Anyone found much use in the Brit. Newspaper Archive sub?

[Paulo Leeds]

currently paying for one

[Jebber]

Yes, I have found a great deal about various members of most branches of my family, none of them were notorious, mainly ordinary folk.

[Paulo Leeds]

Thanks Jebber.

What kind of things?

[Josephine]

I've made some great discoveries and found useful information in the newspapers on that website.

A lot depends on timeframe and location.

For example, I've noticed that prior to a certain point in the 1800s, BMDs were usually only mentioned for the "special" people (in the newspapers I've looked at, that is).

[Paulo Leeds]

and this is all from just putting names in?

[Josephine]

and this is all from just putting names in?

Sometimes you have to be creative with your search terms. I've used spelling variations of names, titles (e.g. Dr.), town names with surnames, addresses, street names, property names, business names, occupations with either surnames or town names, etc.

[Jebber]

Thanks Jebber.

What kind of things?

BMD's, suicides,  supplying food to the workhouse, the same person lost possessions in a fire in his  bakery. Others were deaths in a house fire, petty crime  such as poaching, letting his employer's donkeys stray on the public highway, trade advertisements and a myriad other little snippets. you just have to persevere and don't restrict your researches to where your family lived. many items can be found in papers mile from where they lived.

[stanmapstone]

Another free newspaper site worth a look is Welsh Newspapers Online http://newspapers.library.wales/

Stan

[Rena]

I have free access from my home computer via my local lending library.

I've also found adverts, plus bmd's and was surprised to find the death of an ordinary blacksmith was announced in the 1850s.  I've found mention of landlords of taverns - even found one such landlord was targetted by thieves in the late 1700s when they tried to steal the bed curtains.  As transport was mainly by ship most newspapers gave information about arrivals/departures and names of captains which I found useful.   

Prior to being a member I could see from bmds that family members moved about.  Now that I have access to online newspapers I've discovered most reasons for the moves, e.g. one man followed his employer when he sold his tannery/leather works in Thornhil, Perthshire in 1794 (per newspaper adverts) and transferred the business to Lanarkshire, Scotland.