A single note in the margin can change an entire family history. And yet, it’s the very detail some people miss. Family history research has been transformed by online databases. Websites like Ancestry, FamilySearch, and Findmypast allow us to search millions of records in seconds. Names, dates, and places that once required days in an
I was recently sent an AI-generated hypothesis of a family history by a client I have worked with for several years. He’s a very smart guy, loves testing technology and at first glance, the output looked impressively structured with dates, relationships, plausible connections, and even suggestions for further research. It had the confident tone that
Nestled in the picturesque landscape of West Sussex, a charming thatched cottage stands as a testament to centuries of history. This enchanting home, built during the twilight years of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, has undergone modernisation while still preserving elements that whisper tales of its past. The thatch, timber frame, and hearth remain intact, evoking
I have been running my genealogy business full-time for just over two years; long gone are the days of juggling two very different professions. It’s been a steep learning curve, but it has been worth it to do something I love so much. One of the things I have realised is that I am really
From Lambeth to Battersea I was recently on a train to London from my home in Emsworth and I saw the upgraded Battersea Power Station in all its [expensive] glory. It got me thinking about my grandmother Minnie who was born in Lambeth but who grew up in Battersea. Minnie was a formidable woman and
I am a Connector! What’s a connector? Isn’t that a bit of pipe that connects one bit of pipe to another bit of pipe? Yes, it could be. But what I do is to connect the present to the past. . . . I’m a Genealogist. Last week I was talking to an old colleague
The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity This year, I thought I would indulge myself and write about some of the women who helped to shape my life and who, in their own ways, may have contributed to the equity woman enjoy today. The first photo is of my Great Grandmother, Lilian Fisher.
We’re at Week 6 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks challenge. And this week we’re talking Maps. I’m a visual person and need pictures, sketches, photos and maps to keep me interested, so I use maps a lot in my research. I use them to compare the same places at different times and I
Always read every bit of information in a Parish Register. You never know what you will find. Here I take you through a brief history of Parish Registers before showing you how a little side-note demolished my brick wall. Parish Registers Before civil registration started in 1837, life events of our ancestors were recorded in
Where your most recent ancestors lived isn’t necessarily where they started. This is the story of a family whose ancestry was firmly in Portsmouth back to the early 1800s but whose roots were in Surrey. Our family is the Blandford family; a family with a long military history. From James Moorsom Ernest Blandford who served
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