This guide will provide an introduction to three areas. They are amongst the most commonly searched on Ancestry, namely: Census collections / Births, Marriages & Deaths (BMD) / Military. The following examples will draw on UK collections and subsequent results.
Census Collections
> Select Search (top bar) > then select Census & Electoral Rolls (drop-down)
Rather than being flooded with results across the whole range of databases, it is best to target specific Census Collections. The first (and most basic) census undertaken in the UK was in 1841 and they have subsequently been taken every ten years. They become available for public access after 100 years. Currently, the 1921 census is only available via Findmypast
; sadly the 1931 census of England and Wales will never bee seen, as it was destroyed by fire in 1942.
> From the far right column ‘Narrow by Category’ select either ‘U.K. Census Collection’
or a specific year (1841-1911).
For illustration purposes we have selected the 1911 England & Wales Census Collection (below).
> Enter the name and known details of the person you are searching for. As you type, the ‘lived in’ field will automatically provide locations to choose from e.g. Birmingham, Warwickshire / Birmingham, Alabama. There are further fields where you can enter a marriage date, family members and if required a keyword.
Tip 1
Do not be over-specific when searching e.g. entering all the family members or all the middle names; the entire household may not have been in the property on that spring date and some may be known by names other than their christened names (e.g. Bill rather than William). You can allow for some leeway in ‘Year’ searches by clicking on ‘Exact’ under the entered date and allowing +/- variations (1,2,5 and 10 years); just one or two years can prove very effective, as in some households - especially large ones - precise ages were not always known.
Viewing and interpreting results
If you hover over ‘1911 England Census’ (below, left of your result) you will see an overlaid transcribed version of the census page. To view the original scanned version select ‘View Image’.
If you select ‘1911 England Census’ you will see the transcribed version with ‘Suggested Records’ on the right. These often appear when using Ancestry and may (or may not) be further records linked to your individual - so be careful. If you need to edit your search from the results page use ‘Edit Search’ (far left of the screen) to save re-entering all the information.
As completed by the head of the household, the 1911 census (below) provides:
Name, head (or relation to), age, marital status, years married, number of children (living & deceased), profession or occupation, birthplace, nationality and infirmity. The foot of the record provides total occupants, number of recognized rooms and address.
Zooming in/out, Emailing, Saving and Printing:
> To zoom in or out select and move the bar (far right of page).
> To email or save the image select ‘Save’ (top right of page).
> To print select the crossed hammer and spanner (far right of page) ,then select ‘Print’ (top).
These instructions apply to all viewable images of scanned documents.
Birth, Marriages & Deaths
Civil registration in England and Wales was introduced in 1837. For information prior to this, parish registers are the primary source - these can go back to 1538.
> Select Search (top bar) > then Select Birth, Marriage & Death, including Parish (drop-down)
The search fields are virtually the same as those for the Census and Electoral Rolls. Remember if you need to edit your search, from the results page use ‘Edit Search’ (far left) to save re-entering all the information.
Tip 2
UK births, marriages and deaths were registered in Quarters (see below). Do not take it as gospel that the event (except marriages) took place in the quarter it was registered. For example, a birth in December 1890 may not have been registered until the March quarter of 1891. Not all events were registered, especially before 1875 when tougher measures came in.
Civil registration results provide a transcribed index page. With these details you can order a copy of the original certificate from the General Register Office.
Military
Finally, we are going to look at three British Army World War One collections, namely:
Medal Rolls Index Cards, Service Records and Soldiers Died in the Great War.
> Select Search (top bar) > then select Military (drop-down)
Medal Rolls Index Cards
> On the next page the main UK military collections are listed under ‘Featured data collections’ (lower right) > Select ‘UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920’.
> Enter your search terms; there are only five available fields.
NB: With regard to Regimental numbers, not until 1920 was army numbering sorted into a ‘one man one number’ system. During the Great War it was even possible for the same number to be repeated within the same regiment.
Viewing and interpreting results
> Select ‘View images’ (far right of soldier’s name)
Below is the Medal Roll Index Card for William Arnold Ridley, who as Arnold Ridley went on to play Private Godfrey in the BBC classic sitcom Dad’s Army. From this we learn his Regiment (Somerset Light Infantry), Regimental Number (20481), Rank (Lance Corporal), Date of Enlistment (8.12.1915), Date of Transfer (10.5.1917), Cause of Discharge (Wounds) and Medals awarded (Victory War Medal & British War Medal).
There are three types of Medal Rolls Index Cards: two standard and the above (a Silver War Badge Card). The most common type can provide the theatre of war (France, Egypt etc.) and date of arrival overseas.
British Army World War I Service Records
> Under ‘Featured data collections’ (lower right) select ‘UK, British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920’.
When inputting information for a Service Record, minimal is often best. In this example (left) I have only entered first name, last name, plus regiment.
NB: Surviving campaign medals can speed up a search, as the regimental number can be located on the rim.
Service records infrequently recorded middle names. Proof of age was not required upon enlistment so the year of birth may not be accurate (use the +/- year tool to allow for any variation).
The results on Ancestry are for Non-Commissioned Officers and other ranks. Unfortunately, a large percentage (approximately 60%) were destroyed in 1940 when bombs fell on the Army repository.
Surviving records can range from one page to 60, consequently information can extend to some or all of the following or more: name, address, place of birth, age (not always factual), trade, place and date of enlistment, service number/s, next of kin, siblings or children, theatre/s of war and units served in, conduct sheet, medical history and treatment, pension correspondence, medal claims and enquiries from relatives.
Tip 3
If your ancestor survived the War and you have no luck with Service Records try the Pension Records as listed under ‘Featured data collections’.
If your ancestor stayed in the Army beyond 1920 then his service record will be with the Ministry of Defence’s Army Personnel Centre. Records of most Guardsmen are available through the Centre, but for Scots Guards (up until 1938) go to FindMyPast.
Army Officers: Over 217,000 officers’ records are at the National Archives in Kew, London. They are supplementary files (death, pension, correspondence etc.) - as two of the original three parts were destroyed during the Blitz. If a man remained an officer after 31 March 1922 his record will be with the Ministry of Defence’s Army Personnel Centre. Records of most Guards' officers are available through the Centre, but for Scots Guards (up until 1938) go to FindMyPast.
NB: The Ministry of Defence is currently in the process of transferring the personnel records of those who served between 1921 and 1963 to The National Archives. This operation, involving some 9 million records, began in 2022 and will take until 2027 at the earliest to complete.
Soldiers Died in the Great War
> Under ‘Featured data collections’ (lower right) select ‘UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919’.
The search page allows for the addition of Decoration, Regiment, Battalion, Type of Casualty (died, died of wounds or killed in action) and Rank.
In its entirety a record (example below) can tell you birthplace, date of death, place of enlistment, rank, unit, service number, how they died and theatre of war.
The location of a soldier’s grave or memorial is available through the Commonwealth War Grave Commission.
