Inside the packed December issue:

• Have you found your true roots? What have your learnt from family history? Chris Paton reflects on how his unfolding family history research has taught him so much about his identity. Do you feel the same?
• Fishing for my ancestors: A clue in an unexpected source led to Melanie Winterbotham tracing her ancestry back to Tudor times and immersing herself in their working lives
• Transported for life: There are a wealth of sources to help you trace convict ancestors in Australia. Simon Wills shares some tips to get you started
• Top 10 photo-dating tips: Photo-dating guru Jayne Shrimpton shares tips on gleaning every last clue from your family photo albums
• End of year test! This issue Family Tree tutor David Annal teaches how to get started with ‘family reconstruction’, ways to decipher a will, and sets your End of Year Christmas challenge!
• Lockdown memories: Separated from her small granddaughter this year, Charlotte Soares has been enlisting family history during their precious screentime
• Free records: Get the code to unlock your free records today
• Our street’s story; Reader Ian Newton shares how he researched the history of his road
• Legacies of British slavery database: A step-by-step guide to searching the Legacies website for ancestors involved in the slave trade

Plus all your regular favourites:

• Dear Paul… Paul Chiddicks reveals this month’s crop of genealogical miscellanies
• Twiglets… How will Gill Shaw end this year’s discoveries into the many-peopled branches of her growing tree      
• DNA workshop… DNA advisor Karen Evans lends a helping hand, and offers tips to try and task to do, to get more from your DNA research    
• Thoughts on… Diane Lindsay sits back on reflects on her treasure trove of Christmases from years gone by