Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Family Tree UK

Stuck? Maybe we can help How’s your family history going? Very well I hope – and judging from the number of letters and emails I’ve had from readers that mention this – family history is no longer simply a rather lovely past-time that we all enjoy; it’s now an essential piece of our daily lives to keep us occupied, entertained and feeling chipper. I know that I’m using my time to get better organised and finally getting round to tackling some of my very longstanding brickwalls (not to mention some very amusing Zooms, sharing old photos online, with my mum, my aunt and their cousin as they regale me with the tales they remember. And yes – I do remember to press record!). Back to more serious matters, this issue…

55,000 headstone records added to TheGenealogist thanks to volunteers TheGenealogist has added to its expanding International Headstone Collection with interesting and useful new searchable images of gravestones, with many of the records submitted by volunteers These new records allow family historians to see details that have been recorded about their ancestors by the monumental masons in various churches and cemeteries. All the records are fully searchable, with transcripts of the inscriptions that help to decipher some of the more weathered memorials. The headstone records released cover 174 new churchyards or cemeteries and include submissions from TheGenealogist’s group of volunteers. The International Headstone Collection is an ongoing project where every headstone photographed or transcribed earns credits for volunteers. The credits are used by volunteers to help support their hobby, spending them…

UNLOCK THE STORY OF YOUR GENES ENLISTING DNA ON YOUR FAMILY HISTORY QUEST Your DNA WORK SHOP Welcome to the DNA Workshop! In every issue DNA adviser Karen Evans will be unpacking a reader case study, and giving you step-by-step tips for you to use in your DNA research at home. It’s time to unlock the story of your genes… MAKING DNA WORK FOR YOU DNA CASE STUDY IS THIS MAN MY GREATGRANDFATHER? READER PHIL POOLE WRITES: My grandfather Albert Henry Hudson (1890-1919) was the illegitimate son of Julianna Hudson (1870-1951). Julianna also had another illegitimate son Alfred Hudson (1897-1988). My family had no clues as to who the father(s) of either Albert Henry or Alfred were, nor whether they had the same father. Both boys were born in rural south-west…

SHARING YOUR VIEWS HAVE YOUR SAY Your LETTERS An inspiring crop of memories, insights heart-felt and/or useful advice Go back home Go back home, go back to the houses, go back to the villages, the streets of the towns that your ancestors knew, that your family lived in. To walk where they have walked, to be where they have been, is a special experience. You feel so much closer to them. Even if you know very little, make a start, prepare as best you can, it could lead you further than you thought. Begin where your nearest and dearest live. Give your relatives a list of questions to answer. Ask them also, to tell you what they remember, or what they were told. They may know more than they think. What…

MIDLAND ANCESTORS THE SOCIETY SCENE Spotlight on… Midland Ancestors Jackie Cotterill introduces a busy family history society with a history that, quite unusually for such groups, goes back to the 1960s Midland Ancestors started life in 1963 as Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry (BMSGH). In September 2017, it was thought that a new more up to date name was needed. A vote amongst our members came up with the Midland Ancestors name. The changes that had taken place since the Society was inaugurated in 1963 were beyond the scale of anybody’s imagination then. The internet had not been dreamt of and people’s research patterns had changed over the years. It was felt that the Society needed a modern persona to reflect the 21st century. Society aims The aims…

NEWS NEW COLONIALISM AND HISTORIC SLAVERY REPORT The National Trust has released a new report that examines direct and indirect links between historic and colonial slavery for the historic properties in its care The interim report on the connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, which include links with historic slavery, details the connections that 93 historic places around England and Wales in National Trust (NT) care have with colonialism and historic slavery. It includes contributions from NT curators and researchers around the country and some of its research has already been used to update digital content and support visitor information at relevant properties. The 115-page report includes sections on the global slave trades, goods and products of enslaved labour, compensation for slave ownership,…

Find your Northern Ireland ancestors in newly-digitised directories Findmypast has released details of a brand new collection containing more than 1.6 million directory entries Covering 1890-1947 and consisting of both transcripts and images of the original directory, the records chart the transformation of Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster as the Irish Free State was formed. They were published by the Belfast Newsletter to showcase the city’s ‘industrial excellence’. The directories were published annually and provided a comprehensive list of the names, addresses and occupations of a significant proportion of the residents of a region. Details include a street directory for Belfast, a residents list for larger towns and a trades & professional directory. Each volume also provides a description, as well as statistical, economic and social information for…

JOIN THE FAMILY TREE STUDY CLUB We will be holding an online family history study group, to run through the coming winter months on Zoom and we’d love you to join us. WHEN WILL THE STUDY GROUP BE MEETING? 6.30pm Monday 15th February 6.30pm Monday 15th March WHO CAN JOIN? Subscribers to Family Tree print or digital issue. HOW CAN YOU JOIN? Please email helen.t@family-tree.co.uk and we will send you the meeting link. ABOUT THE MEETINGS The Family Tree Study Club meetings are available to subscribers to Family Tree. Each meeting will last about an hour. The meeting will begin with a short presentation, followed by a floor discussion. We would love you to share research you’ve been doing recently – highlighting any successes, solutions and questions. We hope the…

FIND YOUR FISHING ANCESTORS TRAWLING MARITIME RECORDS NETTING YOUR ANCESTORS Researching a fisherman ancestor is not always straightforward because you might have to cast your net wide when it comes to sources, writes Simon Wills The fishing industry was a more significant source of employment in the past than it is today. In broad terms there were two types of fishermen. Deep sea fishermen owned quite large fishing vessels that could be away from home for long periods out of sight of land in the Atlantic or North Sea. Ships that caught fish by dragging a net behind became known as trawlers and took fish such as cod and herring Inshore fishermen operated on the coast and returned home every day after work. They might harvest oysters from specially-managed oyster beds,…

THE WORLD’S LARGEST GENEALOGY SHOW – ONLINE! 3 FREE DAYS OF GENEALOGY TO ENJOY Join in with RootsTech Connect 25-27 February 2021 This year RootsTech – the annual genealogy event usually held in Salt Lake City, and drawing in family history fans from around the globe – will be taking place online: RootsTech Connect. You can take part from home, free of charge. Just head over to RootsTech.org to register. There will be hundreds of video talks to listen to, virtual stands to visit and genealogy experiences to learn from and enjoy. Speaker sneak peek! The RootsTech Connect presenters have been selected from genealogy experts worldwide, and include some names that will be very familiar to readers of Family Tree, and others yet to be discovered, so this is your chance…

DISCOVER RESEARCH SOLUTIONS YOUR FAMILY MYSTERIES SOLVED Your questions answered With our experts Jayne Shrimpton, David Frost, Simon Wills and Simon Fowler Why do they keep changing their names? Q I have some maternal ancestors named Savage Evans. John Savage Evans married Esther Powell in Sedgley, Staffordshire in 1791. The baptism of their son John Savage took place in Bilston, Staffordshire in 1795; they had not included the name Evans. John Jnr married Sarah Fletcher in Dawley Magna, Shropshire in 1820, where he added Evans again. Their son Joshua was then only given the name Savage at his baptism in Ettingshall, Staffordshire in 1837. He married Emma Edwards in Ipstones, Staffordshire in 1863 as Joshua Evans. Their daughter (one of my maternal 2x great-grandmothers) was born in Pendlebury, Lancashire as Emma…

NEWS AGI Elects Two New Fellows At the recent Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) annual general meeting, it was announced that AGI Members Máire Mac Conghail and Helen Kelly have been elected Fellows of the Association. Under its constitution, AGI may award Fellowship in recognition of ‘invaluable service… to AGI’ or a ‘particularly outstanding contribution to the study of Irish genealogy’. As an 18-year-old student Máire Mac Conghail (then called Doran) worked as a freelance researcher for the Genealogical Office and after graduating in the early 1960s, began practicing independently as a professional genealogist. Over her 30 years of AGI membership, Máire has participated in AGI’s activities running the Genealogy Services for the Genealogical Office, the National Library and the National Archives. For several years she represented AGI on the now…

UP YOUR GENEALOGY GAME! BECOME A BETTER FAMILY HISTORY SLEUTH Getting to grips with Family Reconstruction Improve your family history search skills with the Family Tree Academy. This issue, David Annal demonstrates how, by casting your net wide, and working methodically through the search results, you may be able to take your family tree research further ESSENTIAL SEARCH SKILLS TO MASTER Throughout 2021, the Family Tree Academy will be there to help you grow your genealogy skills. As ever, the aim will continue to be to help teach more about the search skills and source know-how needed to step up your family history research. In this issue, Family Tree Academy tutor David Annal discusses how to overcome a research roadblock by enlisting a research approach known as family reconstruction. Research skills…

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 Know-how in under 100 words Genogram A genogram is a graphic representation of a family tree that goes beyond the names, dates and life events of a traditional family tree and as such, can be used in fields such as medicine and psychology to help identify family traits. Data such as education, occupation, chronic illness and social relationships when plotted on a family tree can help trained professionals identify patterns that might influence a person’s state of mind. Project idea Historical directories Add some flesh to the bones of your family history this month…

SOFTWARE REVIEW Family Historian Version 7 Rachel Bellerby reviews the latest version of the popular Family Historian software Downloading version 7 of Family Historian was a real landmark for me, as despite having been involved in tracing my family history for more years than I care to remember, I’ve never actually used family history software, as opposed to a family history website. My tree has been on Ancestry for around ten years and so it’s fair to say that I’m very familiar with that site’s layout, search facilities and so on. Making the move to bespoke software felt both exciting and challenging. What does the new version offer? Family Historian is suitable for both new and experienced researchers and each new version features improvements and additions developed with user feedback…

BEYOND THE BASICS IRISH RESEARCH Using local archives and libraries in your Irish research David Ryan takes us on a tour of the local repositories that contain a wealth of valuable information about the lives of our Irish ancestors, adding colour to the basic facts obtained from civil records An often-overlooked source in our search for Irish ancestors is the treasure trove that is local repositories and the records they contain. These include street directories, local valuations, cemetery registers, maps, school rolls, workhouse records and even personal family archives. For the purposes of this article I will use some of the repositories in my home city of Cork as an example. Locating local sources Throughout Ireland there is a network of local libraries and archives. Most Irish counties on both sides…

DIARY DATES DISCOVER LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO ENJOY FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN SOFA! LEARN ANY TIME, ANYWHERE Online talks & courses ROOTSTECH ROUND-UP Come and join a global celebration of family history as RootsTech goes virtual from 25-27 February at RootsTech.org. This huge online celebration includes talks, video presentations and expert insight into topics incuding DNA, online records, locating ancestors in a particular country and lots more. There will also be thousands of virtual stands from family history organisations including Family Tree! This year’s keynote speakers are Lorena Ochoa, Francesco Lotoro, Sharon Morgan and Nick Vuiicic. Not yet registered? It’s not too late to join in the fun! Simply visit rootstech.org and register on the home page. Turn to page 42 to read more…