FREE access to 19th century newspapers online

[TheProvincialLady]

Has anyone been using the Gale historic newspapers archive? If you join Lancashire library service online - you don't have to be a Lancashire or even a UK resident - they give you a bar code that lets you access them for free...there is a link from the library website.

I joined and luckily the Birmingham Post is online as most of my ancestors lived in Brum, and I have found well over 100 articles involving ancestors of mine. Took me ages but was incredibly well worth the effort. So far I have discovered ancestors who were vaccination refusers (v topical today!), baby murderers, pickpockets, church wardens, coroners and women of ill repute. Fascinating stuff!

Sorry, should have added that you don't need to read the papers, they are fully serchable by any word. I just put the (fairly uncommon) surname in.

searchable

Thanks for that - will have a look. Have scoured the times archive now and agian for info and found a few gems. Again the bedfordshire library has a subscription and you just join online.

None of my ancestors was illustrious enough for The Times!

ww1 reports and medals, along with ww2 reports and all that died. the boar was also. They don't need to be illustriuos - anyone can get in the times - esp if they are crimanly minded

Maybe I'll have a look tomorrow then. Plenty of criminal types in the TPL line

makes a note about criminal desendants on mn......

If you join online they give you a temporary bar code which gives you instant access. Then you need to go to the online reference library here and go to the link on the right hand side for 19th century british newspapers.

this is very interesting.

dh's great great great grandfather (or maybe another great on that) is thought to have won a VC at Indian Mutiny. He isnt named as a recipient but is thought to have had a different identity. There were a few articles published about it. The VC is at Bristol Museum. I may look at the 19th century papers to see if anything is mentioned.

This is Fab thank you!!

Thanks for the heads up - very useful!