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 […]