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Nigella knows quite a lot about her background, mainly because several of her ancestors are fairly famous figures. For a start, her father Nigel was Margaret Thatcher’s Chancellor of the Exchequer. Her mother, Vanessa Salmon, was an heiress born into the Lyons Coffee House dynasty.
Nigella’s journey of discovery takes her back to the Second World War and the liberation of Belsen concentration camp. Her research uncovers ancestors in the tobacco and the East End clothing trades.
Exploring her Jewish roots using census and naturalisation records Nigella follows the trail to Rhineberg and Amsterdam. Colourful details are discovered along the way, including an ancestor convicted of theft who fled to England to escape imprisonment.
Use the census to investigate places of birth and find out what your ancestor did for a living.
To find out more about Jewish settlement in Britain visit Moving Here.
The National Archives also provides research guides, listing various further sources to help you with your search. For more information about Anglo-Jewish history see our online leaflet
If you are researching relatives from overseas start your investigation with your immediate family. They may still remember the journey to Britain, or point you towards relatives who still live in the country of origin.
Immigrants and Aliens 2nd edition - A guide to sources on UK immigration and citizenship 
