New DNA and subscription bundle from Findmypast for UK subscribers

Findmypast are offering a free DNA kit to new UK subscribers for a limited time only. Findmypast have a partnership with Living DNA and the test on offer is the Living DNA test packaged under the FindmypastDNA brand name. Note that the test offered in this bundle is an autosomal test only. If you wish to have the Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroup reports, which are included with the standard Living DNA test, you would need to upgrade.  

Full details of the offer are included in the following press release from Findmypast which I received on 4th September 2019.  As far as I'm aware this offer is still available. It is restricted to the UK market. I do not know if there are any plans to extend the offer to other countries.

FINDMYPAST ANNOUNCES NEW DNA & SUBSCRIPTION BUNDLE FOR UK MARKET

 

• While stocks last, all 12 month Pro or Plus subscriptions now come with a free Findmypast DNA kit worth £79

• New offering allows users to combine cutting-edge science with Findmypast’s archive of more than 9 billion historical records

Leading family history website, Findmypast, has announced that as of today, any UK customer who purchases a 12-month Plus or Pro subscription will receive a Findmypast DNA kit worth £79, completely free of charge whilst stocks last. 

The new bundle combines cutting edge science and traditional family history research methods, allowing family historians to explore their past in more depth than ever before.

Launched in partnership with fellow British brand, Living DNA in November 2018, this first of its kind service uses Living DNA’s unique test employing cutting-edge science to provide a breakdown of 21 regions across Britain and Ireland, connecting family history enthusiasts with the records they need to bring their ancestors’ stories to life. 

Those looking to take advantage of this incredible offer can choose from: 

• A 12-month Plus subscription priced at £120 – covering all record categories, perfect for expanding your family tree and adding colour to your research

OR

• 12-month Pro subscription priced at £156  - providing full access to everything Findmypast has to offer, including the largest online collection of British & Irish newspapers

AND…

• They will receive a Findmypast DNA kit completely FREE plus free delivery (normally £79)

Once you have purchased your Plus or Pro Subscription, or upgraded from a starter sub, simply claim you free kit by visiting /www.findmypast.co.uk/subscribe?dnaoffer=true.  All free kits must be claimed no later than 30 days after the subscription purchase.

New partnership between Findmypast and Living DNA

Findmypast has announced a partnership with the British-based DNA testing company Living DNA. Living DNA tests can now be purchased on the Findmypast website.

The UK price is £99 via this link: https://findmypast.co.uk/ancestry-dna-testing

The US price is $99 via this link: https://findmypast.com/ancestry-dna-testing

A new service offering co-branded kits is scheduled to be launched in the autumn.

There are further details in the following press release which has been received from Findmypast.

FINDMYPAST AND LIVING DNA ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

• The two leading British companies are creating a new DNA experience focused on uncovering British & Irish roots

• New service will be launched in autumn 2018

• Living DNA tests now available at Findmypast

Thursday July 19^th 2018: Leading British and Irish family history website, Findmypast, has today announced a new partnership with the providers of the world’s most advanced DNA test, Living DNA.

Together, the two British companies are creating a new DNA experience that is designed to help customers explore their British and Irish roots. This new experience will combine cutting-edge science with traditional family history research methods, allowing families to discover more about their past and present.

Living DNA’s tests provide a unique breakdown of ethnic identities associated with 21 regions across Britain and Ireland by analysing unique combinations of linked DNA. This proprietary method delivers a level of detail that is currently unmatched by any other test available on the market.

By combining technology from the leading British DNA company with deep expertise and Findmypast’s vast collection of more 9 billion historical records and newspaper articles, family historian's will be able to make new discoveries about their British & Irish genetic history.

Living DNA testing kits are now available to purchase at findmypast.co.uk/ancestry-dna-testing/ and co-branded kits will be launched when the new integrated Findmypast and Living DNA service is introduced later in the year.

“Our partnership with Findmypast continues Living DNA’s mission to make DNA testing simple. We are passionate at not only providing cutting edge ways of looking at your DNA but to do so with strict privacy measures by  never selling your data. This partnership allows the most precise DNA test on the market to work together with Findmypast’s family history records in a way not done before” says Living DNA Co-Founder, David Nicholson. 

Tamsin Todd, CEO of Findmypast, said: “As the world leader for British and Irish records, we work hard every day to help our customers feel the thrill of making discoveries about their families. I’m delighted that we are partnering with a British company, Living DNA, who are pioneers in DNA technology, and look forward to combining our expertise in DNA technology and historical records to help people around the world connect with their British and Irish roots."

See also the blog post Findmypast partnership from Living DNA.

Free access to Irish records on Findmypast for the next five days in celebration of St Patrick's Day

The following press release has been received from Findmypast.

FINDMYPAST GRANT FIVE DAYS OF FREE ACCESS TO ALL IRISH RECORDS IN CELEBRATION OF ST PATRICK’S DAY 2017

Findmypast makes entire collection of more than 116 million Irish records free for five days
All 116 records free from the 13^th  to the 17^th March 2017

Leading family history website, Findmypast, has just announced that they will be making their entire collection of Irish records free for five days to help budding genealogists uncover their Irish heritage ahead of St Patrick’s Day 2017.

From today, Monday 13th March, until 11.59pm (GMT) Friday 17th March, all 116 million records within Findmypast’s Irish collection will be completely free to search and explore, providing family historians from around the globe with the opportunity to learn more about the lives of their Irish ancestors.

This includes free access to:

• Over 10 million Irish Catholic Parish Registers 
• Over 15 million Census, Land & Substitute records including the 1901 and 1911 censuses 
• Over 30 million detailed Court & Prison Records 
• Over 33 million Irish newspaper articles spanning the years 1708 to 1956 
• Over 7.3 million Dog Licences 
• Over 24 million Irish Passenger Lists 
• Over 2.4 million workhouse & poor law records 
• Over 1.4 million Irish Quaker records 
• Over 350,000 records from World War 1, the Easter Rising & more 
• Landed Estates Court records featuring details of over 500,000 tenants residing on estates all over Ireland 
• The complete Griffith's Valuation 
• Over 2.3 million Social History & Directory Records, including the most comprehensive online collection of national directories, dating back to 1814 
• Indexes to Irish wills dating from 1270 – 1858

Free Live Webinar

On Thursday March 16th at 4pm GMT, Findmypast will be hosting a free St Patrick’s Day Webinar presented by Fiona Fitzsimons, the founder and research director of Eneclann, a Trinity College Campus Company. Fiona manages teams of expert researchers to provide Irish and British family history as well as running a successful probate genealogy service. Her talk, entitled, “Secrets to Successful Irish Family Research”, will cover strategies for online research, Irish customs & traditions and collateral records to help “bridge the gaps”.

New Records Available To Search

Thousands of additional records will be added to Findmypast’s extensive Irish collection on Friday 17th March. This will include substantial updates to their collection of Irish Society of Friends (Quaker) records, new directories, administrations, family histories, memorial inscriptions and more. Visit the dedicated Findmypast Friday page to keep up to date with the latest additions.

Genealogy companies in the news

There have been some interesting developments in the genealogical world in the last few days. On 3rd August it was announced that Ancestry.com will be selling shares to the public for the first time in what is known as an initial public offering (IPO). A report can be found on the Techcrunch website. As part of the process Ancestry were required to file a Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchanges Commission in America. The full document can be read online here. There are some interesting facts and figures concealed in the small print:

- In the six months ending 30th June 2009 Ancestry had 990,959 subscribers, compared to 913,683 in the equivalent period in 2008.

- Revenues from subscribers in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries collectively were 74%, 19% and 7%, respectively, in the first half of 2008 compared to 76%, 16% and 8%, respectively, in the first half of 2009.

- Ancestry plan to launch a new multi-language website called Mundia.com later this year. No further details are provided.

- The BBC television programme "Who do you think you are" was largely responsible for an increase in Ancestry subscribers in the UK: "Our subscriber additions were 569,851 in 2006, principally driven by the airing of “Who Do You Think You Are?” in the United Kingdom, and 479,663 in 2007".

- Ancestry have already purchased "product integration" in anticipation of the launch of the US version of “Who Do You Think You Are?” in 2010. They are no doubt hoping that the programme will have a similar impact on subscriptions in the US. (The US programme was initially scheduled to be shown in April 2009 in the US and in the summer of 2009 in the UK, but was postponed at the last minute for unknown reasons and the revised dates have not yet been announced.)

Yesterday it was reported in The Guardian that Ancestry was one of the companies in the running to purchase Friends Reunited and Genes Reunited from ITV. The other prime candidate was Ancestry's main UK rival Brightsolid, the parent company of Findmypast.com and Scotland's People. In the event Brightsolid emerged as the eventual winners and the news of the purchase was officially announced today on their website. There was another report on the acquisition on the BBC website. (As an intriguing aside I was amused to learn from the BBC report that the German equivalent of the reality TV programme "I'm a celebrity… " is known as "Ich bin ein Star"!)

I suspect the future of Friends Reunited is now in doubt as it has effectively been superseded by Facebook. In contrast, Genes Reunited is a thriving community with nine million loyal members, and it has proved to be an effective way of making contact with other family history researchers in the UK. The interface is however very clumsy and there is plenty of room for improvement. It will be interesting to learn what plans Brightsolid have for the site in the coming months.