“If at first you don’t succeed try again” is a motto which Family Historians should keep in mind. With so many new records being added to sites it’s a good idea to regularly check to see that you haven’t overlooked anything. On the Research Forum you will see that I’ve posted a request for help to find Henry Austin HASE. I did write about him in Buckets and Spades in November 2012 but had no response. My interest in him was renewed last weekend when Findmypast published some more Criminal Records and there he was - in Liverpool. As yet no one has come up with any suggestions on our site. But on Rootschat, where I put a similar request, someone has found him on the Liverpool Crew Lists which I hadn’t realised were on Ancestry. He also appears on the 1881 census as a ship’s steward in Liverpool giving his place of birth as New York!
At the June Society meeting Dr Diane Brook looked at where we might find images of our family and gave us some food for thought about what we were doing to ensure that current images are being saved. With digital images the naming of individuals in photographs is just as important but inclined to be overlooked. If you would like a copy of the resources she suggested please contact me and I will email the list to you. If you are unsure about how to contact me read the article about websites and the use of email addresses in the current edition of Buckets and Spades. If you are not yet a member you simply click on my name and then the Contact button
Using your Library Card
Thinking about images and newspapers – have you looked at the range of sites which you can access at home using your library card? Included in the list of available sites in North Somerset is the John Johnson Collection which is in the Bodleian Library. I tried searching for “Weston-super-Mare” and strangely came up with a copy of the Girls’ Own Paper of 1907 which contained an advertisement for a hair restorer with a photograph of a satisfied male customer, R H NICHOLLS, who lived in Montpelier. Subsequently checking his name and address on the 1911 census I found that he actually existed and the product had worked so well that he had married in 1908! Wherever you live check with your local library to see what is available for you.
Newspapers online with free access. Many of them received syndicated news items from this country so it is always worth looking – you never know what you may find.
National Library of Australia's Trove website for Australian newspapers
Chronicling America free access to American Newspapers
Welsh Newspapers online - not all are in Welsh!
The Gazettes for London, Belfast and Edinburgh Gazettes and official notices.
By now you will have had the chance to read the latest edition of Buckets and Spades – I was particularly interested by an article by Colin Middle about Writers’ Cramp. It does seem strange that there is a lack of pieces for the Journal. I hope that Colin does contribute again but why not put Paul out of his misery and send in a small article about one of your ancestors or the way in which you have researched your family. Social History is very much part of family History and the article by Sheila Mills about food from her childhood showed another way in which to review your own life experiences.
Similarly not many of our full members have contributed to our Research Forum either with a query or responding to someone else. The majority of queries are from Affiliate Members - does this mean that our full members have no queries?
Books based on family history
Reading about someone else’s experiences often suggests a way in which you might proceed. I have just read a couple of recently published books based on actual life histories. I read both in the Kindle format downloaded to my PC and really enjoyed them.
“Just a Boy from Bristol” by Michael Kelly rang so many bells with me as I was also born in Bristol at about the same time as he was and I shared many memories with him.
The author of “The Daddy of all Mysteries”, Jess Welsby, is a little younger and was born in Liverpool but I was gripped with her search for her father. She covers many of the issues of life post war in various religious communities and relates her methods as well as the results of her research. She is careful to explain the background to her findings which clarified the reasons for decisions made by members of her family.
I have several similar books on my book shelves and they often give inspiration about the way in which a family story could be told. “It was snowing when I was born” might be the opening line of my own story. UKWeatherworld is a site which looks at weather patterns and does have a forum devoted to weather in the past. It is always a challenge to put your research into context and to add colour to your findings so it is necessary to look at the social and economic factors behind the bald names and dates of official records. Even if you do not want to publish your family history it helps your own research to have these extra details. The UCLA has published some guidelines for oral history research which could also be used as triggers for your own history – can you honestly answer the questions yourself?
July Dates
On July 8th some members of our Society will be visiting Worle School to assist in their Enrichment week and hopefully inspire the pupils to become interested in Family History.
On July 28th we will be welcoming Lynda Hotchkiss, a former genealogist with the Lincolnshire Archives who now lives in Worle, who will be talking to our society about family history research.
Throughout July and August the Free Help Sessions will continue in the Library on Saturdays so if you are thinking of visiting Weston during the summer why not come to the Library and refresh or start your research.
Enjoy your Summer!
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