Society of Genealogists

Collections Update – October 2026

Our bimonthly update on collections and more.

The Genealogy Gazette: October 2026

Discover the latest SoG news and family history tips here. Along with community news on the latest record releases, conferences, and more.

In Memoriam: What Death Can Reveal About an Ancestor

For family historians, death is rarely the end of the story. The records created when someone died can reveal far more than a date and place: they may identify relatives, explain an unexpected absence, describe a final illness, lead us to a family grave or expose beliefs, customs and financial anxieties that shaped our ancestors’ lives. As Andrew Todd observes, “Records associated with death are often amongst the most detailed of any person’s whole existence.”¹ A death could generate civil, ecclesiastical, medical, legal and financial records, alongside newspaper reports, funeral documents and physical memorials. Used together, these sources can help […]