RootsChat.Com

I guess such historical events can reveal, if a record survives, an ancestor who was lost at sea as a sailor, in the navy, or if an ancestor was in the army and they fought in a historic battle. But I think if they died, their service records were destroyed. I found an ancestor from Oxford who was based in Norfolk in 1797 and Suffolk, and deserted in Sep 1798 in Ipswich. I cannot trace him after that but the Oxfordshire Militia was based in Ireland in 1799, so he may have been recaptured and died in service or of an illness while in Ireland. The regiment was not in Ireland for very long though. He was a serjeant in 1798 and was 33 then, but apparently there was not always a fixed time from entering the army to being promoted back then. Some may have been promoted quickly due to being older or doing something heroic.

2nd January 1929, 97 years ago today, the death of my step 3xgreat gran was registered. Died 31 Dec 1928 at Rochford Hospital. I forgot it was the anniversary of her death 2 days ago. 5th January 2026 will be 97 years since she was buried.

She was my 3xgreat grandfather's 2nd wife, and they were buried at Great Wakering, not yet 100% sure if it is the same grave plot but the same churchyard at least. No grave though. I often visit the area due to family being from there and checked the graves, but found several other ancestors/ancestor siblings/extended family members buried there and in nearby villages.

I had become convinced my gt. gt. grandmother's eldest brother had emigrated to USA;  traces - but no proof.  Her second brother had gone to Canada - lots of evidence.  Then someone on Rootschat gave a link to One-Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse and I checked the one-step shipping lists.  (https://stevemorse.org/index.html)

And there he was - on a ship in 1836.  "Yes!" I exclaimed out loud, and slapped my hand on the chair  -  so loudly that I frightened the cat and he shot out of the room.

Reminds me of when the contestants on The Crystal Maze won a crystal and all cheered loudly, like they won £1000'000 but all it got them was 5 seconds more in The Crystal Dome. That is how i feel when I find an elusive ancestor, or elusive ancestor sibling, or cousin.

I sometimes take a break from the direct ancestral line and go far and wide.

Now that 2025 is almost gone, what have been your major discoveries this year? And/or what new databases have helped you with your FH? Many new Cambridgeshire records are on Ancestry, and of course Suffolk, where about 30% of my ancestors are from.

I was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to Essex parents with many Suffolk and some Norfolk/Durham/London/Oxfordshire ancestry.

This year I found 2 direct ancestors who spent time in GY, and when I found out, it was like I had won the lottery. One ancestor witnessed a wedding in the town in 1775, and another direct ancestor was stationed in Gt Yarmouth in the late 1790s, and was from Oxfordshire.

And found a Norwich ancestor who witnessed an admin of someone who lived in a village just a few miles NW of Great Yarmouth, and near where I grew up.

And an Essex seaman ancestor William Ingram from Leigh On Sea who was in Cornwall in 1812 when his boat was lost. He had to get another one made and registered upon his return to Leigh On Sea.

The Ancestry ones go up to 2007 I think, and should give full DOB from 1969-2007, but for 2008 onwards, they are on GRO but give just year of birth. As said there is another index taken from service cards, obituaries and other info etc which is on FindMyPast. I found one for a 2021 death which gave his full DOB.

Some libraries and archive offices have post 2007 GRO death indexes which give full DOB, such as Westminster Archives. I visited there in May this year to get a full DOB for a distant relative born in 1927 who died in 2009.

SO for 2020 deaths for full DOB you'd have to go to one of these libraries, or maybe TNA in Kew.