Working lives: choices, opportunities and that beyond our control
As I reflect on a tumultuous year in which Your Local History has gradually grown from a idea into a successful business; in which my old career was shattered by the spending review; in which I have spent many months in an ‘un-chosen’ job and finally achieved my longstanding dream of working full time in […]
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 […]
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 […]
What’s in my name? In the footsteps of my namesakes.
It’s very odd to see your name on a gravestone. The first time this happened to me I was still at Primary School, exploring the old stomping grounds of my family with my parents. It was a weird sensation. More recently I have been back to the same churches, taken photographs and done a lot […]
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 […]
The lives and loves of occupants of Rattle Row, Wymondham
A row of weavers’ cottages in Wymondham was demolished in the late 1970s following a public enquiry in 1977. The cottages were replaced by retirement bungalows which remain to this day. While the street name has lingered, the houses are certainly very different to those they replaced. The cottages made up ‘Rattle Row’ named after […]
“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 […]
