James must have been terrified to what his fellow convicts fall ill and perish right before his eye – and he had nowhere to hide.

During his earlier ‘visit’ to Australia, James worked as a carpenter and he no doubt turned his hand back to carpentry when, according to the Settler and Convict Lists, he was assigned to the Australian Agricultural Company in Port Stephens not long after his arrival.  In January of 1836 James acquired his Ticket of Leave and 15 months later, in April 1837, his Certificate of Freedom.

The rest of James’ story is waiting to be discovered…

FREE* access too over 2.8 million convict and criminal records until Monday 28 January 2013! Start searching.

It’s a family history conundrum. You don’t like to imagine your ancestors having difficult lives. But every time they hit tricky times they seem to be really well documented, and provide some of your most fascinating discoveries.

This is true of Poor Law records. It’s definitely the case with criminal records. And it crops up again with our new divorce records.

UK, Civil Divorce Records, 1858-1911  are legal records that were made as part of each divorce case. They provide a blow-by-blow account of all the claims and counter-claims that led up to the split. For example, you could find out exactly where and when your great-grand-uncle started an affair – and even who with!

On top of that, the records include an entire history of the marriage before it all went wrong. This could include the date and place of the wedding, details of any children, and even the couple’s different addresses.

That means that not only can you read about your family’s scandals, but you can use all that extra detail to find more of their birth, marriage and death records, and build up your timeline of their lives.

It almost leaves you wishing more of your ancestors had marriage problems!

Search our new divorce records

See all our birth, marriage & death records

The Japanese military attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, thrust the United States into WWII. It wasn’t long after that, Australia and New Zealand found themselves also under threat of Japanese attacks. While the majority of Australia’s soldiers fought alongside the British Royal Army against the Germans in the Middle East and Africa, the Japanese made their way through South Asia and South Pacific with little resistance. It was then that Australia and the United States joined forces to stop their military expansion.

My grandfather was one of a million American servicemen who found himself in Australia during World War II. While Australians had popular Hollywood movies to familiarize them with American culture, Americans knew very little about Australia or its citizens. Our soldiers were in a foreign land trying to make sense of the currency, a new environment, unfamiliar foods and, of course, colorful Australian slang.

On my recent trip to Canberra, Australia’s capital city, I visited the Australian War Memorial. I was beyond impressed and moved by the Australian War Memorial’s collection and its presentation of the artifacts. The memorial was filled with detailed dioramas and paintings that depicted battles, along with pictures of soldiers paired with stories of their bravery. Some displays left me speechless, such as the restored planes paired with a large screen that played re-enactments of air battles which brought the aircraft’s history back to life. Another exhibit – a wall of thousands of names of soldiers who died in battle – was decorated with small red flowers called poppies. The wall left me with an overwhelming sadness that I could only compare to what I felt on my first visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

After spending the afternoon wandering through this shrine to Australia’s fallen heroes, my curiosity was piqued by a little blue book found in the gift shop. The book titled, Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942 was reproduced from the original which was created by the Special Service Division, Services of Supply, United States Army, and issued by the War and Navy Departments Washington, D.C. Although our soldiers presence was mostly welcomed due to our countries’ common goal, that didn’t mean there wasn’t some tension. In order to try and avoid any unneeded drama, this small booklet was produced and issued to each American soldier arriving to Australia, familiarizing them with the Australian people, land, history and culture.

The book mainly focused on our similarities as relatively new countries with British roots. It described Australia as made up of proud, independent people who believed in the importance of personal freedom and democracy. A brief history was given of their involvement in past wars and their record as well-respected, brave soldiers who wouldn’t quit. All of the information covered in the book was used to build respect and a sense of common ground since they were qualities Americans also strived for and respected. More importantly, it stressed the fact we needed Australia’s help just as much as they needed ours.

While the book’s main purpose was to establish a sense of camaraderie between the newly arriving American servicemen and the Australians, at times it tried a little too hard to make that connection. I found some humor as it pushed our mutual love of sports and compared our carnivorous appetite. However, the part that really made me smile can be found at the back of the book, which covers Australian slang. After several of my own visits to Australia, it made me think back on all the words or phrases that ended in funny misunderstandings or left me scratching my head.

Having a grandfather who spent a great deal of time in Australia during World War II, this book was a fun little find. Sometimes it seems as though our loved ones’ service in the South Pacific during World War II isn’t covered as extensively as our involvement in Europe. Not only is this booklet a piece of history, it allowed me a look into the lives of our servicemen; I can only imagine the mixed feeling of excitement for those who had never left the country before, while also knowing there was a chance they might not come home alive.

Here was a book that was most likely issued to my grandfather that found its way into my hands, 67 years after he served, in the country he fought alongside. There is not one day that goes by that I haven’t wished I asked my grandfather more about his service and his time in Australia. I know he really would have gotten a kick out of my trips to the country he always wished to return to for a visit. It is small unexpected surprises like this that help me put his story together and make me like to think he’s still with me.

By Kris Williams
Twitter: KrisWilliams81

We recently added the New South Wales Police Gazettes 1854-1930 collection and 120,000 new records to the New South Wales, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 collection.

In the past, having a convict in your ancestry was not something to be proud of. However, as interest in family history has developed over the last 30 years, it is increasingly being seen as a high point of interest and many researchers now strive to discover any criminal connections of their ancestors. Ancestors who arrived on the First and Second Fleets are especially revered as they represent some of the earliest European settlers in the country.

Convict Transportation Registers 1787 – 1868 

The main collection of criminal databases available on the website is comprise of the registers of transportation recorded by the British government. As with many records of the time is cannot be said to be complete but it is the most comprehensive listing of transportees available. The registers have been split into four separate sections – those for the First Fleet of 1787 – 1788, the Second Fleet of 1789 – 1790, the Third Fleet of 1791 and finally those for all remaining ships in the period up to 1868. If you have an idea as to when your convict ancestor may have arrived in Australia you can choose the appropriate section and search for him or her within that database. Alternatively, you can undertake a general search for just the name in the ‘Historical Records’ section. This is useful if you do not know when your convict ancestor may have arrived, as the result screen will display all of the various databases where the name in question appears. You can then check the list to see whether any of the Convict Transportation Registers feature in the list. A general search like this is also useful if you are trying to discover whether any of your ancestors were convicts. Just type their names into the search facilities and see what results occur. You can then check any possibilities to see if their details match with your known ancestors.

Convict Transportation Registers 1788 – 1868

Original Images of Documents 

Once you have established a list of possible entries for a name, clicking on ‘View Images’ will take you to a digital copy of the original document from The National Archives in London. The information provided will usually includes the name of the convict, when and where their trial took place and the length of their sentence. The name of the vessel on which he or she arrived in Australia will also be recorded. The date and place of the trial is very important as these details provide a link back to further sources in the UK, such as newspaper reports and trial records, that can help establish details of the convict’s origins.

Original Images of Documents 

Convict Musters and Convict Lists 1787 – 1849 

Other database, such as the collection of Convict Musters 1806 – 1849 and the collection of Convict Lists 1787 – 1834 will provide you with further details about ancestors sent to New South Wales and Tasmania, the two main convict areas. Like the Convict Transportation Registers, they will record the name of the convict, the ship that transported them, and the date and place of their trial but further details such as age and occupation might also be recorded. The musters were an attempt to keep track of the convicts, many of whom were employed around the colony. The musters also included ex-convicts whose sentence had been served and who remained in the colony. The Convict Lists and the Musters often also included the free settlers who had migrated to New South Wales and Tasmania and were living there at the time the record was compiled. Many of the records were written in wide ledger books and due to the way the documents had to be digitised you may find that it is worthwhile looking at the page after the one on which your convict appears as further information about them may have been carried over.

Convict Musters and Convict Lists 1787 – 1849 

Convict Pardons 1834 – 1859 

A further database of interest to the researcher with convict ancestry is the collection of Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave 1834 – 1859 for New South Wales and Tasmania. A Ticket of Leave could be granted to a convict after a certain proportion of his or her sentence had been served. It allowed the convict to live in the community and work for their own wage whilst the rest of the sentence was served. As with the records mentioned above the information about the convict’s arrival in the colony and their date and place of conviction will be repeated. Useful information to be recorded here sometimes includes the place of birth of the convict, their physical description and the reason why a pardon was granted. However, the majority of the entries are less informative and often comprise a very long list of people pardoned or granted tickets of leave in a particular year. You will therefore need to look at earlier pages to find the beginning of the particular list containing your ancestor to discover the date concerned.

The convict records available on Ancestry.com.au are an extremely important source for early Australian history. The convicts formed the backbone of the fledgling country and gave Australia a unique heritage. By uncovering details of your ancestor’s criminal past, you will be able to discover when and how they first arrived in Australia. You will also find details of where they were tried in Britain and this detail is crucial in establishing a location for them in their home country. Without this locational information it may be impossible to establish details of any earlier family history.

Convict Pardons 1834 – 1859 

Jeremy Palmer has been a full time professional genealogist since 1992. He was the Registrar at The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies in Canterbury, England for many years before emigrating to Australia where he now runs his own research business which specialises in tracing the British origins of families in Australia and New Zealand. He also lectures on a wide variety of family history topics for the Society of Australian Genealogists.

Who would name their daughter Halloween? According to the 1920 (and 1930) U.S. census, that would be John and Ollie Hildebrand of Freeborn Township, Missouri, for one — or two. In case you think maybe the enumerator got it wrong — twice — it’s right there on Halloween’s marriage license. Typed. Though as of 1940, when she was Mrs. Halloween Waltrip, the tradition had not been passed on to son Franklin John.

Incidentally, according to our count of Halloweens, Mrs. Waltrip was, in fact, only one of more than 40 “Halloweens” listed in the 1940 U.S. Census. Since the census doesn’t record birth dates, there’s no way of knowing if all the Halloweens were born on October 31 and simply fell victim to the spirit of the season, as it were. But Halloween isn’t the only spooky name parents have saddled their children with, either.

In fact, speaking of Spooky, there’s always Spooky King of Mississippi. Or Fright Davis, who apparently took in lodgers, according to the 1920 census. (But did they ever leave…?)

If you thought Dracula was a boy’s name, time to think again. Dracula Taylor was very much a woman, wife of Bert and mother of John R. (No word on who actually talked to the census taker that day and whether Dracula was a given name or simply a loving epithet.)

Speaking of thinking again, you might think twice about trick-or-treating at Ghoul Hall’s place. Or knocking on Witch Hazel Hofling’s door hoping for a treat. Pumpkin Hudgkins’s house sounds much more friendly. Ghoul might have been out with his pillowcase working the neighborhood with Goblin Harris and Skeleton Evans anyway.

If you were in Chicago, for years you could have tried your luck at Victor and Irma Frankensteins’ door. (It’s really, Irma, not Igor—check the record.) Or you could find folks named Boo all over the country, from Boo Boatright in Maryland to Boo Murray in Washington.

And though I was hoping for a “Casper” or maybe even a “Space,” no luck: Ghost Ballias’s siblings were named Georgia, Helen, and Paul. All nice names. But where’s the fun in that?

• The  Cyclopedia of New Zealand, 1897-1906 provides information about the colonization of New Zealand with details on businesses, residents and professions in the provinces.
• New Zealand Index, 1899, 1908, 1915 and 1939 are four books which contain detailed information about places in New Zealand including names of colonists, businesses, descriptions of local terrain and local histories.
• New Zealand, Registered Ships & Owners, 1840-1950 is an index of all ships registered in New Zealand from 1840-1950. They include passenger names, sjip descriptions, registration dates and the sailing history of the ship.
• While the first colony of NZ was officially founded in 1840, settlers felt there was far more relevant history contributing to the colonization of New Zealand previous to this time. The Early History of New Zealand, From Earliest Times To 1845 contains a history of early New Zealand beginning with the voyages of Captain Cook in the region.
• New Zealand, White Wings, 1924, 1928 (Volumes 1 & 2) has a history of fifty years of sailing in the New Zealand trade and contains information about the voyages of ships that brought immigrants to New Zealand.
• Datus, A Chronology of New Zealand from the Time of the Moa, 1931 is a book by George Finn and shows a history of important events in NZ beginning with the arrival of the Māori in the 14th century up to events of the 20th century. Details include names of prominent people and descriptions of notable events.

You can search all of our New Zealand records online.

The New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners Inquests and Magisterial Inquiries, 1796 – 1942  contain over 173,000 records and provides a fascinating insight into some of the more unusual causes of deaths of many Australians in colonial times.

The collection reveals that the most common causes of death were by drowning, apoplexy (or stroke) and ‘visitations from God’ (otherwise known as natural causes), though on occasion there are also cases of murders and thieves who were killed during the course of a robbery.

Typically, coroner’s inquests were undertaken for suspicious deaths – homicides, of prison escapees, unexplained deaths and for unidentified bodies.

Just in time for Halloween, we have uncovered records linked to mysterious stories of ghosts and murders enough to make your spine tingle, such as the case of Emily Bollard of Picton, NSW, who suffered a gruesome end in 1916 when she was tragically hit by a train in a railway tunnel. To this day, ghost hunters allegedly still see lights and shadows which have been explained as sightings of Emily’s ghost.

Adding to the ‘supernatural’ feel of this collection are links to domestic tragedy and unsettling deaths of children:

• Studley Park House, Ray Blackstone – On 15 October, 1909, in the grounds of the then Camden Grammar School, 14-year-old Ray Blackstone drowned in the dam after failed rescue attempts by his school mates. His body was placed in the cold, dark cellar of the school until his burial. 28 years later, whilst living in the transformed school house, 13-year-old Noel William Gregory passed away from appendicitis. It’s believed that the spirits of both boys play together and remain in the house as a constant reminder of their tragic lives.

• Tank Street, Morpeth, Stephen Cantwell – Local residents believe that the ghost of 10-year-old Stephen Cantwell, who drowned in an unfinished well behind Campbell’s Store on Tank Street, can be seen around the well. In the house next door, while the spirit of his distraught mother Eliza, who lost sight of him just before he drowned, remains at her vantage point overlooking the well as if still searching for her beloved son.