Wiltshire folk are rightly proud of their roots – and now residents can find out just how Wiltshire their surname truly is.

A comprehensive new study from UK family history website Findmypast uses millions of digitised local census and parish records dating back to the 1500s.

The study reveals which surnames have the deepest historical roots, which are now rarely seen, and offers insights into jobs and movement over time.

Some surnames go back centuries and appear frequently in parish records from as early as the time of Henry VIII.

Smyth, Whatley, Pinchine (or Pinchin) and Marchant are some of the surnames that have strong links to our county.

Wiltshire’s ancient trades are etched into its names. In the 1500s, surnames like Stone, Baker, Carter, and Cooper reflected occupations that built the region — from masonry and agriculture to food and barrel-making.

The surname Stone, for instance, nods to the long history of quarrying and stonecraft around Salisbury Plain.

By the 19th and 20th centuries, names like Jones, Williams, Thomas, and Davis surged into Wiltshire’s top rankings.

These are classic Welsh surnames, and their increasing presence points to migration from Wales and the border counties — likely drawn by opportunities in railway works, agriculture, and the cloth industry.

Jones, for example, moved from 16th in rank in the 1500s to 2nd most popular by 1911.

Some surnames, such as Tucker, Tompson, Stephens (or Stevens) are sadly in decline, however, due to migration and marriage patterns over time, with more localised names eroding as generations move away to find work.

Yet some surnames have increased in popularity over time in Wiltshire. One striking example of this is Webb – which rose in rank from 19th most popular in the 1500s to become its eighth most prevalent by 1911 and further to 6th by 1921.

Jen Baldwin, research specialist at Findmypast, said: “This research gives us more than just name statistics — it’s a map of cultural change through Wiltshire’s rich and varied past.

“Surnames carry the voices of our ancestors, the geography of forgotten villages, and the legacy of occupations, dialects, and kinship.

“Tracing their rise and fall offers a fresh window into Britain’s evolving identity, as well as unlocking clues in piecing together your own family’s story.

“Now, it’s as easy as typing in your surname on Findmypast to start delving into your roots.”

Explore Your Wiltshire Surname

To see how your surname ranks across time — or where it first appears — visit www.findmypast.co.uk/surname

Simply type in your surname and explore billions of historical records in an instant.

The following is a press release written by the folks at Landon Capital Partners:

The acquisition marks a milestone for iMemories and brings high-quality digitization and subscription-based apps to Ancestry’s 3.7 million subscribers.

Landon Capital Partners (“LCP”), a leading lower-middle-market private equity firm, alongside its partner Greens Farms Capital, announced on July 31, 2025, the sale of iMemories to Ancestry.

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, iMemories has digitized more than 100 million memories for over one million families across the U.S. and is the market leader in this space. Ancestry, based in Lehi, UT, is the world leader in family history and consumer genomics. The acquisition brings together two category-defining platforms with a shared mission: to help families preserve special moments across generations.

Since LCP’s investment in 2022, iMemories has doubled EBITDA, expanded internationally and upgraded its technology, operations and customer reach. LCP added value through its active, strategic advisory role at board level, while iMemories’ best-in-class management team was instrumental in the successful execution of the strategy.

Sundip Murthy, Managing Partner at LCP, said: “We are pleased with our partnership with the iMemories team and the company’s tremendous value creation. This is another successful exit for LCP in a challenging M&A environment, which speaks to the quality of the business and the strength of the management team. Ancestry is an ideal and complementary buyer for iMemories, and we are excited for the future of the combined businesses.”

Mark Rukavina, Founder & CEO of iMemories, said: “We’re grateful to Landon Capital Partners and Greens Farms Capital for their support and strategic guidance. As part of Ancestry, we can now weave every photo, film reel, and videotape we restore into the broader story of where a family comes from – bringing historical discoveries to life in vivid color and motion. By combining iMemories’ AI-enhanced media platform with Ancestry’s unrivaled historical data and DNA insights, we will give millions of families an end-to-end heritage experience that both preserves their memories and brings them powerfully to life for generations to come.”

Michael Kessler, Founder and Managing Partner at Greens Farms Capital, who served as Chairman of iMemories during the investment period, said: “Since Landon Capital Partners’ and Greens Farms Capital’s investment, the exceptional team at iMemories – led by Mark Rukavina and Steve Krell – made strategic investments in infrastructure, international expansion, and AI-focused product innovation to scale the business and elevate the consumer experience. The results have been impressive, with the company exceeding its planned growth objectives while continuing to build momentum for the future. It has been a privilege to work alongside such visionary entrepreneurs during this period of transformational progress.”

Landon Capital Partners invested in iMemories in partnership with Greens Farms Capital and iMemories’ management, bringing institutional credibility and deep operational experience to an already successful business. From day one, the firm worked closely with iMemories’ leadership team, to provide strategic input while empowering existing management to lead day-to-day execution. Throughout its 3.5-year investment period, LCP maintained an active role as majority board representative on behalf of the firm’s family-office investors, contributing financial and strategic guidance and helping the business exceed its financial goals.

The buyer, Ancestry, is the global leader in family history and consumer genomics. The company sees the acquisition of iMemories as a natural extension of its existing offerings, allowing its 3.7 million subscribers the opportunity to further enrich their family storytelling experience through preserved visual media.

Howard Hochhauser, President and CEO of Ancestry, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome iMemories to the Ancestry family. Their technology and customer-first approach align perfectly with our mission to help people discover, preserve and share their family stories. Together, we’ll give millions of families the ability to bring their cherished memories to life in a whole new way.”

JEGI CLARITY + LEONIS acted as exclusive financial advisor to iMemories in connection with the transaction. Lowenstein Sandler LLP and Goulston & Storrs served as legal advisors to the Company. Each of these firms played a pivotal role in running an efficient and competitive process that culminated in a successful outcome for all parties.

About iMemories

iMemories is the largest and most trusted digitizer of analog home movies and photos. A pioneer in streaming personal memories on any device via its iMemories Cloud, the company pairs industry-leading scanning with proprietary AI enhancement to revive decades-old reels, tapes, and prints in stunning clarity and resolution. Honored among Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2023, iMemories has safeguarded more than 100 million memories since 2005 from its Scottsdale, Arizona headquarters. Discover how iMemories preserves, enriches, and shares life’s moments at www.imemories.com.

About Landon Capital Partners

Landon Capital Partners is a U.S.-based private equity firm with offices in Boston, Palm Beach and London. Founded in 2015, LCP is backed by a network of global family offices and focuses on control investing and scaling lower-middle market companies across North America. LCP’s patient and flexible approach allows it to be an ideal investor for founders, entrepreneurs and other sponsors that are seeking an active partner to guide long-term strategic growth. Since inception, the firm has made 18 platform investments, with a consistent focus on operational value creation and strategic partnership.

[www.landoncapital.com]

About Greens Farms Capital

Greens Farms Capital, based in Westport, CT, is a private investment firm that partners with founders and management teams of high-potential businesses to drive growth and long-term value. Greens Farms makes control and non-control investments in growing lower-middle market companies in business services, software and technology, and media and marketing services.

[https://www.greensfarmscapital.com/]

The following announcement wass written by the folks at MyHeritage:

LiveMemory™ just got even cooler — and I think you’ll love what’s new! We’ve added 11 creative new effects to the feature that turns your family photos into short, animated video clips. From Selfie with Lincoln to Deep-sea Diver and Synchronized Dance, these additions bring even more personality and fun to your old family snapshots. Plus, the AI tech behind LiveMemory™ has been upgraded, so the animations now look more lifelike and stay truer to facial features. Whether you're in the mood for silly or sentimental, there's something here that will spark a smile — and maybe even go viral. We’ve reset the free uses, so even those who have tried out LiveMemory™ before can give it another go at no cost. Give the updated feature a spin and share it with your readers or followers. We’ve included some fun examples in the blog post.

The following is a press release written by the folks at the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

From the Stacks: An Unsolved Mystery from the Sky The National Archives at Seattle holds the 1971 FBI report for one of the most high-profile U.S. District Attorney’s Cases for the Western District of Washington: Case CR-0451, the infamous skyjacking case involving the alias “D.B. Cooper.”  On Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 bound for Seattle from Portland, OR, Cooper handed a flight attendant a note indicating that he had an explosive device. He demanded $200,000 in exchange for the safe return of all the passengers on board. After receiving the money, he jumped from the back of the plane with a parachute somewhere between Seattle and Reno, NV. Optimistic that the case would be solved quickly, the U.S. Attorney’s office opened the file under this placeholder name, and D.B. Cooper was never found. The investigative case file contains photographs and the initial sketch of the suspect. There are also detailed experiments conducted by the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to determine how the theft was pulled off. A document from U.S. Attorney’s Case File for the skyjacking case involving the alias “D.B. Cooper,” dated 1971. NAID: 325594129 Dead Sea Scrolls In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon a remarkable discovery in the Judaean Desert–the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Over the next decade, this chance finding would lead to the unearthing of thousands of manuscript fragments from 11 caves near the ancient site of Qumran, dating back two millennia. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA, invites you to its Special Exhibit: Dead Sea Scrolls, featuring eight authentic Dead Sea Scrolls and over 200 artifacts from the Second Temple period. The exhibit will remain on display until September 2, 2025. Come see these unique artifacts while you can! More than 200 artifacts–along with eight authentic scrolls–are on display as part of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum's Special Exhibit: Dead Sea Scrolls. Passport to Presidential Libraries The Passport to Presidential Libraries is a special keepsake booklet you can take with you on your travels to Presidential Libraries across the nation. Collect a commemorative stamp from the library at the time of the purchase and collect stamps from every Presidential Library visited in the future. The Passport can be purchased for $10 in person at any Presidential Library within the National Archives system via either the admissions desk or museum store. Alternatively, visitors can purchase the Passport via some NARA Presidential Library online stores. National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408

The following is a press release written by the folks at Roots Revealed, a professional genealogist service in County Antrim, Northern Ireland:

The next Exploring Your Roots Genealogy Course will commence on 25 September 2025 and will run for 2 hours each week for 10 weeks, finishing on 27 November 2025. The course is delivered via Zoom.

Comprehensive course materials are provided and you will have access to course recordings for 3 months. 

This is the 14^th course delivered by Natalie Bodle of Roots Revealed, a professional genealogist based in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. 

The course focuses on Irish and Northern-Irish records; it is suitable for novices as well as those who have more experience in research.

Early Bird pricing of £140 applies until 31 August and thereafter the cost will be £160. 

Places are limited to allow for plenty of interaction and time for questions. For more information and to register your interest, please visit https://rootsrevealed.co.uk/genealogy-courses/

Leslie Weir

Leslie Weir became the Librarian and Archivist of Canada on August 30, 2019. She is the first woman to be appointed to the position since the National Library of Canada and the National Archives of Canada merged to form Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in 2004.

Under Ms. Weir’s leadership, LAC embarked on a major transition in 2020 to improve its services to Canadians and to better fulfill its mandate of acquiring, preserving, making accessible and sharing Canada’s documentary heritage, specifically through significant service and technological shifts. To focus its efforts, LAC developed Vision 2030, a strategic plan unveiled in 2022 that is intended to foster reconciliation, reflection, analysis and planning to chart the institution’s course over the next 10 years, and beyond.

Providing access, supporting democracy and working in partnerships endure as some of the Librarian and Archivist of Canada’s main focuses as LAC sets out to remain a world leader among memory institutions. During Ms. Weir’s tenure, LAC has been able to plan for a future that reflects the collective ideas of the documentary heritage community, shaped by the needs of its users, the realities of the institution and the benefits of its experience.

In her role as Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Ms. Weir has guided LAC to several significant and innovative achievements, including the opening of its Preservation Storage Facility in the National Capital Region in 2022. This state-of-the-art building is the first net-zero carbon archival preservation facility in the Americas and the largest automated archival facility in the world.

In addition to increasing its preservation capacity under Ms. Weir’s leadership, LAC is revolutionizing its services to the public with a second major infrastructure project: Ādisōke, the joint facility that will be home to LAC and Ottawa Public Library in 2026. The result of an ongoing collaboration in the spirit of relationship building, decolonization and reconciliation, Ādisōke represents an unprecedented partnership between governments. It promises to be a cultural showplace for the country’s heritage and a prime example of the federal government’s commitment to building sustainable infrastructure.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Weir was University Librarian at the University of Ottawa from 2003 to 2018. She also held positions at the National Library of Canada, the Statistics Canada Library and the Côte Saint-Luc Public Library in Montréal.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Weir has demonstrated vision, dedication and outstanding service by encouraging connections both within and outside the world of librarianship. She guided many transformative moments at the Canadian Research Knowledge Network and research libraries in Canada. Ms. Weir is one of the founding architects of Scholars Portal, the state-of-the-art research infrastructure in Ontario universities that brings together information resources and services in support of research and learning. Ms. Weir served as President of Canadiana.org, where she oversaw the introduction of the Heritage Project, in collaboration with LAC, to digitize and make openly accessible some 60 million heritage archival images. As well, she was President of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries from 2007 to 2009 and the Ontario Library Association in 2017.

Ms. Weir is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Forum of National Archivists, Vice Chair of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries, and President-elect (2023–2025) of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

The following is a press release written by the folks at the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum 
Little Rock, AR 

Friday, August 15, 2025 - 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CDT

"Presents for the President: Happy Birthday, President Clinton!" Join us on Friday, August 15, 2025, for our next "Ask an Archivist, Converse with a Curator" event at the Clinton Library and Museum. In celebration of President Clinton's 79th birthday, we will highlight the gifts and birthday cards given to him during his administration. The program "Ask an Archivist and Converse with a Curator" is held on the third Friday of every month at 11 am and 2 pm. Admission to the library is required, but the program is free.

The following is a press release written by the folks at Ancestry:

 Ancestry, the global leader in family history, today announced its acquisition of iMemories, a pioneer in media digitization and cloud-based content preservation. This is an important next step in enabling Ancestry to deliver on its mission to connect everyone to their past so they can discover, preserve and share their unique family stories.

iMemories transforms analog media—including home movies, films, videotapes, photos, slides and negatives —into high-quality digital formats that can be streamed on your smartphone, tablet, computer, or Smart TV with the iMemories app.

The acquisition brings powerful capabilities into Ancestry's ecosystem, accelerating the growth of user-generated content to enhance personalized, AI-powered storytelling, and directly complements Ancestry's family history–focused strategy, providing added value to current subscribers while expanding appeal to new customer segments.

"We're thrilled to welcome iMemories to Ancestry as we make family history more visual, emotional, and accessible," said Howard Hochhauser, President & CEO of Ancestry. "By combining Ancestry's leadership in family history with iMemories' expertise in media digitization, we're empowering people to preserve their most meaningful moments and bring their family stories to life in powerful new ways."

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, iMemories has built a trusted reputation for over 20 years, serving over one million customers and digitizing more than 100 million assets. Their expertise brings advanced preservation tools and a scalable media platform to Ancestry's global audience.

"Joining forces with Ancestry opens an exciting new chapter for iMemories," said Mark Rukavina, Founder and CEO of iMemories. "Together, we're redefining how families experience their history—making it easier than ever to preserve treasured memories and pass them on for generations to come."

Looking ahead, with iMemories, Ancestry will not only digitize family photos, videos, slides, and films, but enable customers to seamlessly add them to their family tree, enhancing discoveries with a new layer of emotional richness. And with the help of AI-powered tools, those family stories will become even more vivid, dynamic, and personal.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. JEGI CLARITY + LEONIS represented iMemories in this transaction.

About Ancestry

Ancestry, the global leader in family history, connects everyone with their past so they can discover, preserve, and share their unique family stories. With our unparalleled collection of more than 65 billion records, over 3 million subscribers and over 27 million people in our growing DNA network, customers can discover their family story and gain a new level of understanding about their lives. Over the past 40 years, we've built trusted relationships with millions of people who have chosen us as the platform for discovering, preserving and sharing the most important information about themselves and their families.

About iMemories

iMemories is the largest and most trusted digitizer of analog home movies and photos. A pioneer in streaming personal memories on any device via its iMemories Cloud, the company pairs industry‑leading scanning with proprietary AI enhancement to revive decades‑old reels, tapes, and prints in stunning clarity and resolution. Honored among Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2023, iMemories has safeguarded more than 100 million memories since 2005 from its Scottsdale, Arizona headquarters. Discover how iMemories preserves, enriches, and shares life's moments at www.imemories.com.

Wesley LePatner, board member for UJA-Federation of New York and The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, mourned by loved ones as ‘uniquely brilliant’