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Track down your factory working forebears with YFT106 Great Britain was once the envy of the industrial world. The Industrial Revolution influenced almost every aspect of our ancestors lives. There was an unprecedented period of wealth and population growth, which affected this nation in a way never seen before. We show you how your urban ancestors fared in the mechanised factories of the time and uncover the records they left behind.

The National Archives in Kew is the UK government’s official archive, containing over 1,000 years of history. It’s not always a practical place to visit – especially if you live a long way away. With that in mind, we show you how to make the most of the UK’s top archive with our expert guide to visiting in person or using its online catalogue and website. Else Churchill, expert genealogist from the Society of Genealogists, takes time to reflect on the outcomes of The National Archives’ User Advisory Group meetings. We also take a look at another fantastic source of information – The British Library. The British Library is currently undertaking a major new operation by digitising its entire newspaper collection. Adam Rees goes behind-the-scenes of this extraordinary project.

We show you how to trace the history and records of the Navy’s violent Press Gang recruiters, and those they forced to serve at sea. Get started take a detailed look at trades union records and we show where your ancestors worked, what they earned and what happened if they ever fell ill. We take a virtual tour of the streets our ancestors lived on with Google Earth and show you the top tips for preserving your personal digital picture archive for future generations.