British Isles Family History Society

Thanks to Elizabeth Shown Mills for sharing this article.

I am in the process of tracing a brick-wall Colonial American ancestor to the British Isles using Y-DNA. I am using a relatively new test that is producing amazing results. This test can help us finally cross the pond. Check out my post "The Big Y test from Family Tree DNA can knock your socks off!" http://ultimatefamilyhistorians.blogspot.com//the-bigy-tes

Thanks to Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak for sharing this great story.

Thanks to Steven Smyrl & Irish Genealogical Research Society for sharing John Grenham latest article on Civil War Pension records.

Thanks to Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak for this great DNA article.

http://standardnews.com/insane-titanic-facts-wont-believe

Thanks to the New Wild Geese for sharing this 3-part article of historic interest for anyone interested in Irish history.

Thanks to John Grenham and Irish Ancestors for this great blog post on Ancestry DNA.

Thanks to IGRS for sharing John Grenham 's latest article.

Thanks to IGRS for letting us know about Clare Santry's recent update to her e-book.

Thanks to IGRS for this article.

In 431 A.D. and three days after the festival of Lughnasagh, a lone figure stood, head bowed in contemplation, next to one of five carefully positioned chairs, ...in the Great Assembly Hall at Tara in the province of Royal Mide. Four of the chairs, laid out to mirror the points of the compass, faced the fifth chair which sat directly in the center of the hall. The seat, with intricately carved arm rests and a high-back, was adorned with inlaid ivory, fashioned from the tusks of a wild boar. TWG member John Anthony Brennan with part one of his story of "The Great Assembly at Tara." http://thewildgeese.irish/profi//the-feis-at-tara-part-one See more

Elephant Angel, Belfast, 1941. In 1941, many of the animals in Belfast zoo were ordered to be killed because of public safety fears during the Belfast Blitz.... RUC officers killed six wolves, two polar bears, a hyena, tiger, puma and black bear, among other animals. A baby elephant Sheila dodged the death list and was re-housed by a woman who lived near the zoo and kept her in a back garden. Dubbed the "elephant angel" by Zookeepers, Denise kept the Elephant at her home on the Whitewell Road in the north of the city for several months. The Elephant stayed in her enclosure at the zoo during the day and went home to Denise's house at night. Denise took Sheila for evening walks calling into shops where the Elephant was treated to portions of stale bread. During the night Sheila slept in Austins' garage. The arrangement ended when Sheila got spooked by a dog and went on a bit of a rampage through the neighbours gardens. She was then forced to return to the zoo but Denise's fondness for Sheila continued as she visited the zoo, particularly at night during the air raids, rubbing her ears to keep her calm. Sheila survived the war and lived for another two decades, dying of a skin complaint in 1966. Ms Austin, her carer, died in 1997.