Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hope you all have a fantastic break.

Best wishes

Karen x

Morale Boosting Military Mementoes

    It is really surprising the array of items that have survived the most desperate conditions of war. Some pieces show signs of wear and tear and are slightly ‘battle weary’ whilst others look as pristine as the day they were made.

    Christmas was a desolate time during the war years. To lift military spirits a gift was given to recognise their services. Queen Victoria started the tradition during the Boer War with a tin of chocolates for each of her troops. 

   Princess Mary followed the tradition during World War One with a brass embossed tin containing a variety of items from chocolates and cigarettes to acid tablets and a khaki writing case. The contents depended upon whether the recipient was a smoker or non smoker whilst the dietary and religious requirements of the Indian troops were also taken into account. Nurses in the frontline field hospitals were also taken into account and by the third Christmas at war, the sick and wounded in hospital or in clearing stations were quite rightly included in the gift giving.

    This was a mammoth task for all concerned – from production to distribution. The Imperial War Museum website has a detailed article, illustrated with images on the whole procedure which is well worth a read. Many of the recipients kept the gift boxes as a reminder of their wartime contributions which have then been passed down within the family. Perhaps you’ve discovered such an item in your ancestor’s belonging and until now did not realise its significance. Find out more by visiting the Imperial War Museum collections at http://collections.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.994 or discover more ways to research your family memorabilia in my book Ancestors in the Attic.  

Toys, Games and Our Ancestor's Childhood

   With the festive season just around the corner many children will be eagerly anticipating what games and gadgets they’ll receive in their 21^st century stockings. Have you ever wondered what kind of toys our Victorian ancestors would have been thrilled to receive on Christmas morning?

    Victorians required their youngsters to be educated as they played, enabling them to develop skills beneficial in adulthood. Building blocks encouraged construction challenges and bricks with the addition of letters or numbers advanced a child’s spelling and numeracy. Push-along toy animals were designed to teach little ones to walk whilst rocking horses were considered useful in preparing boys for the riding skills needed in later life. Even Sunday playtime was restricted to those toys with biblical connections such as the Noah’s Ark.

   Card games provided both education and social interaction and were regularly taught to children by their parents or nannies. Dedicated playing cards for children were prevalent by the mid 19^th century when they were decorated with colourful pictures and educational symbols. Happy Familes, Old Maid and Snap! were themed with illustrations including circus acts, jungle animals and nursery rhymes opening up a child’s world with these visual images.

 The skill involved in playing the game of Marbles proved particularly popular. Dating back to cave dwelling early man, marbles in the form of small pebbles or clay balls were first found in the tombs and pyramids of the Ancient Egyptians and on Native American burial grounds. Taking their name from the materials from which they were once made, marbles have also been crafted from metal, glass, ceramics and agates.  During the Victorian era, glass blown marbles took on a more elaborate appearance. From self coloured speckled balls to those incorporating a colourful twist, the array of examples was endless resulting in a whole host of names - including keepsies, aggies, taws, and bombsies -given to their variation in sizes and their role within the game.  

      The pleasure of creating mini theatres or staging puppet performances has proved to be an enduring form of entertainment throughout the centuries. Puppet theatre performed on makeshift stages was enjoyed as far back as the Ancient Greeks but, in Britain, it was not until the introduction of Punch and Judy that their popularity really took hold. Eventually, independent craftsmen and factory manufacturers created smaller versions to be played with by children at home. Do you remember entertaining your parents and siblings with your own grand theatre productions?

   From toy soldiers to teddies, dolls to dominoes, the list of toys and games played by our ancestors is endless and provides a great way of exploring an era completely different from the one our techno kids of today are experiencing.

  If you’ve inherited an heirloom from your ancestor’s childhood, find out more about this item by visiting one of Britain’s numerous Museums’ of Childhood. Ask other relatives if they own early childhood toys and consider looking back though old family diaries where descriptions of games may well have been mentioned especially in entries made around the Christmas period.

   Open everyday from 10am to 17.45pm, admission to the V&A’s Museum of Childhood is free. Even a simple visit to their website will have you fascinated with its detailed histories of wax dolls and explanations of the occupational characters used to illustrate the Happy Families card games. 

Also - Edinburgh Museum of Childhood, West Wales Museum of Childhood and The Highland Museum of Childhood.

Loving the Library

   Growing up, my mum always encouraged me to read and regularly took me to the library to find new and exciting stories. So for me, there's nothing quite like seeing your own book on the shelf in the library! Fab!
   The second biggest thrill is looking at their online catalogue and realising that it's actually out on loan!

    So...authors...have you applied for Public Lending Rights yet?
Public Lending Rights mean that you are entitled to a small payment either each time your book is taken out of the library, or simply if a library owns your book. To qualify, you should be named on the book's title page or be entitled to a royalty payment from the publisher (you do not necessarily have to own the copyright). To find out out more visit the website http://www.plr.uk.com/

To use the supermarket quote - 'Every Little Helps' - so apply today!

Genealogical Scrapbooking

  Ever wanted to add your own personal touch to your family photos rather than simply slotting them into the plastic sleeves pages of an album? The world of papercrafting is now nearly as big a pastime as that of genealogical research so many historians are using this medium as a way of displaying their findings in a fun and attractive way which is visually appealing to the reader, and extremely pleasurable to create.

   Below is my interpretation of a family photo which helps to explain a little bit more about their lives - I've also tried to add embellishments which reflect their story.

   Scrapbooking allows you to present your family history by displaying your photos, journalling and ephemera on beautiful pages with decorative embellishments and ultimately to produce your own ‘coffee table’ book. The information is imparted in snippets and illustrated with images which can include anything from personal photos and newspaper clippings to theatre programmes, tickets and old birthday cards – in fact, any mementoes from your families past. Each page is constructed independently and then slotted into a protective plastic sleeve within the album helping to bring your ancestor's story to life.
Have you tried scrapbooking your family history photos yet? I'd love to hear how you get on!

Literary Men in WWI

  This weekend, as we mark Remembrance Sunday, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of Britain's famous authors who served in World War One.

 J R R Tolkien - Writer & author of classic works of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy served in the British Infantry on the Western Front as a Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He took part in the battle at Thiepval Ridge on the Somme, 1916 before contracting Trench Fever and being invalided out in November of that year.

W E Johns - Magazine editor and author of the famous Biggles adventure series fought at Gallipoli in 1915 as a private in the King’s Own Royal Regiment. The following year he transferred to the Machine-Gun-Corps and was stationed on the Macedonian Front in Greece where he contracted Malaria and had to be hospitalised all before joining the Royal Flying Corps. After numerous near death experiences, he flew DH4s on bombing sorties over German Territory  before his plane was shot down in Sept 1918 and remained in a POW camp until the end of the war.

A.A Milne - Author of classic children's book Winnie the Pooh served with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on the Western Front.

C S Lewis - Author of the Chronicles of Narnia served in the British Infantry on the Western Front as a Lieutenant in the Somerset Light Infantry and fought at Arras.

Hugh Lofting -  Author of the children’s series of novels- Dr Doolittle served in the Irish Guards and fought on the Western Front before being wounded by a grenade explosion.

Dennis Wheatley - Author of adventure, thriller and occult/horror novels joined the Royal Field Artillery, reaching the rank of Second-Lieutenant whilst seeing action at Flanders, Ypres, Cambrai, St Quentin. At Passchendaele, he was injured by Chlorine gas and was invalided out of the army.

This is just a small section of men from the world of literature who were involved in the conflicts of the First World War.

This is just a small section of those men in the literary world who were involved in the conflicts of World War One. For more fascinating stories and details visit  http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=127110

Creating a Family History Time Capsule

   Including others members of your family in your latest research project is always a benefit. Not only will you be able share the thrill of your findings but they may even see things from a different prospective to you, pointing out areas of research that you may not have considered before. If you’ve amassed a wide selection of data to work with, consider how you can expand upon this with the addition of a 21^st century twist. Get your children or grandchildren involved at home - or if you’re feeling adventurous contact the local school - with the idea of perhaps creating a ‘time capsule’ as a lasting legacy.

   In Sept 2012, a time capsule was buried at the new location of London's Design Museum to mark the start of building work at the site - so why not have a go at creating your own.

The time capsule buried under the new Design Museum Photo: Dominic French

   A time capsule is a container in which you store a variety of objects that are typical of the present time then bury it for discovery in the future providing the finders with a real glimpse into the past. Initially, decide upon a duration and all agree that it will be opened in ten years time, for example. Try to choose a significant date for the opening and every year write a note on a calendar or in your diary to remind you. You can even register your time capsule with the International Time Capsule Society in Atlanta, Georgia – an organisation created to maintain a global database of all the existing time capsules in the world. Find out more by visiting this fascinating site at http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2634

    If you do decide to bury your capsule, choose a location which you know will still be accessible after your given number of years. Find a container which will be water and weatherproof to limit its susceptibility to moisture. The alternative is to keep your capsule above ground in a metal container hidden in a hollowed out tree or the rafters of your shed – these are sometimes known as Geocapsules – or simply keep it well wrapped and secreted in the loft. Always store it where you will easily be able to retrieve it again later.

   The most important task is to give some thought about what you’d like to include – your ideas may not be the same as your children’s but you need to come to a happy compromise.

Do’s…

• Include a letter explaining who you are, why and when you have made the time capsule and any relevant details about what is going on in the world around you at that time – make it fun yet informative.
• You’re researching your family tree so you will need to add a copy of this.
• Scan photographs of you, your children and family members and label each one. Be selective - choosing ones which show the fashions of the time, the decoration of your home and your favourite gadgets and appliances – all images that will help to show the finder how times have changed.
• Be creative - once you start to think about what you can add you will discover that the list is endless. Utility bills, currency, wage slips and holiday invoices will all help to put the cost of living into perspective. Event tickets, stamps, postcards and memorabilia make great collectable items whilst food packaging, labels and newspapers reflect the present and demonstrate current trends.

 Don'ts…

• Never include originals of certificates, photographs or maps – the 21^st century is awash with technology – so use it and scan your items to make copies.
• Try not to fold any paper based items – roll them instead – and put them in an airtight bag.
• Don’t include any perishable goods which may go off and spoil your project.
• Despite USB flash drives and CDs being able to hold your information today, it does not necessarily mean that these will be useable in the future. Print out anything that you want to include and at least you can be certain that your work will be readable.

Writerly Quote 6

"Write without pay until somebody offers to pay you. If nobody offers within three years, sawing wood is what you were intended for."

Mark Twain (1835-1910) U.S. humorist, writer, and lecturer.

Will Words - De-mystified!

Have you ever read an ancestor's will and been totally baffled by the terminology used? 

This week I've featured ten of the most commonly used terms to de-mystify the world of the will.

Top Ten - Will Making Words 

Bequeath                                This is a term used to refer to the leaving of personal property by will.

Testator / Testatrix                A man / woman who has made their last will and testament.

Probate                                   This is the process of proving a will has been accepted by the court and grants the executor permission to go ahead and carry out the terms of the will.

Intestate                                  This describes a person who has died without leaving a will or a valid will cannot be found.

Administration                      Refers to a grant allowing the right to administer the estate of a person who has died without leaving a will.

Executor / Executrix             A man / woman who has been appointed by the testator / testatrix to dispose of their estate following the terms of the will.

Estate                                      This is the term used to describe the assets and liabilities of the deceased.

Inventory                               This is a list of the household goods and possessions of the deceased often with details of their value.

Holograph Will                      This is a will that has been written out entirely in the deceased’s own handwriting.

Codicil                                    Describes and addition made to a will by the testator / testatrix after it has been drawn up and signed. Any number of codicils can be made as long as each one is witnessed and signed.

Find out more in Family History for Beginners from The History Press.

Family Tree England

Pop over to  FamilyTreeEngland.or FamilyTreeScotland today where my top tips for will hunting are featured on their blog. Help spread the word about this new site and perhaps suggest topics you'd like to see covered in the future.

Time for Tea

Interested in finding out the history behind one of most loved commodities?

 This month in the Stamp and Coin Mart, I discover that, after water, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. There are some fascinating facts to be learnt about this ancient brew and its appearance on postage stamps, so why not grab yourself a copy and put your feet up with a cuppa to find out more!

Time for Tea article on Page 70

Christmas Gift Ideas

This week Ancestors in the Attic appears in the National Archives Bookshop in their list of 40 Christmas Gift Ideas. Perfect for those relatives who want to delve deeper with their genealogical research.

Where There's a Will...

   I love old documents. Love the feel of the paper or parchment, love the handwriting and style of 'speech'... and I love the information that they can reveal. Discovering that an ancestor left a will is a real boost to the family historian and a great way of increasing your knowledge about your forebears and their relationships with their siblings and offspring. 

Old wills and probate documents can make fascinating reading!

   A will is a written statement detailing how a person wishes to dispose of his or her property and rights after death. It can reveal family links and details of personal possessions, and expose who was in or out of favour at a particular time by the kind of ‘goods and chattels’ which were bequeathed. By using the knowledge you’ve already gathered during your research you can even work out other family specifics such as who was married to whom, whether spouses, siblings or children had already died and even if new grandchildren had been added to the family. 

   From the 14^th century up until the 10^th January 1858, the proving of wills came under the jurisdiction of the Church so can be found deposited in a number of locations.  Enquire at the County Record Office closest to where your ancestor lived and died but also try www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp when searching a wider area. Similarly, the National Archives of Ireland and Scotland should be able to help you, whilst www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk holds many Scottish wills from 1513 – 1901.

   From the 11^th January 1858 onwards, the Probate Act made the proving of wills a civil matter and across the country a Probate Court and registries were established. These can be obtained from the Principle Probate Registry in London or one of its subsidiaries. www.willsprobate.co.uk/grant_probate.html

The website www.thegenealogist.co.uk enables you to search wills proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and allows you to view the original will online. The current coverage goes back to 1600 but will eventually cover 1384-1858.

   Remember...  Before the Second World War about 10% of the population left a will so if you’re lucky enough to find one relating to your family members then you may be able to uncover some unique data which is not recorded anywhere else.

Interested in finding out more? Why not try Family History for Beginners published by The History Press.

Researching Catholic Ancestors

This week, whilst researching some of my husband's family history I had difficulty following one particular line. It turned out that the ancestor in question was a Roman Catholic so I thought I'd post some top tips for those of you who think you may have Catholic ancestors in your tree.

   Between the mid 1500s and 1829, Catholicism in Britain was illegal. As a result, those of this faith were forced to operate ‘underground’ in private houses but did not always consider it safe to be recorded on any documents connected to the Catholic Church. The Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 reformed this law and removed many of the restrictions on worship and procedures. Some Catholic records can often be found alongside the Non Conformist records but first contact the Catholic Record Society http://www.catholicrecordsociety.co.uk/ whose volumes are all indexed individually or familiarise yourself with the resources available at http://www.catholic-history.org.uk/ The National Archives is always a great place to contact for assistance but your County Record Office should also be able to tell you what documents have survived in your region. Perhaps your ancestors were Scottish Catholics – then why not take advantage of the collection of parish baptisms from 1703 – 1955 which are online at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ soon to follow are Catholic marriages, confirmations, deaths, burials and even lists of coverts – opening up a whole new avenue of research that previously may have been difficult to follow.

For more genealogical questions answered, why not have a read of Family History for Beginners.

Home Front Experience

   During the writing of my latest book for The History Press there were a number of people who were kind enough to give me access to their own images, or allow me to take photos of their memorabilia. One of those was Adrian Hughes, owner of Llandudno's World War II Home Front Experience.

   This fantastic living history museum is well worth a visit if you want to find out more about your ancestor's lives during this turbulent era. Enjoy a self guided tour - complete with torch to highlight some of the displays - all to the sights and sounds of civilian life via the old TV footage of Food Flashes describing the shortages at the time, and the 1940's music expected to boost morale during those dark days.
   The museum not only provides a nostalgic trip back in time, but through the numerous displays and scenes packed with original memorabilia and ephemera, you can see everything from the branded packaging of the sweets our young family members may have enjoyed to the tools and equipment our Land Girl ancestors may have had to work with.

The Home Front Experience shop

   For more details, this fantastic attraction is mentioned in Chapter 5 Regulations and Restrictions of my book Ancestors in the Attic, but why not visit Adrian's website at www.homefrontmuseum.co.uk for the hours of opening - I can guarantee that anyone with an interest in this period of our history will not be disappointed.

A great place to learn about our ancestors wartime past.

Writerly Quote 5

'It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly.'

- C. J. Cherryh.

What are your editing skills like? Do you have a secret method, or special editing tactics?

Do you prefer to edit as you go, or complete a workable draft first and edit at the end?

Share your top tips!

The Wow Factor

   Sometimes it is the small things that get writer's excited; other times it is the 'wow factor'. I had a 'wow factor' moment when The History Press posted a photo of their stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Twitter and an image of MY book was on their display. I was so chuffed. It's a great thrill to see the cover of your book advertised or displayed somewhere and I don't think the excitement of it ever goes.
   So when those writing days get tough and the words seem to be off somewhere doing their own thing, I'm going to look at this photo and think that all the hair pulling is definitely worthwhile!

My book cover is on the far wall, second down in the first column.

Creating Your Own Family Archive

If you're thinking of starting your own family archive, pop over to 

The History Press's Facebook page for my tips on where start.

Writerly Quote 4

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

- Douglas Adams

Are you organised? Do deadlines help, or hinder your writing? Does the knowledge that a deadline is looming increase your output, or instil you with fear? 

You can't avoid them so try to make deadlines work for you.

Top Tips for Visiting an Auction

  Have you ever wanted to buy ephemera or collectables that could illustrate your family tree or perhaps bring your ancestor's stories to life? Well, auctions are a good place to start.

   From trinkets and love tokens to letters and vintage luggage, you are guaranteed to find something new and unusual at each auction you attend. Whilst larger items are sold singly, smaller items may be grouped in lots so be prepared and set yourself a budget before you attend and STICK TO IT!

   Always do your research. Your local newspaper usually lists up and coming sales enabling you to get hold of a catalogue beforehand, detailing a description of the goods to be sold and a guide price on what each item is expected to fetch. Viewing often takes place a couple of days prior to the sale allowing 

you to inspect those pieces which interest you.

  Usually, bidding will open at a price started by the auctioneer but if he is unable to find any interest he will continue to lower the price until someone takes the bait – the figure will then gradually increase as other bidders join in. Don’t worry about the old tales of bidding on an expensive item which is way out of your league just because you scratched your nose – the auctioneer is experienced and knows how to spot a genuine bid.

 There will normally be a Buyer’s Premium - 10% of your winning bid plus VAT - which you will be required to pay along with your final bid price. Take this into consideration when you set your budget, but above all, have fun and try to acquire memorabilia which can help you to build a 'bigger picture' of your ancestral past.

 

Ancestors in the Attic

Fab news! My advance copy of my new book - Ancestors in the Attic -  has arrived!
It's great to see it in the 'flesh' and it really makes all the hard work worthwhile. It's also great to have all the research in one place and when I hit brick walls in my family history hunting, it will inspire me to try other avenues to try and add new facts and stories to my family tree.

From letters and diaries, military and wartime collectables to sporting, motoring and childhood memorabilia, the clues our ancestors have left behind for us to follow are endless. In this book, I hope to encourage you to dig out all those long forgotten items which have been tucked in drawers, hidden in the attic or abandoned in old suitcases, and dust them off to look at them again with fresh eyes.

Perhaps you are sceptical about the amount of information you can actually glean from your ancestor’s possessions and are purely interested in documental resources – if so, it has to be said that you could be missing out on vital clues that could open up a whole new line of enquiry for you to follow that you had previously not thought about, anticipated, or even overlooked. As genealogists we are always told to revisit our documentation, notes and the records we’ve collected at a later date to see if there is something we may have missed, or if new findings help us to make sense of early problems – so why not do the same with your ancestor’s possessions?

Whilst some items could reveal more than others such as the factual details contained in letters and diaries, there are those that can help confirm facts that you already have and strengthen your knowledge. Dates on hand stitched samplers, details on travel documents or relationships on greetings cards could fall into this category.

Now that you’ve established that there is more than one way to research the lives of your

 ancestors, use the simple tried and tested formula's in this book to get the most from both 

personal and historical items of importance. 

Writerly Quotes 3

Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don't see any.

- Orson Scott Card

How many new writerly ideas have you had today?

Unearthing Your Mayo Roots

If you've not yet picked yourself up a copy of the Irish Family and Local History Handbook, believe me when I say its a great resource for those trying to break down those puzzling genealogical walls that so many of us face when we've got Irish ancestors in our tree.

Covering everything from how to search the Roman Catholic Registers to understanding more about the estate papers and farming families of Ireland, you are guaranteed to find something of interest to you.

 My article - Unearthing Your Mayo Roots - concentrates on tracing those ancestors who lived in County Mayo, and touches upon the workhouses in that region where many of our ancestors took refuge .

   Due to Mayo’s mass emigration it has created a diaspora of people worldwide whose roots can be traced back to the county. Not all emigration was caused by the Great Famine – as far back as the 1700, Mayo emigrants settled in Monserrat and Jamaica whilst later, Australia, America and Canada drew those seeking new challenges and adventure. As a result, the Irish Genealogical Project has appointed two research facilities – The Mayo North Family Heritage Centre and the South Mayo Family Research Centre.

Mayo North Family Heritage Centre Enniscoe Castlehill Ballina Co Mayo Ireland Tel: + 353 (0) 96 31809 Fax: + 353 (0) 96 31885

South Mayo Family Research Centre Main Street Ballinrobe Co Mayo Ireland Tel: + 353 (0) 94 954 1214 Fax: + 353 (0) 94 954 1214

The resources available at the centres is staggering and a gold mine for anyone wanting to ‘push back’ further with their Irish roots. Alongside Civil Registration records and grave inscriptions there are Church of Ireland records from 1744, Roman Catholic records from 1794, Presbyterian records from 1819 and Methodist Records commencing ten years later. Dig deeper using Tithe Applotment books, Griffiths Valuation Tenements, Rent Rolls and lists of migrants. With over two million records housed between the two centres, the possibility of finding that next snippet of information which could open up a whole new avenue of your family research is vast. 

                                                         County Mayo

Writerly Quotes 2

Today's quote is definitely one to bear in mind when you edit your novel.

The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book.

- Mickey Spillane

Writerly Quotes 1

When possible I'm going to try and add an inspiring...or at least, thought provoking, writerly quote to my website. So here goes with the first one from Rudyard Kipling.

I keep six honest serving men (They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

and How and Where and Who.

- Rudyard Kipling

A Lasting Legacy

Hi All.
I'm fascinated by history of any kind, but finding out more about the country in which I live, or which I've have visited, always excites me.
This month in Welsh Country magazine, my article 'The Llanwddyn Legacy' follows the amazing story of sacrifice by a whole community, when their village was flooded (then relocated) to make way for a reservoir which enabled Liverpool and Merseyside to have access to freshwater.
I loved researching the intriguing history of this picturesque parish and was lucky enough to have been provided with some great photos by Annette Griffiths and the community website www.llanwyddn.com

Welsh Country - also the in flight magazine of Manx2 airlines.

Chocks Away!

Morning All.
 Just thought I'd pop by to say look out for my article on the Spitfire and its portrayal in stamps in September's issue of the Stamp and Coin Mart.This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the designer R.J. Mitchell so this article - Chocks Away! - pays homage to the man and this mighty flying machine.

 A second 'thematic grid' style feature looks at the history and development of the emergency services and how they have been portrayed on the world's stamps.

Are you a stamp collector? What thematic articles would you like to see covered in this magazine? I'd love to hear your comments.

Stamp and Coin Mart

Discovering Genealogy

It’s only a matter of time until it happens to you. You’ll be chatting away to your relatives and someone will mention that your Grandmother used to work as a Lady’s Maid up at the ‘big house’, or that your Great Grandfather worked as a labourer on the construction of the Trent Mersey Canal, or even that a cousin on your mother’s side emigrated to a new life in Patagonia . All at once your life is turned upside down with hundreds of questions you’d like answering about your ancestors. The bug has bitten and you’ve suddenly lifted the lid on what you soon begin to realise is a huge family jigsaw puzzle without any instructions on how, or where, to begin linking the pieces together.

For anyone with a desire to find out more about those who have gone before us, Genealogy is the study of family lineages from one or more ancestors to determine a pedigree. For the thousands of people who enjoy this fascinating hobby, part of the attraction is not only discovering the names, dates and places where their ancestors were born, married or died, but also unearthing stories to ‘add flesh to their bones’ and create a bigger picture.

 As people pass through the various stages of life from birth to burial, the majority leave a trail for us to follow in the form of documentation and records. The details enable us to link together a series of events – it’s just a matter of knowing where to look by combining original sources with dedicated online databases. For example, census records provide information of the inhabitants of a house giving details of where they were born and even the occupations they were employed in. Ships manifests and passenger records help us uncover travel plans or emigration overseas whilst wills and newspaper obituaries shed light on what our ancestors thought of their close relatives and in turn, how they were perceived by others.

Each fact is simply strung together to create a timeline of our ancestor’s lives. As a result, we can prove or disprove stories that have been passed down through the generations, helping us to understand more about the inherited memorabilia, photographs and personal items that most of us have tucked away in an old suitcase in the attic. Perhaps its now time to dust off that suitcase and discover ‘your story’.

I try to answer some of those puzzling questions in my book Family History for Beginners, but please feel free to contact me via this blog and I will do my best to set you on the fascinating genealogical road to finding out the history of your ancestors.

Please enjoy my newly updated 'Articles' and 'Other Contributions' pages.
Best wishes on this wet and windy day!
Karen

Hi All.
Just popped by to say I've updated my 'Family History for Beginners' book page.
Best wishes
Karen

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog!
This is where I hope to share all my latest writing adventures and keep you up to date with new articles, books and writing tips. Over the next few days I will add more information and really look forward to hearing your comments, thoughts and writing aspirations.
Thanks for visiting!
Karen