Landmark research from the UK’s leading biography-writing service, StoryTerrace, has unveiled that Londoners are up to ten times more likely to be out of touch with their family history when compared to other capital cities in the UK. Almost 1-in-5 respondents (19%) from London stated they don’t know themselves fully due to a lack of knowledge in this area, compared to just 2% of people sharing this sentiment in Edinburgh.

Key findings:
I don’t know myself fully because I don’t know enough about my heritage. London: 19%, Edinburgh: 2%, Belfast: 5%
It negatively affects my mental health not knowing enough about my cultural background, for example, breeding feelings of guilt, imposter syndrome or loneliness. London: 19%, Edinburgh: 5%, Belfast: 9%, Cardiff: 11%
I am raising my children without them having sufficient information about their cultural or family heritage. London: 23%, Edinburgh: 14%, Belfast: 5%, Cardiff: 21%
It would significantly improve my mental health if I were to hear about my relatives’ history and background. London: 31%, Edinburgh: 20%, Belfast: 26%, Cardiff: 22%
I’m aware of my family history and heritage, but I struggle to identify with it. London: 20%, Edinburgh: 9, Belfast: 10%, Cardiff: 14%

The study subsequently showed that this is having detrimental impacts on their mental health, as 19% of Londoners also admit that not knowing enough about their background breeds feelings of guilt, imposter syndrome or loneliness. This is in stark contrast to those living in smaller cities, with just 5% of those from Edinburgh and 9% of those from Belfast sharing this sentiment.

According to a survey from YouGov, a staggering 50% of Londoners find that the capital is a lonely place to live that can make them experience feelings of isolation. The distinct lack of connection StoryTerrace has reported between those living in England’s capital and their relatives’ past represents a missed opportunity to boost their wellbeing, with a report from the UK National Commission for UNESCO finding that knowledge of one’s heritage and background promotes a positive sense of self, solidarity, and resilience.

The nationally representative study found that just under a third of Londoners (31%) stated that it would significantly improve their mental health if they were to hear about their relatives’ history and background. Knowing, recording, preserving, and sharing our family histories can provide countless benefits to individuals, families, and entire societies. Despite this, over 1-in-4 (28%) admitted they’re raising their children without passing down enough information about their family history, compared with the 5% of those from Belfast, for example. This suggests those that who move to bigger cities subsequently are lonelier and are more prone to loss of family history than those who live in smaller cities.

Reports from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggest that instances of mental illnesses such as depression more than doubled during the pandemic, and this is being further exacerbated by the insurmountable stress caused by the deepening cost-of-living crisis. StoryTerrace’s data suggests that developing a deeper understanding of one’s roots could go some way towards improving wellbeing in general. But what can we do to prevent this trickling into our future generations as more flock to the city?

Rutger Bruining, CEO and Founder of StoryTerrace, has seen how thousands of people have developed a stronger sense of identity by learning more about their heritage during the process of having their life stories penned. Commenting on how documenting your family history and experiences are critically important in preserving what means most to us, he explained:

“It certainly appears from our research that some of the smaller capital cities across the UK have a stronger sense of connection with their family history and therefore better outcomes in terms of wellbeing. However, across the board, it’s just saddening to see that so much of our family history is being lost with time, especially due to the positive effects that knowing about it can have on our mental health. Hopefully, the data unveiled by our study places new importance on preserving these memories and encourages people to share them with their loved ones, which future generations will benefit from enormously.

“When we look upon the world historically, we open ourselves up to new insights about the present, and the world around us comes alive. One of the key benefits of writing a biography is how it brings people closer to their family, their history and a better understanding of who they really are. For us, it is not just about documenting one’s story, it is about cementing your identity by connecting you with your past.

“Half of the memoirs we see here at StoryTerrace are heritage stories. This means an individual comes to document and preserve their cultural history so that future generations are able to read and learn about where they came from, and their relatives’ enriching lives. This means digging up old memories, reaching out to relatives from your past and filling in the gaps that are perhaps blurrier in the present. In doing so, the client comes to learn a wealth of information about their origins – it is a beautiful process.”

About StoryTerrace
StoryTerrace’s mission is to ensure that every life story is captured and passed on in a meaningful way. Its award-winning memoir writing service takes care of the whole process – matching clients with one of over 750 professional writers, interviewing, photo gathering, editing, designing, and printing their very own book. Books are on average 100 pages long, meaning that everyone can have their life story – or those of their loved ones – documented in a professionally curated biography or series of memoirs.

Powered by its proprietary technology platform, StoryTerrace continues to scale globally and has sold over 3,500 packages to date since it was founded in 2014. The company was a winner on BBC Dragons’ Den in 2020 and has gained traction in the likes of Sky News, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, Forbes, and CBS News.