Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Family Tree UK

Tracing our families in recent times These are some pictures (above) from my family in the 1920s, 30s and 40s - all but one people that I knew or know and loved. But even with these familiar faces, there’s so much more to learn about their lives to make sure that the chapters of our family history through the 20th century are as well-treasured as those for our Victorians and before. The woman, with the specs on, in the photo top right (my great-granny) is the only one of these people I never knew. But I have the stories, handed down… Of her impetuously sailing for Brazil just after the First World War to follow her lover; of her consequent estrangement from her father and her beloved Scotland; her life…

Hello and goodbye at IHGS The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies (IHGS) has announced that its principal Dr Richard Baker is to retire this summer, after almost 32 years in the post. Richard joined IHGS in 1988, becoming the Institute’s Vice-Principal in 2004, and Principal in 2010. Richard will be the President of The International Congress of Heraldic and Genealogical Sciences, to be held at Cambridge in 2022. Whilst plans for honouring Richard’s time at IHGS have had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the team at IHGS report that they hope they will go ahead in due course. Richard is to be succeeded by Dr David Wright, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Society of Genealogists. He is well known to genealogists…

Explore your Afro-American roots A virtual conference from the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) is planned for 14-17 October, with booking now open. The event promises to promote African-ancestored family history, genealogy and cultural diversity through its programme of talks from expert historians, genealogists and researchers. You can find out more and register at: https://familytr.ee/octconf (With thanks to genealogist Dick Eastman who wrote about the event on his e-newsletter)…

THE LIVES OF OUR MORE RECENT ANCESTORS 20TH-CENTURY RESEARCH GUIDE Researching the - 20TH CENTURY - While there can be real difficulties tracing our family history back through the centuries, focusing on the last 100 years can highlight some unique challenges, as Paul F Cockburn explains As an introduction to genealogy, BBC celebrity series Who Do You Think You Are? successfully shows many of the highs and lows of researching family history. Yet, while most episodes reflect the field’s reputation for pushing ‘as far back as possible’ – BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner and EastEnders actor Danny Dyer were able to trace their lineages, ultimately, back to William the Conqueror – occasionally the series shows how family history can also be an invaluable means of learning about people much closer to…

DISCOVER HOW & WHERE OUR ANCESTORS LIVED MAXIMISING RECORDS Three Pots of Gold: When census & property records coincide Donald Davis explains how to capitalise on records that map the places where our ancestors lived and describe the people who resided there, often allowing us to gain a detailed understanding of their living conditions, occupation and other fascinating details It was not long after I began to learn who occupied my family tree that I became curious to know more about where they lived. Family and local historians now have increasingly easy access to property surveys which coincide closely in time with surveys of people. These temporal coincidences lay before us three proverbial pots of gold. Three Acts passed at Westminster over a 100-year period caused the creation of records that…

A TALE OF ANCESTRAL UPHEAVAL FAMILY HISTORY IN 1,000 WORDS My family history in 1,000 words: The story of a moonlit flit across the Thames Rosie Novis shares the story of her great-great-grandfather, a painter and decorator who gradually entered into a life of crime, causing the family to uproot to a new community across the River Thames, starting new lives under a different name One dark night, sometime in early 1858, a middle-aged man and his teenaged son did a daring moonlit flit across the River Thames from Leytonstone to Sutton in Surrey, possibly by boat or maybe by hitching a lift on a cart. On the journey they changed their names and so took on a new identity, which was to stay with the family for several generations to come.…

WHAT CAN EACH DNA COMPANY’S TESTS DO FOR YOU? FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A DNA TESTING COMPANY A family history guide TO DNA TESTING COMPANIES In this guide Michelle Leonard will compare and contrast the four major autosomal DNA testing companies (Ancestry, 23andMe, MyHeritage and FTDNA) on a feature-by-feature basis ANCESTRY Database Size: This is a crucial consideration as the larger the database, the more matches are received and the better the chance of being successful in using DNA for family history purposes. Ancestry has by far the largest database of all the testing companies with over 18 million testers which means it’s generally essential to test there to maximise chances especially for those with mysteries to solve. Ethnicity Estimate: Autosomal tests consist of two principal features – ethnicity estimates…

HOSPITAL & ASYLUM RECORDS & LEADS TRACING MEDICAL HISTORIES My ancestor’s illness Sometimes you’ll discover that your ancestor was ill or perhaps get a tantalising glimpse into their health via, say, a gravestone or death certificate. You may even know that they were admitted to hospital. But can you find out more? Simon Wills demonstrates that – if you’re lucky – you might be able to If you’ve been admitted to hospital yourself, you will know that modern healthcare professionals keep very detailed notes about your progress and wellbeing. The prospect of finding information like this about an ancestor is potentially exciting. However, the reality is, unfortunately, that it is very unlikely that you will find accounts of this kind. Having said that, all genealogists know (or soon learn) never to…

BITE-SIZE FAMILY HISTORY 60-MINUTE RESEARCH The lunch hour genealogist Being busy doesn’t mean you have to neglect your favourite hobby, you can still learn in your lunch break! It’s time to tuck into Rachel Bellerby’s genealogy treats Record collection of the month Andrew Bennett, archivist at The Keep, Brighton, has been working on a lockdown project that will benefit family historians with Brighton connections for years to come He writes: About 18 months ago I came across a digital file of volunteer work that had been carried out some years ago. They were transcriptions from parish registers spanning the county and Brighton and Hove and had been created in Excel and Word formats. These transcripts were originally intended to be printed out and placed in our reference room and that’s where…

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ALL ABOUT FAMILY HISTORY NEWS A STEP FORWARD IN THE SEARCH FOR A NEW HOME FOR MUSEUM OF LONDON The heritage organisation SAVE Britain’s Heritage has reported a new success in the quest to find a new home for the Museum of London Following two campaigns by SAVE to save the historic Smithfield Market, City of London planners have now approved plans for a £337 million transformation of the Victorian market, built between 1879 and 1883. SAVE and The Victorian Society won a public inquiry to save the buildings from demolition in 2014 and reacting to the news, Marcus Binney, executive president of SAVE Britain’s Heritage said: ‘The planning permission granted to the Museum of London comes after a 15-year battle to save Smithfield General market from destruction. SAVE fought and…

NEWS Play your part in the 2021 Census New, paid opportunities for work on the next England and Wales census have been announced, with some roles now accepting applications and others opening soon. The Office for National Statistics has posted details of temporary field roles on its website and states that it is hiring thousands of people, to help make the 2021 Census a success. Current opportunities include supervisory and management roles, as well as community engagement work, all of which will ensure that as many people as possible are able to complete the census. You can search the current vacancies at https://familytr.ee/censusjobs…

Over 2 million RAF records released This summer marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain (10 July to 31 October 1940), and to mark the anniversary, TheGenealogist has released more than two million new RAF records The new records, which are RAF Operations Record Books (ORBs) not only cover the Battle of Britain itself, but the whole World War II period for a number of squadrons. The ORBs are searchable by name, aircraft, location and other fields, meaning that you have a good chance of finding an aviation ancestor even if you don’t have their full wartime details. The ORBs are a valuable resource for family historians because of their diary-like format, which takes the form of a daily journal giving insights into the everyday life of RAF…

WORTH £44! YOUR FREE RECORDS At Family Tree we’ve teamed up with UK family history website TheGenealogist.co.uk to offer you selected free sources from its extensive online collections. Read on to learn about this month’s parish records, covering centuries of history. Explore the following locations and years: Yorkshire 1841 & Parish Record of East Knoyle 1538-1812, Britford 1573-1812, Ashley 1658-1812, Crudwell 1662-1812, Stockton 1590-1812, Long Newnton 1653-1812, Milston 1540-1812, Bulford 1608-1812, Newton Tony 1591-1812, Allington 1623-1812, Boscombe 1696-1812 (Wiltshire). How to use the records 1 To access your free records simply register at TheGenealogist.co.uk/ftfree 2 To activate your content for the issue, enter the code WSBJ5521 3 Once activated, content will be accessible for a 30-day period (within three months of the UK on-sale date).…

PUTTING OUR ANCESTORS’ LIVES INTO CONTEXT DID YOUR ANCESTOR SIT OR STAND AT CHURCH? Are you sitting comfortably? Let the sermon begin… Adèle Emm takes us on a trip back in time as she explains the hierarchical and often complicated system of deciding who sat where in church, with the right to a pew often determined by social status and family name Did you know that, until around the time of the Reformation, people stood in church? To pray, they knelt on the stone floor. If you wanted a chair to sit on (the local gentry for instance) you brought it yourself and it wasn’t fixed to the floor. No comfort of a hard wooden bench let alone the privacy of a charismatic box pew with private door and lock. For…

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY TREASURED FAMILY PHOTOS A reconciliation & a promise Family photos can gain even deeper emotional significance when you find out the fascinating stories behind them, as Gavin Ranson discovered… A picture of a mother with a child. How many families have such a photo? There must be countless millions very like this. Yet there are two stories directly associated with this particular picture that transform it into a treasured family heirloom. This is a picture of my maternal grandmother Freda Bishop, née Helm (b1904), with her daughter Margaret, my mother. It was taken in September 1929, when Margaret was two months old. Freda was one of 10 children of Thomas Helm (1862-1925) and Sarah Margaret Pickthall (1869-1950), who lived on the island of Walney, near Barrow-in-Furness…

USING DNA TO PROVE FAMILY CONNECTIONS BECOME A DNA SUPER-SLEUTH! Your DNA Workshop Welcome to the DNA Workshop! In every issue of Family Tree, DNA adviser Karen Evans will be helping you gen up on your genes, so you can: Learn practical skills with the DNA case studies & discover the latest tools, books, blogs and must-have kit to take your DNA learning further. It’s time to unlock the story of your genes… DNA is as fascinating as it is complicated. In the DNA Workshop we’ll aim to give you practical advice in understandable wording. So, whether you’ve taken a test, or are simply curious to learn more, read on! Let’s jump right in with a case study or two! DNA CASE STUDY Karen Evans writes: I’ve recently had several emails…

IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS Your Family Tree Academy Document Challenges Now it’s time to put your research skills to the test. Each month we show you some documents and ask you a variety of questions relating to them. Document A Lucy Crabb - Protestant Dissenters Registry of Births The documents themselves are just the starting points and you’ll need to look at other sources to find all of the answers. Document B John Clougg - Burial Register, Great Stanmore, Middlesex (1784) Transcription challenge Can you transcribe the whole of Lucy Crabb’s birth record (Document A)? Document C Isabel Brewster - Probate Calendar First steps What is the full General Register Office (GRO) reference for Isabel Brewster’s death certificate (Document C)? If you would like to view the documents at a larger…

Books & co Late summer reads Guides, biographies & histories A selection of the latest family history reads with Helen Tovey & Rachel Bellerby Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians By Chris Paton Did you know that the ‘first public lending library in the country [Scotland]’ was founded in 1680 at Innerpeff ray, near Crieff? Or have you heard the deliciously evocative Gaelic saying ‘cuimhnich air na daoine o’n d’ thàinig thu’ (‘Remember those from whom you came’)? Chris Paton’s latest book is packed with enticing, intriguing nuggets such as these woven in, as well as – primarily of course – containing a thoroughly comprehensive overview of the wealth of internet related resources useful for researching Scottish ancestors. With dedicated chapters and sections…

READER STORY A POCKET-SIZE 500-YEAR-OLD FAMILY HISTORY My Wolcotts: From England to America Marlee Logan gives a glimpse of her family history, from her Tudor woollen workers, to pioneer forefathers, and even a general serving under George Washington Tell your family story in 1,000 words Thomas was a ‘tucker’, listed with William Wolcott in the tax rolls of 1525, 1535 and 1539, and the only Wolcott listed on the Tolland tax rolls in 1550. ‘Tucking’ and ‘fulling’ were names for the finishing process of cloth making, in which newly woven wool cloth was prepared for sale by soaking and beating, usually by means of a water driven mill. Their mill was at Gauldon Farm. He left no will, and baptism, marriage, and burial records don’t survive for Tolland before 1598 (Bishop’s…

About our experts Jayne Shrimpton is a professional dress historian and ‘photo detective’, photograph consultant for TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ and her books include ‘Tracing Your Ancestors Through Family Photographs’. jayneshrimpton.co.uk Simon Fowler has a wide range of books published by Pen & Sword. He is a professional history researcher and writer, specialising in military history and the world wars. Mary Evans has been researching her family tree for more than 30 years, is a regular contributor to FT, and has contributed to research on TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ and ‘Julian Fellowes’ Great Houses’. David Frost’s interest in genealogy was sparked by the unexpected appearance of an illegitimate and distinctly dodgy family member in 1967. He’s relieved to find that every month still brings new…

THOUGHTS ON… CHANGING TIMES A NEW DEMON FOR EACH GENERATION Looking back over the last few turbulent lockdown months, Diane Lindsay asks whether we might just have acquired a new understanding of the struggles our ancestors faced The times they are a-changing sang Bob Dylan in 1963, in post-Bay of Pigs euphoria last time the world was forced to consider mortality as closely as it’s been doing over recent months. It was certainly the rallying cry for my generation, when we grew our hair long, poured bleach on our jeans, and generally thought if we put flowers in our hair and lay in the long grass staring at Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, we might change the world for the better. We didn’t of course, and the Summer of Love…

Scotland’s census to be moved to March 2022 It has been announced in the Scottish Parliament that Scotland’s next census is to be moved to March 2022 due to the impact of COVID-19 The census had originally been planned for March 2021, in line with previous censuses, which are taken on a ten-yearly basis. Paul Lowe, Registrar General and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland (NRS), said: ‘The priority and responsibility of NRS is to put in place a census that enables everyone across Scotland to participate, so that information collected can be used to produce the analyses and deliver the benefits required by the people of Scotland. ‘The census is a unique count of every household in Scotland and in the next census, for the first time, the…

ALL ABOUT FAMILY HISTORY 17 million new US records added to FindMyPast Over 16 million US marriage records and almost 500,000 civil war veterans’ card files have been added to FindMyPast this month The brand new Civil War Veterans’ Card file comprises over 432,000 civil war veterans from Pennyslvania. The card file includes both transcripts and original images of highly-detailed index cards. You can discover details including regiment, company, date and place of enrolment, birth place, age at enrolment and physical description. Explore the records at https://familytr.ee/pennsyl The 16 million marriage records cover the states of Indiana, Massachusetts and Oregon, bringing FindMyPast’s collection of United States marriages to 246 million records spanning 450 years. You can explore the records at https://familytr.ee/fmpmarriage Meanwhile, anyone with English ancestors may well find mention…

NEWS History under the hammer: SOURCING LOCAL AND FAMILY HISTORY MEMORABILIA AT AUCTION Susie Douglas invites us to explore the family history treasures that can be found at auction houses and sale rooms up and down the country. Who knows, you might be lucky enough to find something relating to your own ancestors… eBay has long been the established online auction site used to hunt down family memorabilia, most usually in the form of old documents. Online browsing is, however, a rather uninspiring experience incapable of recreating the special magic found in every saleroom where a cross-section of pre-loved objects patiently waits to be re-homed at the fall of the gavel. My first venture back into the post-lockdown ‘world’ was to Railton’s saleroom at Wooler in Northumberland. For me, a…

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Learn about legislation Discover the laws that governed our ancestors' lives Family Tree Academy tutor David Annal is passionate about the impact that legislation had on our ancestors' lives and on the resulting documents we can now use for research From the King’s Writ of Bastardy issued by King Henry III in 1235 (establishing that children born before their parents were married were illegitimate and therefore could not inherit) to the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act of 2019, our ancestors’ lives have been governed by legislation. And these same Acts of Parliament have given rise to a whole host of documents which we routinely use in our family history research today. But how many of us stop to ask why the records were produced in the first…

RECENTLY PUBLISHED A History of the Medicines We Take: from Ancient Times to Present Day by Anthony C Cartwright & N Anthony Armstrong Co-authors, Cartwright and Armstrong, both now retired pharmacists, cover the time period from prehistory (and the medicines hinted at in the Neanderthal archaeological records), through to the present. In chapter 5 we come to the time periods and topics of perhaps greater interest to family historians, for instance ‘Medicines in the Medieval World’. Further chapters cover the scientific revolution, patents and medical inventions. Pen & Sword, paperback, £18.99 ISBN: 1526724030 HT The Irish War of Independence and Civil War Edited by John Gibney The centenary of the partition of Ireland, the birth of the Irish Free State and the creation of Northern Ireland, are on the horizon,…

DISCOVER RESEARCH SOLUTIONS YOUR FAMILY MYSTERIES SOLVED Your questions answered With our experts Jayne Shrimpton, Simon Fowler, Mary Evans and David Frost Who might your great-grandmother be mourning? Q I am hoping to confirm that the young lady on the right in this group photo is my great-grandmother. The other women are unknown (possibly friends, not siblings). The photograph is 6 ½ inches x 4 ¼ inches and appears to have been taken by a professional photographer in the town of Clunes, in the heart of the goldfields in central Victoria. Alice Mary Smith, born 1863 in Fitzroy, Victoria, married my great-grandfather, Joseph Walter Preston in January 1891 in Ballarat, Victoria. She died in 1952 in West Footscray, Victoria, in the home where I grew up. I have included a second…

PICTURES OF PAS & POPS YOUR READER PHOTOS CELEBRATING YOUR LOVELY DADS We asked on social media for you to send in some of your most treasured pictures of your dads or grandads to celebrate Father’s Day back in June. Here we share some of our favourites… I saw your request for favourite dad pictures and simply had to join in! I’m Dutch and follow your Instagram account. I have a picture of my dad Eddy Koel (born in 1952) as a young lad, dressed in a real Roy Rogers cowboysuit. It was sent him to by one of his aunts who lived in America. He loved that suit dearly! And it shows! We don’t have many pictures of his childhood, so I cherish this one! And I have a picture…