Armchair Genealogy - Family Tree & History

The Genealogy Guy introduces "Walk & Talk Genealogy" - The Big Move

Armchair Genealogy — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Mell, the host of the "Armchair Genealogy" podcast, discusses the challenges of recording episodes while relocating to the other side of the world. He introduces a new format, "Walk and Talk Genealogy," He emphasises the importance of capturing family memories through oral histories, suggesting that any time is good to interview relatives. He advises using simple questions to elicit detailed responses and maintaining engagement during interviews. Mell also highlights the value of interviewing younger family members and peripheral relatives who may hold unique family memories

When AI tries to be a podcaster?

Armchair Genealogy — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what happens when ai tries to make a genealogy podcast? 🤖📜 in this episode of the armchair genealogy podcast, the Genealogy Guy puts it to the test! The AI was fed beginner guides to genealogy and produced a full 25-minute show.

Together we dive into the basics—starting with your own family stories, then moving through census records, certificates, and online tools like familysearch and Ancestry. Plus, we chat about dna testing, the value of keeping a research log, and why patience is your best friend in family history.

Curious to hear how well ai handled the challenge (and what it missed)? tune in—you might pick up a few tips for your own research along the way! 🎙️✨

Genealogist Kelly Cornwell chats with the Genealogy Guy about research tips

Armchair Genealogy — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Ruth Wilmore, Events and Education Manager at the Society of Genealogists (SOG),.

Armchair Genealogy — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Ruth Wilmore, Events and Education Manager at the Society of Genealogists (SOG), shares her genealogy journey, with the Genealogy Guy, sparked by a childhood book and a 200-year-old mourning ring. And discusses the great work going on at Society of Genealogists.

Dave Annal chats with the Genealogy Guy about researching your family tree

Armchair Genealogy — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:01:00 +0100

In this episode on armchair genealogy, Dave Annal from Lifelines Research shares why real research still matters. We talk dodgy digital records, the dangers of ai in history, and how reconstructing a family properly can reveal the truth behind the names.
👂perfect for beginners & seasoned researchers alike — with tips, stories, and a few rants about sloppy shortcuts!
🎧 Listen now & get your family tree even better.

Jon Marie Pearson chats with the Genealogy Guy about using social media in Genealogy

Armchair Genealogy — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Jon Marie Pearson chats with the Genealogy Guy about using social media in genealogy research. She highlights the importance of virtual communities, sharing personal stories of finding her biological half-brother on Facebook. Jon Marie emphasises the need for genealogists to use keywords in their profiles and actively engage on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Charlie Greene from Remento chats with the Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:01:00 +0100

The Genealogy guy chats with Charlie Greene, co-founder of Remento, chats about the inspiration that led to the platform, which helps families capture and preserve stories and memories. Charlie shares his personal experience of digitising home videos to keep his father's memory alive and the emotional impact of recording his mother's stories during her battle with cancer. Remento simplifies the process of documenting family stories, using AI to convert recordings into polished narratives, and offers a customizable book format. The platform also integrates with Legacy Box for digitising old photos. Charlie emphasises the importance of capturing family stories now for future generations.

Mark Bayley chats with the genealogy Guy about updates on maps @ thegenealogist.co.uk

Armchair Genealogy — Thu, 01 May 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Mark Bayley from TheGenealogist.co.uk discusses updates to their Map Explorer section, highlighting the expansion of the Lloyd George Domesday records to include Bedfordshire, Dorset, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Northamptonshire, Surrey, and Wiltshire, with more counties planned for 2026. He explained the historical context of these records, created by David Lloyd George in 1910 for taxation purposes. He also mentions the addition of military records, including the War Office 164 records, and the development of a new advanced search interface with phonetic filtering and advanced keywords. Also offers an exclusive special offer for Armchair Genealogy podcast listeners, which includes a 40% lifetime discount on a Diamond subscription and a year's free subscription to "Discover Your Ancestors "online magazine.

Dr. Karen Cummings from Pharos Tutors chats with the Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:01:00 +0100

In this episode of Armchair Genealogy, the Genealogy Guy dives into the power of family history shows and why sharpening your research skills is a game-changer. Special guest Dr. Karen Cummings from Pharos Tutors shares her journey from pharmaceutics to genealogy education—proving it’s never too late to follow your passion!

Discover how Pharos Tutors’ expert-led courses, interactive learning, and AGRA-recognized certificates can transform your research. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced genealogist, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

🎧 Listen now & subscribe: #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #PharosTutors #Podcast

Mark Thompson & Steve Little chat about AI with the Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:21:14 +0000

The Genealogy Guy discusses the impact of AI on genealogy with Steve Little and Mark Thompson from the Family History AI Show. Mark, a retired technologist, and Steve, a language and technology enthusiast, highlight AI's rapid evolution, particularly with ChatGPT. They emphasize the importance of scepticism and experimentation, noting that AI's accuracy depends on available information. They predict AI will integrate into everyday tools, enhancing efficiency. Upcoming developments include "agents" for comprehensive genetic research. The hosts encourage genealogists to explore AI responsibly and actively engage with new technologies. They also mention attending Roots tech at the start of March (https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/) and AI workshops at the Conference for the Institute for Genetic Genealogy at the end of March in San Diego (https://i4gg.org/2025-i4gg/)

Jonny Perl @DNAPainter chats with the Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Discover the fascinating story behind dna painter with Jonny Perl, a web developer and genealogist who turned his own dna testing experience into an invaluable tool for family history enthusiasts. In this episode,Jonny shares how dna painter helps users visualize family trees, interpret dna matches, and uncover relationships through powerful features like chromosome mapping, the shared cm project, and the "what are the odds" tool. He also discusses the latest updates, including ancestral trees and the brick walls report, and teases future AI enhancements. plus, learn how dna painter prioritizes privacy—no dna uploads required! tune in now for an inspiring deep dive into the future of genetic genealogy!

Donna Rutherford gives insight into using DNA with the Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Donna Rutherford chats with the Genealogy Guy on Armchair Genealogy Podcast about the basics of genealogy and DNA, emphasizing the importance of understanding DNA matches and ethnicity estimates. She explains that DNA tests provide ethnicity estimates based on reference panels and that different companies use varying algorithms. Rutherford advises uploading DNA results to multiple databases to expand match pools. She clarifies that DNA matches are relatives who share DNA and explains the concept of Centimorgans, which indicate genetic closeness. Rutherford also touches on the challenges of working with private trees and the use of "quick and dirty" research trees to avoid errors. She encourages using social media and sleuthing techniques to uncover connections.

Laura House, genetic genealogist @Ancestry chats with the Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:01:00 +0000

What secrets might your dna hold? Laura House, a genetic genealogist at Ancestry, joins Genealogy Guy on armchair genealogy. In this insightful conversation, Laura reveals the unexpected twists and turns that can unfold when using genealogy DNA tests. She urges listeners to be aware of the potential surprises that may arise, such as finding out about non-biological parents or previously unknown half-siblings. Laura stresses that this knowledge can provide much-needed closure and answers for those seeking to uncover their biological heritage. Don't miss out on the chance to hear from one of the world's foremost experts on genetic genealogy.

Dr. Nicholas Dixon chat with the Genealogy Guy about history, academic study and genealogy

Armchair Genealogy — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Dr. Nicholas Dixon emphasises the collaborative nature of the genealogy community and the willingness of professionals to help each other. He highlights the unique angle of bringing academic history to genealogy, which is not common in the academic world.
He also highlights the role of local family history societies in sharing knowledge and resources.

Helen Forster chats about Digital legacies

Armchair Genealogy — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Helen Forster, a director at HTF Legal Limited, discusses with the Genealogy Guy the importance of digital legacy planning. She highlighted that only 27% of people know what will happen to their digital assets upon death, and only 9% have a clear plan. Digital assets include monetary investments and sentimental items like photos. She emphasized the need for digital executors to manage these assets, noting that 1 in 4 estates are contested. Forster also discussed the challenges of accessing digital assets post-death, such as needing passwords or thumbprints. She advised creating digital backups and shared folders to ensure family access to important data.

Dominic Hendry talks Wills and Probate with The Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:29:00 +0100

Genealogy Guy and Dominic Hendry from estateresearch.co.uk discuss the intersections of genealogy and legal support services, including probate genealogists, tracing services, and DNA evidence. They emphasise the importance of understanding legal issues in genealogy and accurate inheritance planning to avoid potential disputes. Genealogy Guy highlights the growing impact of DNA evidence and online genealogy on probate law, while Dominic stresses the significance of including accurate relationships and clear instructions in a will. They also discuss the difficulties and strategies for conducting genealogy research, including accessing publicly available records and double-checking information.

Cyndi Ingle from Cyndis list.com chat with The Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Cindy Ingle talks about her creation and maintenance of Cyndislist.com, a comprehensive categorised list of genealogical resources on the internet. The Genealogy Guy and Cyndi emphasise the importance of human curation in genealogical research, Cyndi also highlights the value of delving into the lives of our ancestors beyond basic facts. They also discuss various methodologies and resources for preserving family history and genealogy, including local newspapers, oral histories, and interviews. Cyndi Ingle is the creator and innovator behind the award-winning and globally recognized CyndisList.com a genealogist for more than 44 years of expertise in using technology for genealogy.

Richard Miller explains the benefits of the Goldiemay App for genealogists

Armchair Genealogy — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:01:00 +0100

The congenial Richard Miller explains to the Genealogy Guy about the great benefits of the GoldieMay.com app that plugs into Chrome. A genealogy research tool that helps organise and streamline the research process. They highlight the importance of organisation in genealogy research and how Goldie May can help alleviate this issue. Richard and Mell also discuss the importance of staying organised and focused in genealogy research, using tools to create objective-based research plans, link multiple projects, and save screenshots for easy reference. They emphasize the need for effective data management, including storing research log data in a CSV file and exporting it as a safety measure. Richard also offers a 20% discount off the annual or monthly subscription for armchair Genealogy Podcast listeners

Brad Argent from Ancestry Studios" TV series chat about DNA and newspaper research for genealogy

Armchair Genealogy — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 11:25:09 +0100

Brad Argent and The Genealogy Guy explore the connection between genealogy and DNA research in shaping one's identity. They highlighted the significance of understanding one's ancestry and genetic makeup to gain a sense of identity and discuss the transformative nature of DNA research in providing a tangible connection to the past and one's ancestors. They also emphasized the importance of capturing family history through audio recordings, conducting thorough historical research and verification, and leveraging local newspapers in genealogical research.

Helen Tovey editor of the UK's Family Tree Magazine chats with the Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 08:17:26 +0100

In this episode, the Genealogy Guy chats with the jolly Helen Tovey - Editor of Family Tree Magazine UK which is Britain's longest-running family history magazine providing expert advice it has been helping thousands of family historians discover and explore their family history since 1984.

Nick Barratt about his research & work on "Who Do You Think You Are?" TV genealogy series

Armchair Genealogy — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:09:11 +0000

The Genealogy Guy chats with the perceptive Nicholas David Barrett, genealogist and consultant for BBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?", and discusses the show's origins and how it combines social history and genealogy. He gives his views on why he thinks this show has been so successful and had worldwide recognition as a TV format.

Ted Udall (from Somerset and Dorset Family History Society ) chats with The Genealogy Guy

Armchair Genealogy — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:09:50 +0000

The Genealogy Guy interviews the very knowledgable Ted Udall from the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society discussing the history of Parish Records and tips. Without parish records and the stunning work of so many local history groups over the years much of the data that family tree sites now use would not be as vast as it is today.

Paul McNeil genealogy hints & talks about working on the ITV series 'DNA Journey'

Armchair Genealogy — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:43:09 +0000

The Genenalogy Guy chats with the entertaining Paul McNeil Managing Director at Time Detectives and one of the researchers on ITV series "DNA Journey", how he got into genealogy & some tips on how he works and behind-the-scenes making each TV episode. You can suggest people I should chat with or if you have any tips you would like to share email me info@armchairgenealogy.com

Donna Rutherford talks genealogy and explains the basics (101) of DNA

Armchair Genealogy — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:15:00 +0000

In this episode, the Genealogy Guy chats with Donna Rutherford. Who has been involved with genealogy for many years and more recently has started working in genetic genealogy. In her spare time, she manages a Facebook group to help others with their DNA research. She has worked with Y-DNA, mtDNA and has experience with autosomal DNA. Donna aims to make the complex side of DNA testing easy to understand for new to DNA or building their knowledge on genetic genealogy and their DNA kits.

Mark Bayley (of The Genealogist website) talking about their new historic maps facility

Armchair Genealogy — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 17:30:58 +0100

In this episode, the Genealogy Guy speaks with Mark Bayley 'Head of Online Development' @ the Genealogist.Co.UK about Maps and their integration into family tree research. Listen out for an offer of £40 discount off an annual subscription plus a Free Subscription to Discover Your Ancestors Online Magazine

Welcome to Armchair Genealogy Podcast

Armchair Genealogy — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 19:49:48 +0100

Welcome to Armchair Genealogy Podcast with me The Genealogy Guy. Remember to subscribe to get informed of future episodes as they are published. Please do share with family & friends or email the show with suggestions to info@armchairgenealogy.com

Trailer For Armchair Genealogy

Armchair Genealogy — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 16:48:40 +0100

Trailer Promotion for the Armchair Genealogy podcast, one the latest genealogy podcast out coming from the the UK