Stitches in time: tracking elusive cousins (part two)
Good evening! Welcome back to my blog about elusive cousins – investigating common themes which complicate the search for relatives. This time I’ll be looking at some examples of relocation and deaths of key family members as well as re-introducing you to a ‘rogue’ in my family tree. It’s a common belief that people didn’t […]
Stitches in time: tracking elusive cousins (part one)
During the last week I’ve been looking into a sometimes neglected branch of my family tree – the living elements! This has meant following my own advice and asking relatives what they know about their cousins, nieces and nephews. Specifically, I’ve been trying to collect information about my second cousins, most of whom I have […]
Snakes and Ladders: the clues and crimson fish hiding in first names
These days most parents seem to spend weeks reading baby name books, discussing naming options and trying out short-listed forenames on friends and family. Many even debate as far as the particular spelling of the name, the possibility of initials being a acronym for something less than pleasant, and whether the name works in all […]
Can family history ever get too personal?
An interesting question to ponder. Would your ancestors have appreciated you finding out about their illegitimate children, their brushes with the law, their personal tragedy? Virtually all family historians, whatever their level of interest, research because they enjoy finding out more about their ancestors, more about ‘where they come from’. But what happens when you […]
Are you ever too young to be a ‘genealogist’?
A few days ago I happened to tweet that someone had told me I looked “too young to be a genealogist”. It was perhaps originally a throwaway comment, but it got me thinking. The response I had from people out there in twitter land was quite astonishing. It seems that I am by no means […]
Big Cats, the Black Shuck and Rampaging Elephants: Norfolk’s Menagerie
This week, the local news once again featured a sighting of a Big Cat (capitals added for effect) in Norfolk. Those of us from these parts have seen a large number of these reports in the press in recent years, and indeed going back further – move over Beast of Bodmin! Norfolk and Suffolk have […]
A Wizarding Genealogy
I admit it. I’m a massive fan of the Harry Potter books and I think J. K. Rowling deserves a lot of praise for creating a fantastic series which will entertain children and adults for decades to come. I hold my head up high when I say I have queued for books at midnight and stayed […]
“That which we call a Rhoda, by any other name would smell as sweet”
Perhaps the quote is taking it a little far, but given that the meaning of ‘Rhoda’ is ‘Rose’ it is not completely far fetched. While researching today I came to ponder the usage of the name ‘Rhoda’. How many have you ever met? I have made the acquaintance of two. One, a lovely colleague; the […]
Just starting out? Here are my top ten tips for uncovering your family’s history…
When considering how to start this blog I decided it was only logical to begin at the beginning. There is something very special about uncovering your history for yourself, and here are my pearls of wisdom to help you along the way… 1. Start with yourself and work backwards. This might sound silly but a […]
