Genealogy Chat

Reading the above it reminds me how important it is to research what information is already available within our immediate and extended familes.

Some will be documented (BMD certs ect) and some by oral history......Although oral history should be taken with a pinch of salt until proven otherwise!

I have a baptism certificate (issued overseas) that gives only the father's name and therefore created a brickwall I have tried, without success, to break down for the last 8 years.....But an oral history taken at a recent family funeral has given me a possible lead to the mother's name.

Chris

A BIG THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR ANS

Hi Sue

I have my great grandfather's union stamp book from the merchant navy, my grandmother's medal for good attendance at school (1908) and most treasured, her references from employers (she was in service) talking of how honest and hard working she was.

Chris

Just adding so I can find this again soon as it may help me sort out my messy papers.

But one thing I was happy to get recently was my grandmother's employment reference.

Jen

In my hallway I have a polished wooden box, like a small ottoman. Inside the lid is stencilled "W & S" for Waifs and Strays. It was the box my father had to keep his few possessions in when he was in a children's home before WW1.

The Children's Society found his file in their archives, detailing why and where he was sent. Fascinating piece of history to add to his service records, medals, certificate from the village he arrived at in 1919 when he returned home and a silver cigarette case given to all their returning soldiers (Engraved with his name and dates). It wasn't his home village, just where some of his family happened to be living.

How I wish he was still around to see all these records I have collected since his death 20 years ago.

Elisabeth

My Dad would be fascinated to find out about his family. Unfortunately he died years before I started doing this. I have his Fathers military records from 1906 and I know my Dad would have said "typical" if he'd known his father was discharged for felony.

I've got wills,
also details of the estate of an ancestral uncle when his executors were sorting it in 1791 including a doctor's bill,
photos including some of tombs of long dead medieval ancestors,
a little card which was sent with a portion of wedding cake from my grandparent's wedding (cake long since eaten!),
telegrams sent to my grandmother announcing my birth and that of my sister,
copies of ships' manifests for relations entering Ellis Island and New York,
prison records and a convict record from Tasmania for a distant relation who was sent there,
newspaper cuttings,
military records,
a copy of an indenture for a butcher's apprentice,
old maps,
a published copy of the memoirs of my 10x great grandmother

I save anything that brings people to life. I like to research about the places and the times associated with ancestors so I find images of churches and castles etc online.

Sue

Wills can be downloaded if you are lucky or some transcriptions are occasionally online. Others may be in local Records Offices.

I found the details of the ancestral uncle's estate in the A2A online catalogue. I run several family history groups online and one of the name groups has over 70 members. One of members took a look while at the National Archives and sent me copies of a few of the about 100 documents in that bundle. I'd like to study more of them.

We have collected tomb photos ourselves if in the relevant church.

A relation was sorting out old paperwork and found the wedding card from my grandparents' wedding which was sent to his ancestor. He gave it to me as he knew I'd treasure it.

The Ellis Island website has ships' manifests on it. You can buy copies (or copy the screen!).

One of my contacts in one of my family online groups is in Tasmania and we shared information. I sent him details of the newspaper reports of transportations and he found the records of arrivals at his end.

Newspaper cuttings were online when a special free offer was available to view (watch out for those) and some are from local papers in my county library in Taunton.

The indenture copy came from Australia. My 4th cousin (now sadly deceased) sent me a copy of his grandfather's apprenticeship details which took place in England but his family had inherited them and taken them to Australia when they emigrated. I sent him back copies of newspaper reports from much later when the same man was a police inspector.

Some old maps are online and one we bought, while others I've downloaded sections which are free.

My 10x great grandmother was a very interesting woman called Rose Throckmorton (previously married name Hickman and maiden name Locke). She lived in Tudor times and was one of the first women to write her autobiography. It was short but fascinating. It was going to cost me a fortune to buy a copy from the British Museum but then I found it was complete in transcript in a book about Religion and Society. I got a second hand copy of that for very little.

I also have found the brief memoirs of a 8x great grandfather who was annoyed with his father and they make interesting reading. That was in Google Books.

I google everything and hunt down all sorts of stuff. For one of my rare surnames I spent many, many hours looking at every website which mentioned the name and its variants.

Sometimes the documents don't exist but if I can't find them it won't be for want of trying.

Sue
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It is surprising what you can find when you look and keep digging Lesley.

Finding out about the places where people lived and what jobs they did is always helpful. I like to research what life was like and the sort of friends they had if possible. Finding things like doctors' bills is wonderful.

In the same collection as the bills in the National Archives my contact found a little slip of paper which was sent from someone at Smithfields market regarding a sale of cattle. It was sent to my 4x great grandfather and mentioned his brother by name. That proved my 4x great was definitely from the family I'd thought he was.

Good luck and keep digging

Sue
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My nan got her mum wedding present vases form 1918.
Other grandad got his first diving license and a fuel ration book for late 30's-early 40's.

If you have family photograph albums which at present do not have the names of the people or dates the photos were taken try to find our from your relatives the full details whilst you still can.

google, google, google.......... I own an original watercolour done by my ggfather's cousin, and two first edition children's books edited and illustrated by him, all obtained through ebay. My dad (90) was so thrilled with one of the books last Xmas, the other book actually has my watercolour in it ! Priceless!!
I have yet to obtain copies, but I am building a list of
letters and other documents held by various libraries involving my forbears. Good luck everybody,
Hz

Where it's been possible I have visited the towns and villages my ancestors came from, to get a 'feel' for the place, and take photos.

I visit and take photos of the local schoolhouse, the church they were baptised/married in, and photos of the graveyard, and the grave if possible. Like Ozibird, I take photos of anything I think would have been there when my ancestors were there.

Many churches have a little leaflet giving the history of the church, I collect these. I visit the local museum and bookshops and collect the leaflets, old maps and postcards, old photos of the place.
Quite often I find a local author or historian has written a small inexpensive booklet on local folklore, dialect or short stories etc, these are lovely keepsakes.

All of this helps me to get to know my ancestors' way of life.

K

n, cos this is an interesting thread.

Ohhh - turn my back for a minute and look what happens:-)

Everyone seems to be finding all manner of interesting things to bring the ancestors to life.

Many thanks to all that have contributed and a special mention to Sue in Somerset who has now re-ignited my genealogy enthusiasm:-)

I'm off to google all my ancestors again (and also try A2A) there's alsorts out there just waiting to be discovered:-)

Happy Hunting

Bacardi XX

Ooh I'm pleased to have been of help.

I do things in bursts of enthusiasm. I tend to do more serious research in the colder months when I am stuck indoors more. Sometimes I have months when I do very little but then I'll have a hunt for a branch I've not looked at for a while. Stuff gets added online all the time so you never know what may turn up.

Sue
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