WELCOME

November is the month when we traditionally remember those who laid down their lives in defence of our country and our values. For family historians, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month can have extra poignancy as our research brings us closer to the men (and sometimes women) who fought and died. Although the focus, especially during this centenary period, has been on the First World War, just as many of us will have family who fought in earlier or later conflicts. Our regular military historian Phil Tomaselli has provided us with a handy guide to army records and where to find them covering almost 600 years (page 17).

November has also become a month when archives up and down the country look at ways to promote the fantastic work that they do and the treasures that they hold as part of the ‘Explore Your Archive’ campaign. This month we have caught up with Jessamy Carlson at The National Archives (page 28) to find out a bit more about the campaign and how we can get involved. Archives are the bedrock of family history and it is vital that we offer them all the support we can.

Finally, I really enjoyed reading about the work that the children of Wycliffe School have done to remember former pupils who lost their lives in the First World War (page 34). Everything we do as family historians is an act of remembrance and it’s wonderful to see that passed on to the next generation.