TRACING YOUR family tree could be the key to unlocking histories of black presence in Britain as well as roots in Africa and the Caribbean, according to the new head of the Society of Genealogists.

Dr Wanda Wyporska, who takes over at the Society next week, said that an upsurge in ancestry searches could bring to light hidden histories about black British history, which dates back to the first century Roman conquest.

Her comments come as the genealogy site Ancestry.com announced the publication of 3.5 million records of previously enslaved Black people for free. Much of the information was gathered through the Freedmen’s Bureau in the United States.

In Britain, the British Library has joined forces with the Museum of Barbados to index and digitise old newspapers that contain notices of runaway enslaved Africans on the island.

Dr Wyporska, who has Bajan and Polish heritage, traced her genealogy and found that her African roots, particularly in Nigeria, Togo and Mali, were particularly strong.

She told The Voice: It’s really important that many of our communities look at ancestry as much as they can because it’s not just the question of tracing back to the Caribbean or to Africa. It’s also about tracing our roots here. 

“Because we did not all just come over on Windrush, there have been black and ethnic communities here for far longer and we are part of the fabric of this community. 

“Family history side is about filling in those gaps of how our ancestors lived. Because it also allows us to build a different side of history.”

Genealogists say there has been an upsurge in interest from black Britons. Ancestry.com has reported a 25 percent rise in Brits interested in researching their family histories.