Family HistoryYour guide to resources.

Gurinder Chadha, director of Bend it Like Beckham, was born in 1960 in Kenya. Her story traces the turbulent history of the former British Empire, charting her family’s migration through India, Pakistan and Kenya to Southall, London.

The once vast British Empire that dates back hundreds of years and touches many with the sadness and conflict of colonisation forms this story. Gurinder had a particularly long voyage due to various events and intrigues, which took place in the British Empire during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Following the colonisation of India, her family migrated to Africa to work on the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway. As Gurinder’s family settled in Kenya, the country changed from British protectorate in 1895 to a colony in 1919.

However, as Kenya struggled for independence opposition to both Indian and British settlers gave rise to militant political demonstrations. The violent Mau Mau uprising against settlers comprised the main thrust of the protests. As attacks increased many lives were claimed and many Kenyan Indians, such as Gurinder’s ancestors, chose to begin a new life in Britain.

Getting Started

If you are researching relatives from overseas start your investigation with your immediate family who may still remember the journey to Britain, or point you towards relatives who still live in the country of origin.

Researching your ancestry may, like Gurinder’s story, involve plenty of travel. This may be necessary as far more information is passed on through oral tradition, and less in written form.

Going Further

One of the best places to access a wealth of information from your home is via www.movinghere.org.uk The website lists the main sources available for research, both within the UK and outside, as well as providing historical context for the records and topics covered.

The National Archives also holds passenger lists for ships arriving in British ports from outside Europe, so you may find details of your ancestors recorded here. For more information see our online leaflet

However, to get the most out of the records you would have to have an idea of when they arrived in Britain, which port they landed at, and preferably the name of the ship they travelled on. The records cover the period 1878-1888, and 1890-1960.