Overseas periodicals added to Findmypast
Subscribers to the family history site findmypast. co.uk will be able to trace their ancestors around the world more easily thanks to the addition of English-language newspapers published in countries across the Commonwealth.
Since 2012, Findmypast has offered ‘Pro’ subscribers access to a huge collection of newspapers from the British Newspaper Archive (BNA), which is also available on its sister website at britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
However, a ‘Pro’ subscription will now also include newspapers from Canada, India, Pakistan, Jamaica and Barbados as they are added to the website during 2020.
Tamsin Todd, CEO of Findmypast, said: “Newspapers supplement the facts of our family histories with rich stories – in them we might find a picture of the place an ancestor lived or worked, or what was happening in sports, politics and entertainment on the important days in their lives.
“With its new international reach, the BNA is becoming an ever more useful source for the social historian and family researcher alike.”
So far this year, the BNA has added a number of new titles from the days that the British Empire ruled over India.
These include the 1861–1865 and 1867–1888 issues of the Times of India, plus the Friend of India and Statesman (1852–1864 and 1865– 1883) and the Madras Courier (1790–1795, 1798–1813, 1815–1816 and 1818).
The Friend of India and Statesman includes reports on the Indian Mutiny of 1857–1858, often using fiery and jingoistic rhetoric.
The BNA has also added three newspapers from Canada: the Hamilton Daily Times (1875, 1879, 1881–1882, 1884, 1886, 1912–1915 and 1920), Toronto Daily Mail (1886–1888, 1890 and 1894–1895) and Toronto Saturday Night (1887–1898 and 1900–1909).
From the Caribbean, there is an assortment of issues of the Royal Gazette of Jamaica ranging from 1779 to 1840, plus issues of the Kingston Gleaner ranging from 1835 up to 2012.
A Pro subscription to Findmypast costs £14.95 per month, or £156 for 12 months.