Category Archives: Family History

What Comes Next for me in the Family History Part of my World?

by thehistoryinterpreter

I often write about what I’ve been up to in the previous few weeks and sometimes get the response ‘I wish I’d known you were doing x’, so I thought I’d look ahead for a change.

Today, yes, today, I am starting a new presentation of my ‘Putting your Female Ancestors into Context course. This is five weeks of online study, almost all of which can be done in your own time. You haven’t missed anything if you want to jump in and come along for the ride. Here where to find out more. There’s a similar course about writing up your family history, starting on 20 April too.

On 26 February, I’ll be running a workshop for the Society of Genealogists that is designed for those who are interested in rural communities, or who have ancestors who were rural dwellers. We have a whole two and a half hours so, after an introduction, participants are let loose in small groups to research a specific community and its inhabitants. The techniques can then be applied to your own ancestors. I’ve done a shortened version of this before and it was great fun but we didn’t have long enough, so this is an extended version, with different geographical areas to investigate. You can book for this here.

Early March brings the annual extravaganza that is Rootstech and the online version is free to attend with hundreds of speakers from across the world, speaking on a wide variety of topics. You’ll find me speaking  live but remotely at 3pm on Saturday 7th about researching British ancestors in the Twentieth Century. I’ve also done a recorded short presentation about using Timelines for Genealogy, which should be available from 4pm on 5th March. Recordings of talks I’ve given in previous years are also available. Do register to attend, there’s so much to learn.

April is going to be busy with the Really Useful Show in St. Ives (the one near Peterborough) and the Guild of One Name Studies Conference in Portsmouth. Bookings for this are remaining open for a few more days. I have a new talk to give for this ‘Preserving the Past for the Future’, about memories, heirlooms, family stories and photographs.

Also available to book is the Society of Genealogists’ Mental Health and Family History Day on 11 May, when I am joining some very talented colleagues to explore different areas of family history and mental health. I will be sharing some case studies of those who spent time in an asylum. If you’ve heard me talk on similar subjects before, I have found some new stories to include for this one. This is how to book for that one.

Looking ahead to the end of the year, on 13 November, I’ll be giving a talk about researching in Devon for Legacy Family History Webinars. You’ll be able to join me live for free but you might like to take out a subscription and view other talks that are part of Legacy’s “Year of the Genealogy Deep Dive”, featuring over 220 talks. Check out the full 2026 schedule and register here: 

I also have far too many other talks to give to various groups, both in person and online. In between all this I have two exciting trips away and a ‘big’ birthday to celebrate. Apropos of that, I just had to apply to renew my driving licence. Good grief, honestly, if you are ten years away from this milestone, start now. It took forever. I made the mistake of doing it online, as I thought this would be easier and quicker than filling in the form on paper. Don’t, just don’t. Four one time pass codes to negotiate. Mid-way through I had to swap to my phone and download an app. I hate trying to do things on my phone. Then I had to answer a load of questions I’d already answered. The grumpy old woman hat was very firmly on by this point. To top it all, my application failed as they didn’t like my photo and I had to encounter yet more one time passcodes.

Because peace and mindfulness is needed to restore balance, I am excited to report that I have a pair of blackcaps, that have been seen several times in my tiny, concrete infested garden. Here’s a hurried, blurry photo, taken through two panes of double glazing, to prove it.

’Tis the Season to be Quizzing – so you think you know your family history? Final Answers

by thehistoryinterpreter

If you’ve just arrived here, it may be that you’ve missed the questions for the a Family History Quiz. If you want to participate, stop reading now, or you will find the answers to rounds 5 & 6 below. Just go to round 1 and return here when you’ve done those questions.

Just some answers for you today then.

Researching Women

  1. When was the married women’s property act passed? 1882
  2. Which women were given the vote by the UK legislation of 1918? Women over 30 who were householders or wives of householders.
  3. What was the minimum legal age for the marriage of girls, with parental consent, in England and Wales in 1928? 12, although the age of consent had been 16 since 1885.
  4. In what decade did Marie Stopes open her first birth control clinic? 1920s
  5. In what decade did The Sex Discrimination Act remove restrictions on women’s financial rights, making it illegal for employers, banks, financial institutions and landlords to discriminate against women? 1970s.

All the answers in the above round come from my Putting your Female Ancestors into Context online course, If you want to focus on your female ancestors, the next presentation of this course starts in February. You can sign up here.

What do these abbreviations stand for?

  1. b.o.t.p Both of this Parish
  2. GRO General Register Office (I should disallow General Registry Office but hey it’s Christmas).
  3. PRONI Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
  4. d.s.p decessit sine prole (died without issue). You can have a mark without the Latin.
  5. FWK framework knitter.

This may be the final blog for 2025, so Season’s Greetings to all and special thoughts for those who find this time of year difficult.

’Tis the Season to be Quizzing – so you think you know your family history? Rounds 5 & 6

by thehistoryinterpreter

You’ve arrived on day 4, the final day, of a Family History Quiz. If you want to participate in earlier rounds, stop reading now, or you will find the answers to rounds 3 & 4 below. Just go to round 1 and return here when you’ve done those questions.

Here are the final quiz rounds

Round 5 Researching Women

  1. When was the married women’s property act passed?
  2. Which women were given the vote by the UK legislation of 1918?
  3. What was the minimum legal age for the marriage of girls, with parental consent, in England and Wales in 1928?
  4. In what decade did Marie Stopes open her first birth control clinic?
  5. In what decade did The Sex Discrimination Act remove restrictions on women’s financial rights, making it illegal for employers, banks, financial institutions and landlords to discriminate against women.

Round 6 What do these abbreviations stand for?

  1. b.o.t.p
  2. GRO
  3. PRONI
  4. d.s.p.
  5. FWK

Now for the answers to rounds 3 & 4. All the answers to round 4 come from my Discovering more about your Agricultural Labouring Ancestors online course, There’s a chance to brush up on your ag. lab. knowledge in the New Year. You can sign up here.

Round 3 Old Occupations

What did the following do?

  1. Pindar – looked after the pound
  2. Fletcher – one who put feathers on the ends of arrows
  3. Chapman – a merchant
  4. Cordwainer – shoemaker – originally one who used leather from Cordoba
  5. Badger – an itinerant seller of foodstuffs

 Round 4 Agricultural Labourers

  1. What was the name of the mythical person who was associated with a series of protests in the 1830s, that were directed at the introduction of threshing machines? These riots were predominantly conducted in East Anglia and the South East of England. Captain Swing
  2. What is the name of the series of county by county books, published by the Board of Agriculture between 1790 and 1820, that provide background information for those with rural ancestors? The General View of Agriculture
  3. What laws were repealed in 1846, reinstating a free market for grain in Britain? The Corn Laws
  4. Where can you consult the National Farm Survey for England and Wales? National Archives Kew
  5. Which English and Welsh census was the first to list the acreages of farms and the number of employees? 1851

Answers to rounds 5 & 6 coming up tomorrow.

’Tis the Season to be Quizzing – so you think you know your family history? Rounds 3 & 4

by thehistoryinterpreter

You’ve arrived on day 3 of a Family History Quiz. If you want to participate in earlier rounds, stop reading now, or you will find the answers to round 2 below. Just go to round 1 and return here when you’ve done those questions.

Round 3 Old Occupations

What did the following do?

  1. Pindar
  2. Fletcher
  3. Chapman
  4. Cordwainer
  5. Badger

Round 4 Agricultural Labourers

  1. What was the name of the mythical person who was associated with a series of protests in the 1830s, that were directed at the introduction of threshing machines? These riots were predominantly conducted in East Anglia and the South East of England.
  2. What is the name of the series of county by county books, published by the Board of Agriculture between 1790 and 1820, that provide background information for those with rural ancestors?
  3. What laws were repealed in 1846, reinstating a free market for grain in Britain?
  4. Where can you consult the National Farm Survey for England and Wales?
  5. Which English and Welsh census was the first to list the acreages of farms and the number of employees?

Now for the answers to yesterday’s round 2. Incidentally, all the round 2 questions were taken from my stage 2 family history course, which Devon Family History Society are running online in the New Year. If you think you need to brush up on your knowledge, head to the website as there are a three places left.

Round 2 answers

  1. What is a Glebe Terrier? Maps and descriptions of church-owned land—mostly C17th & C18th. Tenants often named and those owning neighbouring land may be referred to.
  2. In what century were the Protestation Returns and the Heath Tax created. Seventeenth century (half marks if you put 1600s).
  3. What kind of records will you find in class WO97 at the National Archives? Service Records of Soldiers discharged to a pension.
  4. Which data providing platform gives access to the 1910 Valuation Office Records (Lloyd George’s Domesday)? The Genealogist.
  5. Name 3 ways in which you could gain settlement, according to the 1662 Act. Birth; Marriage (for women) – kept when widowed; · Renting property worth £10 p.a. or more; Completing an apprenticeship in the parish; Working for a year under a settled master; Paying parish or poor rates; Serving as a parish official.
  6. What is a nuncupative will? An oral will made in presence of 4 witnesses – could be used until 1838. From 1677 had to be written up by someone and signed by testator unless physically incapable. Should begin ‘Memorandum Quod..…’
  7. Name four groups of people who were not able to make wills, under the terms of the 1540 Statute of Wills. Child (under marriageable age), lunatic, heretic, apostate, slave, prisoner, married woman (until Married Woman’s Property Act of 1882) unless she had been given property of her own under terms of a marriage settlement, or unless she had permission of her husband.
  8. On which Repository’s website will you find the Manorial Documents’ Register. The National Archives as part of the Discovery Catalogue.
  9. Define a journeyman. Half a mark for someone who has completed an apprenticeship. Another half mark if you said they worked by the day (from the French journee – daytime). They may have travelled about but no marks for ‘being on a journey’.
  10. What is a sojourner? Someone who is not settled in the parish. Half a mark for ‘not a permanent resident’ although they may been there for decades and just not done anything to become settled in the parish (see question 5).

’Tis the Season to be Quizzing – so you think you know your family history? Round 2

by thehistoryinterpreter

You’ve arrived on day 2 of a Family History Quiz. If you want to participate in round 1, stop reading now, or you will find the answers! Just go to round 1 and return here when you’ve done those questions.

Here are today’s questions, perhaps a little harder than yesterday’s.

Round 2

  1. What is a Glebe Terrier?
  2. In what century were the Protestation Returns and the Heath Tax created.
  3. What kind of records will you find in class WO97 at the National Archives?
  4. Which data providing platform gives access to the 1910 Valuation Office Records (Lloyd George’s Domesday)?
  5. Name 3 ways in which you could gain settlement, according to the 1662 Act.
  6. What is a nuncupative will?
  7. Name four groups of people who were not able to make wills, under the terms of the 1540 Statute of Wills.
  8. On which Repository’s website will you find the Manorial Documents’ Register
  9. Define a journeyman.
  10. What is a sojourner?

LOOK OUT ANSWERS TO ROUND ONE BELOW

Round One

  1. Which of the two English/Welsh censuses, that are open for public view, were taken in June? 1841 and 1921.
  2. Which English/Welsh census provides information about how long a couple have been married? 1911.
  3. Jane and Jack share one set of great-grandparents but no grandparents. How are Jane and Jack related to each other? Second cousins.
  4. At what repository are the wills that were proved in the Prerogative Court of York held? The Borthwick Institute.
  5. What does a time in the ‘where & when born’ column of an English or Welsh birth certificate usually indicate? A multiple birth.
  6. From what date were printed marriage registers, containing standard information, introduced in England and Wales. 1754.. I will accept 1753, as that is when the act was passed.
  7. What, in a genealogical context, is meant by the Commonwealth Gap? The hiatus in parish registers from 1653-1660 under Oliver Cromwell.
  8. Jane Brown was baptised on 2 February 1751, her brother William was baptised on 8 September 1752, both events took place in London. What is wrong with that statement? Neither of those dates existed due to the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar.
  9. Surnames derive from one of main four roots. What are they? Patronymics (from the father’s christian name), occupational surnames, locative surnames and surnames taken from personal characteristics or physical appearance.
  10. When was the Poor Law Amendment Act passed? 1834

’Tis the Season to be Quizzing – so you think you know your family history?

by thehistoryinterpreter

Who doesn’t love a quiz at Christmas time? I’ve already done dismally badly at two I’ve attended but it is the taking part that counts. Annually, most of my family participate in Gordon Gray’s charity Christmas Puzzle, even the grandchildren join in now, although I don’t think I’ve ever got it all right. Do give it a go if you like something cryptic. Other quizzes come and go. In an effort to find a quiz where I would get the answers right (I hope!), I’ve created my own.

This is just for a bit of fun. No prizes and definitely no arguing with the quizmistress. There will be forty points up for grabs over the next few days, all based on British (largely English/Welsh family history. Entirely up to you if you look answers up or not. Personally, I think it is good to see how you can do without resorting to search engines first but your quiz, do what is fun for you. Round 2 and the he answers to round 1 tomorrow.

Round One

  1. Which of the two English/Welsh censuses, that are open for public view, were taken in June?
  2. Which English/Welsh census provides information about how long a couple have been married?
  3. Jane and Jack share a set of great-grandparents but do not share grandparents. How are Jane and Jack related to each other?
  4. At what repository are the wills that were proved in the Prerogative Court of York held?
  5. What does a time in the ‘where & when born’ column of an English or Welsh birth certificate usually indicate?
  6. From what date were printed marriage registers, containing standard information, introduced in England and Wales.
  7. What, in a genealogical context, is meant by the Commonwealth Gap?
  8. “Jane Brown was baptised on 2 February 1751, her brother William was baptised on 8 September 1752, both events took place in London.” What is wrong with that statement?
  9. Surnames derive from one of main four roots. What are they?
  10. When was the Poor Law Amendment Act passed?

Have fun.

What’s all the Black Friday Lark? contains family history related offers

by thehistoryinterpreter

Today may or may not be Black Friday. I can confirm it is a Friday for all you retired types who aren’t quite sure. Black Friday now seems to last several weeks so if it is THE Black Friday is debatable. It is something that has spread from America and in the interests of imparting some history, it seems that the term originated in September 1869, when James Fisk, a railway magnate and Jay Gould, a financier and railway speculator, together with Abel Corbin, brother in law of US President Ulysses S Grant, forced up the price of gold by cornering the market. This was followed by a slump and panic in the gold market, with many people losing money. The US economy was already under pressure following the cost of the Civil War and the gold crash led to financial chaos.

There is another, largely discredited, theory that Black Friday referred to days when enslaved people were sold for a reduced price. This clearly has nothing to do with every retailer offering us deals in the run up to Christmas, so when did that start? In the 1960s, the police in Philadelphia used the phrase ‘Black Friday’ to refer to the increase in crime and social disorder during the pre-Thanksgiving holiday shopping rush. It seems to have been the 1980s when US retailers began using ‘Black Friday’ to refer to slashing prices and the UK followed suit. Now Black Friday seems last for weeks and to morph into January sales, which of course start on Boxing Day.

I am rubbish at marketing but I thought I’d point out a few Black Friday family history related offers that I am involved in. Pharos Teaching and Tutoring are offering 15% off all their online courses this weekend. Two of mine which are very popular start in the new year, Discovering more about your Agricultural Labouring Ancestors and Putting your Female Ancestors into Context. There are others later in 2026 that you can book now and claim the discount. These include Are you Sitting Comfortably: writing and telling your family history in April; First Steps to a One-place Study in September and In Sickness and in Death; researching the ill health and death of your ancestors in October. There are a load of great offerings from my colleagues too.

Pen and Sword have 30% off their prices, again this weekend only. Here you can buy my Women’s Work book or Marginalised Ancestors. I am offering Coffers, Clysters, Comfrey and Coifs: the lives of our seventeenth century ancestors for £5 plus postage to a UK address. From now until 8 December, you can have Remember Then Women’s Memories of 1946-1969 and how to write your own for £8 plus postage. Both of these have a cover price of £12.95. If you prefer fiction, then Sins as Red as Scarlet is on offer for £8 plus postage (cover price £9.99) for the next week too. There is more about the books on my website. Contact me using the box on the home page for details if you want any of these. If you don’t fancy any of this for yourself, they are also gift giving opportunities. Advert over.

Christmas Cooking, a Little about Family History and a Bathroom Blitz

by thehistoryinterpreter

Traditionally in my house stir-up whatever day of the week it is is in October half-term. This year was no exception and I was joined on Zoom by some descendants for synchronised cake making. Said descendants don’t make pudding, so I was on my own for that one. Last year, the first attempt at cakes was a total disaster but puddings were a great success. Newly lacking a Rayburn, I decided to try cooking them in a slow cooker, which worked really well. I should explain that I always make three Christmas puddings. This year there will be five of Christmas lunch, some of whom don’t like Christmas pudding but often there’s only two; yet I’ve ‘always’ made three Christmas puddings, so three it is. The recipe makes three and although I am perfectly capable of scaling the quantities down (my cooking may be dodgy but my maths is ok), I don’t. I’d arranged to borrow another slow cooker, so that I could cook more than one at a time. Imagine my surprise, when looking in the cupboard that is really only opened once a year for my annual foray into cooking, to find not one but two slow cookers already there. Thinking I must have borrowed one from the fisherman of my acquaintance last year and not returned it and not being in the slightest surprised that he had just deposited another one for me to use this year (nothing that ‘might come in useful’ is ever thrown away), my reaction was merely – oh good I can cook all three at once. All three puddings duly spent the day in their slow cookers, although I did notice the water in one evaporated quite quickly and had to be topped up. They turned out looking good and I went to wash up the ‘slow cookers’, only to find that one had been cooked in a rarely used and clearly unrecognised, rice cooker instead! For more random Christmas memories see here.

Bathroom next. I have more bathroom space in this tiny bungalow that I had in my five bedroomed house. I use my lovely en-suite and the, similar sized, bathroom is really only used for guests. It was a not-so-delightful salmon pink, with dark mahogany and gold embellishments. For some reason the previous owner had stuck mirror tiles round the bath, which meant you really didn’t want to look in the wrong direction when sat on the loo. A year ago I decided it had to go. It has been a long wait but last week it was my turn to reach the top of the plumber’s list, either that or he was heartily sick of being phoned up to ask exactly which spring he was going to do this by. Still a way to go but he’s really cracking on now and the salmon pink is no more. Firstly, please can someone explain why, when I am having the bathroom done and said bathroom contains only one piece of furniture, why five other rooms (pretty much the whole house) have been impacted and now contain ‘stuff’? To be fair, I have moved the precious china cupboard in the hall to allow for free passage of the ex-bathroom to the van, so that accounts for some of it. Secondly, why is it that, as soon as the water is turned off (despite being warned), you need to use it. I’ve been feeding the Christmas cakes and in the absence of a working tap, I was forced to lick excess brandy off my fingers afterwards. The plumber may have wondered why the house and I, smelt of brandy at 9.30am.

I did promise you some family history and yes there’s been some. Prompted by the upcoming Forgotten Women Friday collaborative research, I remembered that I had a post office worker in my own family. I’ve therefore been writing about my grandmother’s cousin Kathleen. As she was someone with no descendants, if I don’t tell her story no one will. It seems that she was among the first women to qualify for the civil service and subsequently worked in the savings bank department. I’ve also been preparing my Timelines talk, which will be recorded for Rootstech. I’ve got a live one to do as well but that’s for another day. In order to create illustrations for the talk, I used the free version of Canva to produce a timeline for a small section of my grandmother’s life. Very fiddly and not scope for a huge amount of detail but decorative. In other news, a chapter of the next book is finally done. This is definitely a don’t hold your breath thing, as progress is a lot slower than I’d like. This part involved case studies of asylum patients and there were some fascinating but very sad stories. I am also in full-on Pharos course mode, with the one-place studies course drawing to a close – and what a lot of fascination studies are in the offing from the students. Starting on Monday is ‘Elusive Ancestor’, where we look at ancestors who can’t be found where they should be, almost certainly because they’ve changed location. I’ll be readying my sledge hammer to hopefully make some dents in a few brick walls. Feel feel to join us, there still some spaces.

Cousin Kathleen

The Fourth Weekend of Family History

by thehistoryinterpreter

The last of our four consecutive weekends of family history took us to the Isle of Wight, to celebrate forty years of Isle of Wight Family History Society. As two very early members (membership numbers 19 and 50), we had to be there. Apart from anything else, I was due to give a talk, so that would have been awkward if I decided not to go. The Saturday was a conference with a pubs and brewing theme, as well as a chance to promote the ongoing pubs and publicans project. I know from experience what is involved in organising these events and thanks go to those who worked hard to put the weekend together.

That same experience shows that it is the things that you can’t control that cause the issues on occasions such as this, not that any of this spoiled the day. It was a little cool in the hall but we had been forewarned to dress warmly. We had also been advised to bring cushions, another wise move. Despite careful preparations, the faulty HDMI cable, causing one or two slight technical delays could not have been foreseen, nor could the flooded toilet, necessitating very loud hoovering up of flood water during one presentation. By the time it got to my turn to speak, it was only what seemed to be a shouty protestor outside in the square to contend with; or maybe, in line with our theme, he’d been overindulging at a local licenced premises. My session was a departure from the theme. Instead, my remit was to talk about changes in the family history world over the last forty years and suggest thoughts about where we might go in the future, with some Isle of Wight anecdotes throw in. I was able to spend a self-indulgent hour reminiscing and trying not to reveal too many well kept secrets from the past.

There was a second enjoyable day on the Sunday with an anniversary lunch. It was lovely to see so many friends of longstanding once again and catch up as if we’d seen each other only yesterday.

So am I home to indulge in rest and relaxation? It seems not. I’ve already given one talk and there are five more in the diary next week. I’ve been preparing an online course for those who are new or newish to family history, which will be delivered next month. There are still a few spaces if you know anyone who’d like to embark on a family history journey. You can book here. Just a warning though, that it will take over your life and I am taking no responsibility for that.

A just because photo to cheer you up.

A Family History Weekend and a Missed Opportunity

by thehistoryinterpreter

The Malvern trip continued with Gloucester Family History Society’s open day at the Heritage Hub. It was lovely to be able to see people in real life and chat about family history. I listened to Simon from WeAre.xyz, talking about his software (quick resolution to do more with my site), then gave my A to Z talk. After that, it was out for a meal and a catch up with family history friends. This is the first of four in person family history weekends in four different counties this month. A bit like buses, you wait for ever, then they all come at once,

Sunday was rainy. I mean seriously rainy, so rather than  head off early, as we prefer to do, we sat it out, while I looked at the Withenbury family goodies I’d found at the Worcestershire archives. Note, I did not look back at earlier notes, a big mistake. The rain cleared up eventually, giving us just time to visit Hanbury Hall, a nearish by National Trust property and former home of the Vernon family. The most outstanding features are the wall and ceiling paintings by James Thornhill, which, unusually, were painted on dry, not wet, plaster. There are also traditional, knot-garden style gardens, with plenty of topiary, which I photographed for use in my seventeenth century gardens talk. I was also quite taken with a 1715 election ‘poster’, when Thomas Vernon was standing for the Whig cause. This, I thought was about all Hanbury Hall had to offer, how wrong I was.

We returned home. This involved me driving through storm and tempest, with torrential rain meaning that I could barely see the road. Fortunately that was just the last couple of miles, as I am chauffeured most of the way. I then continued to look at the Withenburys. Something I had noted before, when I was trying to prove that they are actually my ancestors, rather than probably my ancestors, was that a James Withenbury was an architect and sculptor. This chap is likely to be my 6x great grandfather’s brother, or maybe a half-brother. ‘That close’, I hear you cry. He is at least on the family tree of the ‘almost my ancestors’. He also, said my notes, which I was viewing from 150 miles away from Hanbury Hall, designed the frontage of the hall in 1718. It is likely that I walked past his architectural sketch while we were at the Hall! Another trip is on the cards.