DESPITE the rigours of lockdown and other Covid-19 restrictions, volunteers at Crediton Museum and Heritage Centre are still available to help with researching family history.

They are asking local people if they have been watching BBC’s "Who do you think you are?" and wondered how it was done?

They say that every family has its questions. Did aunt Mabel really have top billing in war time London shows? Did your ancestors live in Banff in 1861? Or did they run their own business in 1841?

The volunteers have online access to British censuses from 1841 to 1911, birth, death and marriage indexes for England and Wales and various baptism, marriage and burial parish records from across the country, and more besides.

The Crediton Area History and Museum Society chair, David Nation, said: "Many old newspapers have been indexed and it is now possible to see who was on the stage, family notices of happy events and advertisements for local businesses as images of the original newspaper.

"Our volunteers are able to start doing research from home or in the Museum by appointment and with strict social distancing.

"We are offering an initial free discussion and then charge only £25 for 10 hours research. Our volunteer researchers have been doing this for many years and have proved to be excellent in solving family riddles and breaking through the brick walls that often confront people researching their family history.

"Anyone interested is invited to either email: [email protected] or drop a letter into the Museum letter box or send by post to Crediton Museum, The Old Town Hall, High Street, Crediton, EX17 3LF with full contact details including a phone number."