Success stories
What our customers are saying about findmypast.co.uk
Need to know why findmypast.co.uk is the best place to research your family tree? Read what our customers have to say about us.
Got a success story of your own you'd like to share? Email us at support@findmypast.co.uk with 'Success story' in the subject line and your story could feature on this page.
Listen to what our customers said about us at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show at London Olympia in 2013:
I just thought I would write and say how blown away I was to find that I could actually read the records as written for many of the villages in Hertfordshire. So wonderful to see the old writing and to be able to study so many records. I have been able to fill in lots of gaps and will continue to use these records for a long while yet - helps to keep me out of mischief!
June 2013 
The newspapers are a revelation! They help turn simple genealogy into real family history. I have found that a great-great-grandfather had a prize pig and won £1 at the local show, and that another great-grandfather was up before the beak for scrumping strawberries when he was 16 years old - you could only find this in newspapers where the content is indexed! May 2013 
Loving the new searchable facility with the Kent parish records as I have oodles of ancestors down that way. I suddenly discovered about four generations of a family I had previously been searching for with no luck. April 2013 
I teach a genealogy group and am always stressing how important it is to tell our ancestors' stories. Living in Canada, it would be impossible to do this without findmypast.co.uk. The newspaper database, in particular, is outstanding for this purpose. History comes alive within these digitized pages. Findmypast.co.uk has enriched my research to the point where it would be impossible to do without a subscription. It's great value for money. March 2013 
Just wanted to tell you that I tried your new newspapers search and within minutes had found what I was looking for. I have been trying to find out the circumstances that sent my great-great-aunt to Chelmsford Prison in 1891 for a long time. The search of the historical papers came up with four possible results and there it was. December 2012 
I have to tell you that the records and value for money you provide are second to none.
November 2012 
I was thrilled and delighted to discover findmypast.co.uk and their extensive collection of records which helped break down my 36 year old brick wall: the mystery surrounding my great-great-grandfather.
Findmypast.co.uk's deaths at sea register provided a vital clue. According to the record, in 1883, my great-great-grandfather was 'lost with all hands' off the Welsh coast. The record even gave the name of the ship.
I am so thankful to have found the rich resources at findmypast.co.uk. I would encourage all who are seeking information about their family history to explore this amazing website.
October 2012 
Thank you a million times for your 'My saved records' service! What a remarkable and fabulous concept...kudos to your research and development department. September 2012 
I have been using your excellent website and have unearthed some remarkable results. The most awesome result is that I have recently discovered my two step sisters (aged 70 and 85 years old) who are both in good health and living within a short distance of each other. We have all been in contact and plan to meet each other very soon, for the very first time in 64 years. I must express a special thank you for your easy-to-use, hassle-free website. Please rest assured that I will definitely be recommending your site to friends and family. June 2012 
My family tree contained a long-standing family mystery of a first wife with twins. Part of the story involved them travelling to Canada. I was demonstrating findmypast.co.uk to a cousin and used this as an example – we found not only their journey and ship but also their names. This breakthrough then led us to their marriage record on findmypast.co.uk and to crown this I was able to download an image of the original wedding record. This was aided by the subtle design changes in the website, which has made it not only easier but more pleasant to use. Well done and many thanks. March 2012 
Just want to thank you for your excellent new death records. Within three minutes I had found a death I'd been looking for for over a year and was able to order the correct certificate from the General Register Office. The fact that your site is clever enough to take the year of birth and give you only the records of relevant ages is outstanding and did the trick in my case as my elusive relative has a very common last name. August 2011 
I noticed your announcement of the improved overseas, at-sea and army birth and marriage records search. For 10 years I have been unable to find a marriage for my great grandfather who was a mariner. Without even referring to my records, I immediately entered his name, and there he was: a consular marriage in Hamburg. I was about to crosscheck with his wife's name, when I saw her name below. What a find for me, and it only took a few seconds.Thank you so much. March 2011 
I have now found 28 marriages in just 90 minutes over two days and I'm well chuffed! These would have taken me hours and hours to find but your new system has saved me so much time, I can move on a lot quicker than before. The marriage matching facility is great and means I don't have to search for the other half of the marriage, saving me even more time. An added bonus is with the digitised births: you can also find children born to the wedded parents in just a few seconds. December 2010 
Tracing ancestors can be difficult at the best of times, but when faced with difficulties, findmypast.co.uk really does help. Could I take this opportunity to thank findmypast.co.uk for all the work they do to enable people like myself to more easily research their family history. October 2010 
Since discovering findmypast.co.uk a short time ago it has added enormously to my knowledge of my great-grandfather of whom little was known before his marriage in 1859 in Cork, Ireland. Records of the church in which he was married, along with many other historical archives, were destroyed by fire. The addition of Chelsea Pensioners records to your site enabled me to view his 1857 records which as well as giving his military record also placed him as being born in Cork also. September 2010 
I am just writing to say a huge thank you to all the staff who worked on the mammoth births name indexing project.
It's certainly a job well done and has been a real help to my research. It has made life much easier.
Do keep up the good work. Genealogy has been crying out for this type of search to be available on these indexes.
Thank you so much from a very happy researcher! September 2010 
I am delighted to say that I found my grandmother's stepbrother in the latest batch of Chelsea Pensioners records. He had joined the 29th Regt. of Foot and was in Ireland at The Curragh up to his discharge through ill-health in 1893. I discovered his next of kin and his home address at the time. Marvellous! Findmypast.co.uk has also been brilliant in giving me the births of my great grandmother's siblings. I have now made contact with another owner of a family tree with her younger sister as a direct descendant in their tree. It is all very worthwhile. May 2010 
In January 2010 I noticed the 1911 census link on findmypast.co.uk. At this stage not knowing that this was a new and amazing addition to genealogy, I found Ethel Smith, my great grandmother, with a nice little surprise: my great grandfather Thomas Williams was boarding with the Smith family at the time. They married three years later. I love the 1911 census: easy to use, great quality images and so informative. From this one document I have now been able to research back another four generations of Smiths and Fawkes. September 2009
Search our records now to discover which stories they can tell you about your ancestors.