Leading family history website Findmypast has announced the launch of a new and improved address search designed to enhance the research of both family and house historians.  

Launched in response to customer demand, the new address search covers all UK censuses from 1841 to 1911 and introduces a raft of new tools and features. 

Based on feedback provided by users, it has been specifically designed to help locate missing ancestors, build a more complete picture of their lives by discovering friends, relatives and neighbours or trace the occupancy of a specific address.  

Available to all via findmypast.com/search-address , the update includes the following new features:  

·         Easy access: users can now access address search from the homepage menu in two simple clicks 

·         Search by address across all UK censuses: whereas previously only individual censuses could be searched by address, users can now perform a single search across all 187 million records via the “select all” drop down menu 

·         Set a search radius: Findmypast's new radius slider enables users to return a range of street matches from the centre of an entered location - particularly useful for long streets that span more than one location 

·         Easy search edits: users can change street names and locations while viewing household results to narrow down or expand their search   

·         Locate misspelt streets: street names can vary depending on how enumerators originally recorded them. To combat this, Findmypast have added a ‘spelling variants’ tick box to help users locate such addresses  

·         Clearly displayed households for each street: when search results present a number of similarly spelled streets, researchers can use the total number of households listed to easily determine which street to start investigating 

·         Search on mobile devices: it is now much easier to see all the information on one screen 

·         View house numbers more easily: Findmypast have moved enumeration numbers to the far right of the results page to avoid confusion with house numbers - especially beneficial when scrolling on mobile 

·         Access search tips: Findmypast have included tips on how to formulate a search, hacks to help dig out missing streets or houses, and recommendations for other useful resources available on the site 

 
As well as enhancing the research of those looking to learn more about the lives of their ancestors or explore the history of their home, these improvements lay solid foundations for future updates and new features.  

Findmypast will continue to seek out and act on the feedback of users to deliver the best possible experience for all. All users are invited to share their feedback on the Findmypast Forum, on social media or by contacting Findmypast's dedicated customer support team.