#52 Ancestors - Week 37 - High and Low

Researching your family history can indeed be a series of highs and lows - the joys of discovery and the disappointments of finding a negative.  We all experience them each time we undertake our research.

We are all familiar with the lows.  A family story is debunked by the evidence we find.  A record we are searching for proves elusive or destroyed or on closed access.  A mistake in our research invalidates an entire branch of our family tree.  We uncover stories of hardship, heartache and misfortune that make our research difficult.

The highs of family history are many.  Finding new information that furthers our family tree.  Uncovering facts that corroborate a favourite family story.  Stumbling across a record you have somehow missed in previous research.  Finding new records have become available or a new website has come online that is relevant to our family history.  Making contact with a new relative who has information to share.  An unexpected find that comes out of the blue.

One of the biggest unexpected highs I have had came while moving house a few years ago.  After months of clearing out the family home, it was moving day.  As the removalists took an old wardrobe from my parent's room to their van, several pieces of paper and cardboard were found to have fallen behind it.  A few old Christmas cards from years ago, an old poster, a calendar from 1982, several scraps of paper.  As I was gathering it all to throw in the bin, amongst the debris I discovered an old image of my father.  It dates from his time in the Air Force in WW2, is roughly A4 size and hand tinted on cardboard.  I had never seen it before.  

Considering it had been hidden behind an old wardrobe for at least 40 years, it was in surprisingly good condition.  It was dusty and dirty, had a few creases and part of the top was almost broken off, but it was nevertheless a hugely exciting find.  Had I not grabbed the papers as the wardrobe was hauled away I would never have known it existed and it would have been lost forever.

I have the original photograph that this image is taken from.  The framed black and white photo had sat on my mother's dressing table my entire life and I can recall looking at it often during my childhood.

It is only a small photo, just 10x15cm, in a white frame.  After my mother passed away I digitized this image, then placed it back in the original frame which I had carefully cleaned.  It now sits in my study along with several other family photos.

Where the colored image comes from I have no idea, and there is no one left whom I can ask.  It is currently carefully stored in an archival case and one day I hope to have it professionally cleaned and restored.  It is all the more special to me for being completely unexpected.

A family history high indeed.

Family Tree UK Magazine

The latest issue of Family Tree UK magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue :  

• A tragic inheritance
• Administrations - David Annal examines Letters of Administration
• What’s there? What isn’t there? -  Ireland’s new Virtual Records Treasury
• Photogenealogy - Preserving your photos
  
• The Tudors & their history
• Spotlight on -  The Friends of The National Archives
• Your DNA Workshop
• Q&A - Working out Ancestry’s Sideview
• Ggenealogy Gadgets and Apps for all Occasions
• Photo Corner - Date your unidentified picture
• Curious about my ancestor’s wartime military voyages
• Diary Dates - Discover Learning Experiences to Enjoy
  

 

Vale Queen Elizabeth II

Tributes are flowing in after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch.  For most people throughout the Commonwealth, she is the only Monarch we have ever known.  Her passing is the end of an era and she will be deeply missed by many.  Vale Elizabeth II.

 

Riding the Waves of History

The Riding the Waves of History conference is now less than 2 weeks away.  This is the 37th Annual Conference of the NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies, and will be held online 16-18 September 2022.  The conference is hosted by the Newcastle Family History Society Inc. with Maitland & Beyond Family History Inc.

Conference speakers have been announced and are : Julie Keating, Peter Mayberry, Diane Blishen, Jeffrey Madsen, Lilian Magill, Pat Healion, Gay Hendriksen, Joy & Allan Murrin, Kerry Farmer, Samantha Ashby, Dr Janis Wilton, Carol Baxter, John Graham, Cathie Sherwood, Jill Ball, Christine Woodlands, Jason Reeve and Louise Gale.

 

The Conference Program is out now, detailing the presentations.  Registration allows you access to all presentations for a week after the conference as well.

Keep an eye on the conference website or subscribe to their newsletter to keep up with conference news, pricing, speakers topics, virtual exhibitors and more.

#52Ancestors - Week 36 - Exploration

While home isolating during a recent bout of Covid, I decided to spend a few days exploring my files, checking documents and revisiting old research.  Exploring my old research is something I need to do more, fact checking and making sure all documents are properly referenced in my family group sheets, re-reading family stories and the records and details that corroborate (or explode) them.  

I always enjoy exploring my files, revisiting old documents and reliving discoveries.  As I have been researching for a number of years, the amount of paper I have accumulated is impressive, and I may not revisit certain families for quite some time.  Delving deep into my accumulation of records is an exploration indeed.

I also spent time online exploring 'new' data available since I last researched certain branches of my family and making sure I had all the information available.  

Another exploration over the past few weeks has been my online family tree, and the hundreds of 'hints' available.  While the majority I quickly dismiss and delete, there are always a few treasures to explore and add to my research, details that either I have missed during earlier research or coming from newly available records which have only just been added.  

Family History is in itself an exploration - of our past, of the history of our ancestors and the wider history that impacted and changed their lives.  Happy exploring!

#52Ancestors - Week 35 - Free Space

I think we can all agree that there is very little in life that is free.  But there is a free space available to all, at our local public library.  It is a resource every genealogist needs to take advantage of.

So what does the free space that is you local library have to offer a family history researcher?  Free access to books for a start.  Check out your library catalogue to see what family history books are available.  From genealogical reference books to published family histories, there may well be treasures lurking on the shelves waiting for you to find them.  Check out the Local History collection too, especially if your family has lived in the area.  Try contacting the library in places your family has lived to see what the Local History collection offers.  Don't forget Inter-Library Loan either.  Many public libraries can access titles not in their own collection through reciprocal lending agreements with other libraries.

Check out online databases the library may subscribe to.  Many libraries have free public access to online genealogical databases you would otherwise have to pay to access.  Depending on the licencing agreement, you may be able to access them from home using your library card, or they may be in-house use only, like Ancestry Library Edition or Find My Past.  If the database is in-house only, you will need to visit your library and use their public computers or free wifi.

Check out online eResources too.  Does your local library offer online magazines?  Who Do You Think You Are, Family History UK, Family History Us and more might be available for you to download and read on your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone, all free.

Ask about classes, talks and groups.  Does your library ever run family history classes, host family history society meetings or genealogy chats?  These can be a great way of expanding your researching knowledge and meeting other researchers to exchange research tips.

So take advantage of the free space that is your local library and see what they have to offer you.

#52Ancestors - Week 34 - Timeline

Timelines can be so important in our research, giving context to our ancestors lives.  Timelines of significant historical events help us to understand the times our ancestors lived in.  Did they live through conflicts or natural disasters - floods, famines, diseases?  Did they experience the crowning of a new monarch or a significant change in government?  What were the major social changes that happened during their lives?  Timelines of local events give us insight into our ancestors daily lives - holidays, popular passtimes, local culture and festivals.  

Personal timelines are also useful in highlighting potential errors in our research.  Look at your ancestors timelines to see how old they were at the birth of each child - especially the mother.  Is she too young or too old to reasonably be giving birth?  Look at the time between the birth of each child - you cannot have a child born only 6 months after a sibling.  How old were they when they married or died - and are these ages reasonable?

Sometimes your timeline will highlight an interesting fact that is not impossible but worth noting.  Did an ancestor enlist in the military underage - or overage?  How old were they when they left school, left home, or began working? 

Noting life events in a timeline gives context and helps flesh out our ancestors lives, deepening our understanding of the times in which they lived.