All Blogs
Welcome to the new Genes Reunited blog!
- We regularly add blogs covering a variety of topics. You can add your own comments at the bottom.
- The Genes Reunited Team will be writing blogs and keeping you up to date with changes happening on the site.
- In the future we hope to have guest bloggers that will be able to give you tips and advice as to how to trace your family history.
- The blogs will have various privacy settings, so that you can choose who you share your blog with.
Official Blogs
Gift subscriptions
Do you know someone interested in discovering their family history?
You can now buy a gift subscription to Genes Reunited so they can research their family tree.
What the symbols on coats of arms, family crests and seals mean
Family crests and coats of arms - does your family have one? Genes Reunited reveals the meanings behind the signs of heraldry. What do they represent? What’s the difference between a coat of arms and family crest? And what does a lion on a red background represent?
War medals and what they mean
What do your ancestors' war medals mean?
WW1 soldiers in a rush to get to the church on time
The loneliness felt amongst the men on the front line and the women left behind during WW1 encouraged relationships to start via letters, with many couples getting engaged despite never meeting face to face.
Grave Secrets - What graveyard statues reveal about your ancestors
“Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;
How to Write a Letter to a Long Lost Relative
At Genes Reunited we know searching for missing family members is one of the most emotional journeys a person will ever take. If you’re on this site reading this the chances are you’ve been on a rollercoaster ride of research. This is all done in the hopes that your future will include this newfound relative. Then you do and there’s a sense of triumph for finding them coupled with the feeling of fear; because finding them is only part of the journey.
WW1 girls just wanted to have fun
With their men away fighting on the front line women of Britain enjoyed a new found freedom during WW1 and filled public houses, causing moral outrage and calls for the Government to keep them at home, researchers have found.
Five ways to break down the family search brick wall
Don't despair if you come across a brick wall. Read our five top tips on Genes Reunited on how to overcome your obstacles in your family history search on.
Downton Abbey - Dame Maggie Smith's ancestors also had domestic help
With the much anticipated fourth series of Downton Abbey starting last night, we’ve delved into the family history of Dame Maggie Smith who plays the Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham and discovered it wasn’t just the Countess who had servants in her household.
Long Lost Family Recipes - why modern home cooks are recreating old family recipes
Recipe cards found at the back of the kitchen draw. Scrawled on scraps of paper found in aprons. Old cookbooks with scribbled notes in the margin. At some point most of us have come across these culinary gems. These are more than just recipes. They are links with our past and our connections to special events in the lives of our ancestors .
“Honest John”, the original fox in the box
Johnny “Allgood” Goodall, the Lionel Messi of his day, rose to fame as a centre forward for England during the first Football League in 1888. He became Watford's first manager in 1903 and played cricket in the County Championship for Derbyshire in 1895 and 1896, being one of 19 players to achieve the Derbyshire Double of playing cricket for Derbyshire and football for Derby County.