Tips and Hints
Using Directories to extend your research
December 10, 2022
In various formats, directories have been published for over 300 years and offer unrivalled information for both family and local historians. However, information gathering took some time. A directory dated 1871 was probably correct only in 1870 and even then should not be relied on too heavily as being precise, accurate or comprehensive. Ordinary working […]
Are you telling half the story?
November 4, 2021
Charts displaying names, dates and places will not absorb or intrigue your family or your descendants but a written account of your family, with social history, stories and archival images mixed in probably will! Writing a book may seem daunting for some but, by splitting it up into smaller chunks, the task can become far […]
Reading old documents
March 15, 2021
Has your research taken you back beyond 1837? Are you challenged by the writing you see when viewing original documents of yore? Are some of those documents written in Latin? Why not try some online tutorials to help you? Here are a few suggestions… The National Archives at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/…/reading-old…/ Ancestry at https://support.ancestry.com/…/Tips-for-Reading-Old… FindMyPast at https://www.findmypast.com/blog/help/tips-for […]
Census jargon buster
March 15, 2021
Census returns were copied at speed. Hence they are full of abbreviations and symbols. Here are some of the most common… DITTO/DO/” You will quickly become familiar with the ‘ditto’ sign meaning ‘same as above. It is often denoted by ‘do’ or a ditto mark (“). You may find, for example, a head of household […]
Genealogy templates
February 16, 2021
Do you want to display your family tree on a chart? Here are a variety of styles to choose from which you can draw up for yourself, in some cases download from the internet for free or, if you want a more professional look, purchase from genealogy suppliers. Click HERE for printable pdf file. See how […]
Hatches, Matches & Dispatches
February 14, 2021
You may find details of your ancestors in the Births, Marriages and Deaths sections of local newspapers: Births may just be an announcement of a new baby’s arrival but, if your ancestor was ‘of the middling sort’, there may be more detail about the baby’s parentage Sometimes there are detailed reports of weddings, including what […]
Did your ancestor fight in the Napoleonic wars?
February 14, 2021
Look for him in muster rolls but don’t always assume the first person you find with his name is actually him! Usually, however, if two soldiers in the regiment had the same name, the parish where each was born will be noted alongside his name which will help you identify your man. The General Service […]
Using directories to extend your research
February 14, 2021
In various formats, directories have been published for over 300 years and offer unrivalled information for both family and local historians. However, information gathering took some time. A directory dated 1871 was probably correct only in 1870 and even then should not be relied on too heavily as being precise, accurate or comprehensive. Ordinary working […]
Tips for genealogy scrapbooking
October 28, 2020
Ten suggestions: Choose a scrapbook with pages that can be added to or reordered when new photos or titbits become available. Less is more: serious scrappers often shy away from multi-picture collages in favour of one or two dominant photos for a more dramatic and less chaotic effect. Select […]
Always check the original record!
October 14, 2020
If there’s one tip you should definitely take on board, it is this one… Indexes and transcriptions can be wonderful at directing you to the source record but you should always confirm the information by viewing the original for yourself. This is because transcriptions are sometimes incorrect; nor do they always include every detail. Parish […]
Researching Merchant Seamen
October 6, 2020
The British have always had a reputation as a seafaring nation. This is unsurprising when you consider that in Britain it is impossible to be more than 60-70 miles from the sea, a distance that would have taken some of our ancestors no more than a couple of days to walk. During the British Empire, […]
Memorial / monumental inscriptions
October 2, 2020
When you are searching for the burial record of your ancestor, unlike the birth, marriage and death records, they are not recorded in any central database. You may find some information in the parish records, but graves can sometimes be difficult to find, so here are some hints and tips to help you locate them. […]
War memorials
October 2, 2020
If your ancestors served in, but didn’t survive, World War I or World War II, their names may appear on a war memorial in the area where they lived. A Google search may reveal if there is a war memorial in their home town or village. Some villages and towns traced the names on the […]
More research tips – ‘Brick walls’
April 30, 2020
1. When searching online, remember that ‘less is more’ try to enter as few details as possible on the search screen try different combinations of name, age and birthplace try searching using just the first name or just the surname 2. Try using wild cards to find those difficult names * stands for any number […]
Ancestor not found in a census
April 17, 2020
A frequent ‘brick wall’ question is “Why can’t I find my ancestor on the night of the census?” Here’s a few things to consider…. The surname is completely different e.g. widow had remarried; children from her first marriage are under her new husband’s surname. Ages and birth places can be variable between censuses. Relationships […]
Tips for Research – Dates
April 17, 2020
You may find this information helpful in your research: 1. Regnal Years Regnal years are calculated from the date that a monarch ascends the throne; some documents will show this rather than the actual year. An example is Victoria ascended the throne on 20 June 1837. A document dated 20 October Vic 30 would equate […]
Research tips
April 15, 2020
Are you just beginning to research your Family History? Not a beginner? You may find some reminders useful! Look at these tips for researching: Start your family tree with the information you know. Add yourself and all the relatives whose names you know to your tree, and add any birthdays and other life facts you […]