30 July
Who Do You Think You Are?, the popular TV series in which celebrities trace their ancestry and uncover secrets from their past, is back on our screens on BBC One.
One episode saw British actor Rupert Everett go in search of his paternal ancestors, following the death of his father six months earlier. His investigations led him to Nigeria and London, and his use of online census records unearthed some very surprising information.
Rupert Everett visited The National Archives to find information about his family's past. In his quest for details of his grandfather he looked at Colonial Office records for Nigeria, including government gazettes and original correspondence (CO 658/5, CO 658/43, CO 658/44, CO 583/211/1), and the 1891 census.
Actor Dervla Kirwan uncovered evidence of the persecution and prejudice her Jewish grandfather endured. You can find Henry Kahn's 1892 British nationality file in our Catalogue.
Other celebrities taking part in the latest series include actor and singer Jason Donovan, actor Rupert Penry-Jones and entertainer Bruce Forsyth.
If you've been inspired to research your family tree, a great place to start is with our free online research signposts. These provide guidance on which records and resources to use when looking for a person, place or subject.
