Tag Archives: genealogy

This Time it is all About the Books (includes offers and free stuff)

by thehistoryinterpreter

So, the excitement is mounting as the publication date (29 August) for my latest novel creeps nearer. Well, let’s be honest here, I am excited; maybe one or two of you are too. As face-to-face marketing opportunities have now dwindled to zero, I am climbing some steep learning curves in order to do some online promotion. You will also see offers for some of my other books flitter across social media. I really do need to make some space.

Firstly, the new book is all set for its cover/title reveal on 15 June. Watch this space and my Facebook and Twitter accounts to join in the fun. I shall also be guesting on some other blogs and will be sharing the links to these. If I can work out how to do it, there will be Facebook Live stuff on the day, so look out for that if you are one of my Facebook friends – and if you aren’t, why not? 😊. Hopefully, if I can work out how to turn myself into a social media influencer (whatever that is), I will be telling you about the book and I may even be reading some teeny tiny extracts. So far, the cover looks like this. And, no, the title is not ‘Redacted’, as one of my friends suggested, although it would have been a cool marketing ploy.

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On the subject of the cover, it has been designed by the incredibly talented Robin Paul from The Branch Line. Robin created an amazing cover from my vague suggestions and scribbles that were the first ‘art’ I had produced since failing art O level not once but twice.

Hopefully, by 15 June, I will have set up a pre-ordering system (another learning curve), even if it only consists of ‘email me and I’ll send details of how to pre-order’. The first 200 people who pay for a copy of **** ** *** ** ******* (see there’s a clue) by midnight on 28 August 2020 (British Summer Time) will get a free copy of Coffers, Clysters, Comfrey and Coifs: the lives of our seventeenth century ancestors (RRP £12.95). These will be sent postage free to a UK address. Please note that this offer is only open to those who pre-order directly from me, or from my publishers Blue Poppy Publishing. Both books will be signed. I am sorry that it is difficult to provide an attractive offer for my overseas readers. In all honesty, I can’t pretend that it is financially sensible for you to order directly from me. If you are outside the UK and really want a signed copy from me I am happy to provide details of postage costs. All purchasers of **** ** *** ** ******* will be able to buy the CD of the same redacted name, at the reduced price of £3 (RRP £4), providing that the CD is pre-ordered at the same time as the book. The CD includes Dan Britton’s evocative companion song to the novel and two other tracks by Dan, on a similar theme. I am working on another goody for all pre-orderers but I need to make sure that what I have in mind is something that I can deliver first.

What else am I able to offer you? Well, if you are very quick, there is still time to register for the free talks at tomorrow’s (6 June) Crediton Literary Festival. See my previous blog post for details. During my talk, I will be revealing out a code, giving UK listeners an opportunity to obtain a discount on my book Remember Then; memories of 1946-1969 and how to write your own, the subject of my talk.

But wait, as my friend Michelle would say, there’s more. I now have my own supply of my new booklet 10 Steps to a One-Place Study. So, if you want a signed copy and to avoid putting money into the hands of the multi-nationals, you know where to come. £5.90 including UK postage.

And yet more. In honour of Mayflower400, whose commemorations are sadly but inevitably, having to be postponed, I have another offer available on Coffers, Clysters, Comfrey and Coifs: the lives of our seventeenth century ancestors. This book is a reflection of life in Britain at the time that the Mayflower left our shores. A copy of this book can be purchased for £2 plus postage and packing. That is a total of just £5 for this book to be sent to a UK address, please get in touch for estimates for postage elsewhere. Alternatively, if you order either Remember Then or Enquire Within directly from me at full price, you can order a copy of Coffers Clysters for just £1 more. These offers are open from 15 June up to and including 3 October 2020, or while stock last. I stress that these offers are only available to those ordering directly from me. Contact me for details of how to pay.

Sorry that this is a bit of an advert. Normal service will be resumed soon.

 

It is (not quite) all About the Books – Isolation Day 79

by thehistoryinterpreter

Isolation continues for me. I was just thinking that I might feel like going for a socially distanced walk when the idiocy factor ramped up and folk flocked westward in their droves. I’ll sit tight as the second wave tsunamis in; unfortunately I think it is inevitable. I do know that I am lucky to have this option. I am pleased for those who can now meet family in parks and gardens. It does make it hit harder that the gardens I’d want to socially distance in are 300 miles away though. So, I’ll continue to #staysafe, grit my teeth and enjoy my own garden. Suddenly, the facts that the single baby blue tit has fledged and the poppies are blooming seem hugely significant.

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This latest update is mostly about books though. I am gearing up for the cover/title reveal for novel #2. It is now in the hands of the publishers. There really are only so many times you can delete a comma and then put it back again on the eleventy billionth read through. I am looking at today’s appalling worldwide news stories and sadly, the book’s theme of intolerance is all too relevant. I am excited to report that the talented Dan Britton has written a companion song for this book too. Recording it under lockdown conditions was challenging but the end result is perfect. The plan is that it will be available, along with two other tracks on a similar theme, on 29 August, along with the book. Ninety days to go! Don’t forget that I am gradually leaking hints about its contents.

In other writing news, I’ve been commissioned to write a school textbook and that is finally making progress. My online One-Place Studies course for Pharos is ready for presentation in September (bookings are already coming in and more than a third of the places are filled). I am looking forward to speaking about writing your memories for Crediton Literary Festival on 6 June. There are some excellent talks, you can attend from anywhere in the world and better still it is free. All you have to do is apply for the link to join the audience.

Poster

I am getting some exciting invitations for online presentations so watch this space. Thoughts are turning to ‘what next?’ I am playing with an idea that is set in the seventeenth century again but not Devon related. I am wondering if I can write ‘at a distance’, as I normally work by immersing myself in the locations. I am also thinking of reviving my collection of North Devon emigrant stories and I may work these two alongside each other. Then again, I might just sit and do nothing!

I have been working on ‘writing-up’ the accounts of a few more branches of the family that have been neglected over the years. These are not beautifully crafted stories crammed with context, that’s just what I advise my students to produce! At least if I can get the broad outline done, I can add the flavouring later. Some of these offerings do appear on my website. Woolgar, Bulley, Dawson and Hogg are amongst the more substantial accounts, if you are thinking of taking a look. Currently, I am working on the sorry tale of a shipwreck that took place during the Napoleonic Wars, when the vessel went aground off the Dutch Coast but the crew thought they were in the Humber Estuary.

By the way, if anyone is wondering abut the fate of the parcels mentioned in my previous post, they arrived relatively unscathed.

A Post for VE Day – Isolation Day 56

by thehistoryinterpreter

As an historian I want to mark today. As a family historian, I want to think about members of my family who experienced the Second World War first-hand, both those who were members of the armed forces and those who stayed at home running essential services, or bringing up children alone, often in fear and poverty. I am happy to mark today as the anniversary of the day that hostilities ceased in Europe. If I am honest, I am less comfortable with the whole ‘victory’ thing. It is a little like saying we are glad the enemy are dead. Much as I abhor Fascism in all its forms, I am very much aware that no one ‘side’ is wholly good or bad and the views of the ordinary soldiers, the ones who suffer, are frequently not those of their leaders. In war there are no winners.

So if you haven’t already un-followed me, here is my tribute to the members of my family who endured the Second World War.

My family is tiny, of the male descendants of my great grandparents on all four sides, only my father and two uncles were of an age to serve in World War 2. In addition, one of my grandfathers served in the Home Guard. My mother, who was twenty when the war ended, should in theory have been obliged to do some kind of war work. It has never been entirely clear to me why she didn’t. She worked as a book-keeper but I am not sure how that might have been considered to be essential. Perhaps she had some secret task that I am unaware of but I think that’s unlikely. Maybe, although she was liable for call-up from February 1944, the call never came. The only other female descendant of my great-grandparents to be of an age to serve, was my mum’s cousin Olive and she was in uniform.

My father, Cyril Albany Braund, was a cinema projectionist in peacetime. Cinemas were closed for the first fortnight of the war, in an attempt to prevent crowds gathering in public places but were re-opened as a boost to morale and a way of spreading edited news. With the extension of the call-up in May 1940, Cyril joined the Royal Air Force Reserve on 4 July, together with his close friend Eric (John) Golding. Cyril was now Gunner 1351715. By February 1941, Cyril was on a gunnery course on the Isle of Man, with the RAF Regiment. This was followed by a spell guarding airfields in Coventry. Initially attached to 2785 Squadron, early in 1943, Cyril was a member of 2731 Squadron at Docking in Norfolk. On the 5th of May that year, the squadron moved to Langham Regimental Training School. The next month saw periods spent in Great Sampford, Essex and at Catfoss in Yorkshire.

By the June of 1943 Cyril was with 2859 Squadron, which appears to have been newly formed, perhaps in the May. On 1 July, he was on board the troopship Francinia in the Clyde, about to embark for the Mediterranean. They docked first at Algiers and then in Malta. The convoy was attacked whilst in Malta but sustained no damage. They then proceeded to Sicily, where they were based at San Francesco airfield and were soon to come under fire once again. 2859 Squadron had a concert party and it is almost certain that Cyril, being a keen singer and pianist, would have participated. The climate began to take its toll and it was not long before malaria was diagnosed amongst the men. Cyril is known to have suffered from malaria but we don’t know when he was first taken ill.

In September 1943, the squadron moved to Falcone and it was there that they received the news of Italy’s capitulation. The concert party were still performing and were now calling themselves the Flak-Astras. After two weeks at Falcone, the squadron was moved to mainland Italy and arrived in Foggia in October. It was here that malaria claimed its first life amongst the squadron. After a five day journey, the squadron took up residence in Capodichino, Naples. Its role was to guard the airfields in the area. In May 1944 the squadron boarded the HMT Orontes at Naples and disembarked at Greenock. They then took the train to Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire.

On 19 July 1944, Cyril was admitted to Queen Victoria’s Hospital in Herne Bay, Kent, before being transferred to the Municipal Hospital in Canterbury, where he spent three weeks, almost certainly suffering from malaria. By the time he rejoined his squadron, they were at Sibson in Cambridgeshire.

By the spring of 1945, with the end of the war in sight, Cyril was one of 34 other ranks and 3 SNCOs who were transferred to the army. His discharge document describes him as being ‘of very good character with a satisfactory degree of trade proficiency’. The following day, Cyril reported to Personnel Transit Station, Weeton, Preston in Lancashire for service in the territorial army. At interview the PSO observed, ‘Above average intelligence, bright, pleasant and alert. Has quite good ability all round and is keen to do well in the army. Should prove capable’. Cyril’s application form stated that he had a provisional driving license, that his sporting activities included football, cricket, swimming and a little boxing and that his hobby was sketching.

Cyril became part of the Royal Army Service Corps battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment with a new service number, 14005098, and began gunnery training at Warminster, Wiltshire, where he met my mother, who was visiting her cousin Olive, who was also stationed at Warminster. Cyril then spent a month on a senior NCO’s training course before being sent to Bally Edmond, Rostrevor, County Down, Ireland as a gunnery instructor. His regular letters to my mother survive for this period, much of which seems to have been spent peeling potatoes and singing in a choir.

Once the war was over, Cyril remained in the army, as a sergeant with the Department of National Service Entertainment, working with ENSA, resuming his civilian trade as a cinema projectionist. He returned to Naples and helped to set up a cinema at Pomigliano. He was stationed at Lammie Camp during the early part of 1946, working as chief projectionist at the Odeon Cinema in Naples. He was formally transferred to the army reserve on 23 August 1946, with effect from 6 November. His reference reads ‘This NCO has proved himself a capable worker and [has] given consistently good service in the Cinema Division. He is a qualified projectionist and is keen hardworking and reliable. An efficient and valued NCO.’

A photograph survives of Cyril’s brother Leonard in uniform but I know nothing about his service. The third brother, Stan, worked on the railways with their father, so he was in a reserved occupation and he served with the Home Guard. My grandfather Albany Braund was also in the Home Guard. He never claimed the medal to which he was entitled. I was able to do so on his behalf after he died.

Albany’s Defence Medal
Cyril’s Service Book
Albany Braund
Stanley Arthur Braund
Leonard Braund
Cyril’s Medals
Cyril Albany Braund
Cyril Albany Braund

Top: Albany Braund and his medal. Cyril’s Service Book

Middle: Stan on the left and Leonard on the right

Bottom: Cyril and his medals

Books, Games and 34 years of Family History Teaching – Isolation Day 42

by thehistoryinterpreter

So, in the week when we saw the leader of the free world advocate drinking bleach (here is a tip – don’t) what has been going on in the bottom left hand corner of England? The days roll on but today, after two years and 80,691 words, I think I might just have ‘finished’ novel number two. Of course, ‘finished’ doesn’t actually mean finished at all. Now comes all the hard work of editing, tweaking, lurching between being quite pleased with it and thinking it is all total rubbish. It is a sense of achievement nonetheless. I have also seen the first rough ideas for the cover, which is very exciting. I will now reveal that the sub-plot involves a character undertaking genealogical research. I was heard to say that there probably wouldn’t be a novel three but I have just bought a book that might help with a germ of an idea.

I have been updating my beginners’ family history course, ready for presenting it online to a full group, organised by Crediton Library in May, which is apparently Family History Month. I am still struggling with days of the week. Please don’t expect me to remember month names, let alone special designations for those months. It was a bit of a shock to realise that I taught my first family history course thirty four years ago. Techniques and methods of accessing records have changed beyond all recognition since then. The sources and the excitement are unchanged however. My early courses were illustrated with large posters and overhead projector acetates. I advocated, purchasing International Reply Coupons (remember those) and wearing skirts in case you offended an elderly relative that you were interviewing (that was the women of course). Now I am that elderly relative! Online databases and DNA tests were the stuff of science fiction. I am not convinced that it has all been change for the better. I miss the meticulous research that has, in all too many cases, been replaced with a grab it all quick and never mind checking to see if it is plausible, let alone true, attitude. Of course, many modern researcher are scrupulous about verifying the evidence and citing sources and long may that continue. In comparison to those days in the 1980s, so much can be done from the comfort of home and with luck, reasonable trees can be built in months not decades.

On the family front, we have tried playing Monopoly online. It was not an unqualified success. To begin with, neither party had traditional Monopoly. Well I had a traditional board but couldn’t find the corresponding cards and money. So I was using the deluxe version, with renamed streets and allowances for inflation and my opponents had a superheroes Monopoly. ‘I’ve bought Thor’. ‘Where’s that?’ ‘Regent Street.’ ‘I don’t have a Regent Street’. ‘Third green one along’. It was a laugh a minute and I was swiftly bankrupted.

The garden has come on apace. We now have a fully re-instated path, well the weed inhibitor is laid but we will have to wait until replacement chippings are available. We have recycled as many old chippings as possible but the new path is longer than the old path and many of the original chippings have long since disappeared.

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I am gearing myself up for tomorrow’s #twopointsixchallenge when, in lieu of a marathon that I was never going to run, I will be doing a 26 minute workout, 26 minutes of gardening and offer 26 people the opportunity to have 2.6 hours of genealogical research in return for a donation to my chosen charity. I have not yet reached 26 takers for this so there is still time – I will give you until midnight my time on 26 April.

Stay safe – until next time.

My Own Take on the Marathon #TwoPointSixChallenge

by thehistoryinterpreter

Even with my daily dose of Joe Wicks, I shall never run the London Marathon (other marathons are also inaccessible). Many charities rely on donations from those taking part in the London Marathon, which was scheduled for 26 April but cannot now take place. In order to compensate for the loss of funds, a number of people are taking up ‘at home’ physical challenges and are seeking donations. A number of possible challenges are suggested. I can now manage a 26 minute workout without too many ill effects (thanks again Joe) and I’ll add on 26 minutes of gardening.

The idea is that the challenge should be something energetic but I thought I’d play to my strengths. Therefore I will also offer 2.6 hours of free British genealogical research (or provide a 2.6 hour consultation) for each of the first 26 people who donate to this charity and contact me before the 26th April 2020 with proof of their donation. I am not specifying the size of the donation but it would be nice if it had a 2 and a 6 in it! Bear in mind though that this is nearly 70 hours of work if 26 people respond and may take me months to do all 26. This is of course limited to what I can do from home.

The charity I have chosen is The Calvert Trust Exmoor. This is a small Devon charity who provide adventure activities and holidays for individuals and families with disabilities.

Here is Edward enjoying his time there last summer.

Calvert Trust (25)

Zooming About – Isolation Day 29

by thehistoryinterpreter

There has not been a post for a while because, let’s face it, one day is pretty much like another. Day whatever it is (29 apparently) of staying at home and I am beginning to wonder how I ever found time to go out. Thankfully, I am gradually finding that I am getting a few things done now but I do still have 52 things on my ‘before the end of April’ list (like that’s going to happen). Sadly, there are a few more that haven’t even made it to the list.

So, what have I been up to since we last met? I have joined in with the millions (literally) around the world who do daily PE with Joe Wicks. Not for me the namby-pamby seniors’ workouts, oh no, this is the full on half an hour school PE session. Yes, I am probably certifiable. I should explain that, although we do walk a fair bit on holiday, I am not really an exercise sort of a person. I have never been to a gym, or for a run [edit – I have been reminded that once a year for getting on for twenty years, I have indeed run 5k as part of Race for Life – for which I have done zero training] and my idea of a successful school PE lesson was to hide my kit sufficiently well to be told to tidy the PE store. After day three of the enthusiastic Joe I could barely move. I persevered. I can now grit my teeth, get to the end and not feel any adverse effects. I am treating this a bit like essential medicine. Genetics mean that I am already at higher than average risk were I to catch COVID-19, so I really do owe it to myself to try and put my slightly dodgy heart and my lungs in the best possible shape in case I do succumb. I do still feel like the whole thing is a bit of a penance though.

Zoom has taken over my life. There were several meetings last week, including chatting to nearly 100 genealogists, predominantly from Australia and New Zealand and writers’ group get togethers. Having climbed the Zoom learning curve, I have now arranged to take two sets of regular family/local history meetings online and organised a virtual two day one-name society reunion for May. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The garden has been duly attacked. Of the ancient seeds I planted a couple of weeks ago, only one sort has germinated. I now have a glut of woad. Hmm, that will come in useful if we are inside long enough to run out of clothes. Actually, outgrowing them is probably more likely, despite Joe. Some new flowers and veg seeds have also been planted. I don’t really have sufficient room but fingers crossed. The trees are coming into blossom and there are blue tits (one of whom thinks it is a woodpecker – long story) and sparrows in the nesting boxes. It is a positive aspect of being at home that I can see the garden at the nicest time of year.

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We had another family sock wearing meet up, lobsters .v. Amelia Earhart and the grandchildren have been showing me their Easter gifts. One of our number had to confess to not having his socks accessible but we managed to include him using the wonders of technology. It is surprisingly difficult to photograph your own feet – especially when they are hovering in front of a laptop.

The NHS clapping in our village gets louder each week. This week I broke out the replica C17th drum in order to join in.

Drum

The piano is progressing, the Cornish not so much. I have very very very nearly finished novel number two. I estimate there will be about another 2000 words to go. Then for the edits. Today’s clue is that it includes the (true) story of an errant clergyman with a chequered past.

Happy Easter!

Pruning the Family Tree and other adventures – Day 19

by thehistoryinterpreter

I, like many others in these strange times, am finding it difficult to concentrate, least of all on what I should be doing. After a couple of totally unproductive days. I revisited a branch of my family tree that has been virtually untouched for over forty years. Before you scoff, bear in mind how difficult research was then. No digital images, no indexes, just trawling through page after page of original parish registers in archives. In fact, much of this was done by another trusted researcher. It is only now that I have got around to going over the earlier generations and verifying the information. Or in this case not verifying it. I come from a long line of Bishops. Not actual bishops you understand but people with the surname Bishop. This included four successive generations of chaps called Christopher.

It seems that the original researcher was pretty hot on baptisms and marriages. She also spent ages doing in-depth research in churchwardens’ and overseers’ accounts in which they feature, all good stuff. What she failed to do was to attempt to kill these guys off. First, I discover that the lady who held the distinction of being 9x great granny, Annes (or Agnes) Maddick, died before alleged 8x great granddad was born. Cue the substitution of Jane Thorne, second wife of 9x great granddad Christopher Bishop I, in the role of 9x great granny. Oh hang on, here was a burial of a Christopher Bishop just two weeks after the supposed baptism of 8x great granddad Christopher Bishop II. Clearly ‘my’ Christopher Bishop, who married Mary Bowman and went on to have yet another Christopher (lacking in imagination these Bishops), was not only not the son of Christopher and Annes but not the son of Christopher and Jane either. In the absence of probate material for Devon, I doubt if I will ever be able to be conclusive about my 9x great-grandparents on this line but never mind, I’d rather have a shorter tree that was accurate.

I have also undertaken the biannual excavation of the flies’ graveyard that is the shelf round my conservatory where the ‘walls’ join the roof. This involves much precarious balancing on window sills and is not to be recommended. Said shelf contains many historic ornaments, all of which have to be taken down and wiped in order to remove the fly pooh. What is it about flies and conservatories? The warmth I suppose. I maintain that I leave the cobwebs there (and believe me there are plenty of those) for six months in order to catch the flies. Are you convinced?

After over a week of ‘block’, I have just written some more of novel number two. Still scheduled for launch in August, even if it can only be a virtual launch of a digital version at first. It is so nearly finished. Probably about 4000-5000 words left to write. Today’s clue. Although the characters in the modern strand inhabit a rather different version of 2020, there are references to COVID-19.

Oh and the Cornish? Still not got beyond dydh da I’m afraid but a helpful book arrived in the post today.

And a pretty sunrise from my bedroom window (December 2017), just because I can.

19 Dec 2017 1 (2)

 

Isolation Capers Two Weeks In – Day 14

by thehistoryinterpreter

We started early so today is day 14 for us. As the situation around us worsens, here are a selection of joyful moments.

The grandchildren have been participating in a Lego building challenge. Thursday (day 4) the challenge was the flag of your favourite country. I thought I’d cracked this with Libya.

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Turns out this is no longer Libya’s flag – drat.

We also had a family ‘wear your lobster socks to isolation’ day, which went well.

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Disclaimer – these are not my feet and legs

Given that the glorious weather (and goodness doesn’t it help) was not predicted to last, we went for outside activities. I managed to paint two bookcases and my co-isolatee has made good progress with the outside window frames. I am not close to running out of things for him to do (purely for his own benefit of course) any time soon.

Excited to receive my copy of Sara Read’s The Gossip. It is set in 1665 Could be topical.

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We did the clapping for the NHS thing. It seems so little but it helps us to do something and we are able to stay in, so that’s our greatest contribution. Inevitably, there is evidence that people have no idea what the word ‘essential’ means and they are going out unnecessarily.

Martha managed to get us a food delivery slot for Monday – yay! Won’t have to break open the six year old cream crackers yet.

I joined in a genealogy chat with some friends, mostly those in Australia and New Zealand, so it started at 7.30am but I can do 7.30am.

After many struggles, I managed (I hope) to upload my new One-Place Studies booklet Ten Steps to a One-Place Study, so it can be purchased from Amazon in a day or two. If you buy one and the formatting is weird please be gentle with me – it’s all a learning curve. I haven’t worked out how to download a copy of the cover, which I created on Amazon, that isn’t super fuzzy, so you will have to make do with the image that I used on the cover instead. When printers are up and running again, it will be possible to buy copies from me as well.

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Day 11 Fruit and Veg, Toilet Rolls, Genealogy and other Isolation Issues

by thehistoryinterpreter

Today is day 11 for us. I am rapidly going to lose track of how many days it is and I certainly have to stop and think about the day of the week. The last few days have brought some highs and lows.

First positive was the discovery of one and a half toilet rolls. Ok, so they were in the almost never used outside toilet and covered in cobwebs but someone in the household is willing to use them. Actually, we have sufficient toilet rolls but the absence of any online shopping slots in the next three weeks is worrying. I do have a slot booked for two weeks’ time but very little of my potential order is currently available. I was feeling quite down about this yesterday morning but first our wonderful community shop, run by volunteers, delivered a few essentials such as bread and milk and then a massive box of fruit and veg arrived, ordered by Rebecca in lieu of Mother’s Day flowers. Under current circumstances, better than any flowers, there might have been a tear or two. A parcel arrived from BeingEdward for Mother’s Day. I Skyped to say thank you. He has been making resin jewellery with his mum. He had given me a necklace with half a heart shape and was very excited to show me that he was wearing the matching other half, cue more emotion.

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DSCF0493.JPGI am eternally grateful for ‘online’. I’ve helped Edward lay out a family tree. I managed to access Zoom for the first time to chat with other genealogy types and used Skype to meet with my authors’ group. I think Martha, Lucy and I are planning a family music recital later in the week. On the downside, I have a totally unintelligible communication from the US tax people, or possibly from Amazon, relating to my meagre Amazon sales to the US. I fill in my own UK self-assessment forms with ease. This is unintelligible, as is the website it directs you to. It seems I am a ‘non-resident alien’ (that may explain a lot) and I may need to visit my US Embassy for a tax form – like that’s going to happen. Or I can write to Illinois, ditto at present – not going to make a non-essential Post Office visit. So now I am worrying about being hauled off to some federal prison for non-payment of taxes.

Thanks to my co-isolatee, my lawn has been mown and even the shed is looking tidier. We planted some seeds. They are pretty antique but archaeologists have got Roman seeds to grow right? I spent an hour cancelling various aspects of our planned holiday to Ireland – hopefully we will be able to go next year instead.

I dropped in on #AncestryHour on Twitter. The lovely Daniel of Daniel’s Genealogy has interviewed me. Ah there’s another new novel clue for you – it does mention #Ancestryhour. I am still finding it very difficult to concentrate on anything, particularly writing and everything is taking longer than usual. Nonetheless my new One Place Study booklet is finished and with beta readers. You cannot imagine how long it took me to get Word to behave so that the pages that I wanted to have numbers did and that they were the correct numbers.

I am starting to get to know my next batch of students for my Writing and Telling Your Family History Course. I feel some of them may have more time than usual to devote to this. Still time to sign up if you want to join the merry throng – it starts on Tuesday – providing any of us can actually remember when Tuesday is!

Who am I Related to?

by thehistoryinterpreter

As regular readers will know, I am comparatively new to the convoluted ‘excitements’ of Ancestry DNA matches. I’ve been having a little play. If you have nothing better to do, you might see how your matches compare. You probably won’t all read to the end so I will put today’s new novel hint at the beginning – #5 It contains a modern strand. The novel also has the beginnings of its own webpage now. This post is probably for those who like fiddling with numbers and charts. If that’s not you, please go and use your time more wisely and stop reading now.

So, back to the DNA. I have, according to Ancestry, two 3-4th cousin matches, 316 4th-6th cousin matches and as of this minute, 35,218 5th-8th cousin matches. I have looked at all those with common ancestors (allegedly 86 people although a couple have some incorrect trees). I have also checked all those that match at 16cM or more and all the shared matches of these people, plus a random selection of others. That’s over 2000 matches in all. So far, I have identified precisely how I am related to 78 people. The DNA that I share with some of these individuals is a little as 6cm. I am also more closely related to some than ancestry believes. Thanks to shared matching, I have an additional 237 matches, where I can tell which branch of the family is likely to be responsible for the link, although not the precise details of how we are connected.

I am very far from being a DNA expert, so please do tell me if all this is total nonsense. Anyway, I thought it might be fun to consider how my matches are distributed amongst different branches of my family and to speculate on why not all my great great grandparents are equally represented.

My paternal grandfather’s paternal grandfather

The Braund family from Devon and Cornwall can be traced back to the 1680s. 28 of my identified matches relate to this branch of the family and I know precisely how 20 of them relate to me. The closest relations are two 3rd cousins once removed, with whom I share 35 and 20cM. Most are 6th cousins but I do have a 7th cousin (who matches at 11cM) and a 7th cousin once removed (with 15 shared cM). I have not ruled out being related twice over with some of these individuals. In fact, in one case, I know I am.

My paternal grandfather’s paternal grandmother

The Nicholls family, also from Cornwall, can be traced back the 1630s. They yield just six matches, only one of which I can precisely identify. This is a 4th cousin once removed (a 20cM match).

My paternal grandfather’s maternal grandfather

The Bishops, another west country family, are responsible for a whopping 104 matches, most of whom have no trees or private trees. The 12 for whom I have precise details of how we are related, vary from a 3rd cousin once removed, who only shares 12cM of DNA, to several 6th cousins, one of whom shares 14cM.

My paternal grandfather’s maternal grandmother

The Buckinghams and their forebears come from Cornwall. I have 39 matches that I have identified as relating to this branch, three of whom have a known place on the family tree. These range from a 5th cousin (21cm) to a 6th cousin (11cm). The closest relative shares 43cM of DNA (precise relationship unknown).

This quarter of my family is responsible for nearly 60% of my identified matches. There are obviously a number of factors at work here. Firstly, as I have not inherited an equal amount of DNA from each grandparent, I am less likely to have matches with those whose DNA is more diluted in my make-up. Perhaps I have a higher proportion of west-country DNA (although Living DNA’s ethnicity estimate suggests not). In addition and probably more significantly, the south-west branches are likely to be linked to a higher proportion of emigrants, therefore there will be more residents of the USA amongst the wider family. Given the much higher number of US citizens who have tested, this is bound to have an impact. Also, by using shared matches to identify likely group members, there is a snowball effect.

My paternal grandmother’s paternal grandparents

What about the other three quarters of my ancestry? My paternal grandmother’s quarter is the poorest yield for DNA matches, with none for her father, the Hoggs from Northumberland and just two 4th cousins (19cM shared) for her paternal grandmother. I believe that this is largely because these lines are more difficult to trace, not just for me but for other researchers too. The Hogg line hits a brick wall in 1804. Therefore matches on these lines are probably hidden within the many hundreds of matches for whom I cannot identify a common ancestor. Of course, I cannot ignore the possibility that Mr Hogg may not actually be my genetic great great grandparent.

My paternal grandmother’s maternal grandparents

The Howe and Stratford lines from Buckinghamshire (with 7 matches, 4 of which are identified), give me one of my closest matches, a third cousin, yet we share just 27cM. It looks as if this grandparent is under-represented in my DNA, another possible reason for fewer matches. So, fewer than 3% of my matches come from my paternal grandmother.

My maternal grandfather’s ancestors

On my mother’s father’s side we hit the problem of endogamy; with the Smiths and the Seears intermarrying in three successive generations. This means that I am related to most of my matches in more than one way, making meaningful analysis difficult. I do have 46 matches in this line, five of whom can be located on my family tree. I have one matche to my Norfolk great great grandparent, Anne Bulley, a 4th cousin sharing 18cM of DNA). This again is a difficult-to-trace branch. Despite this, 15% of my matches relate to my maternal grandfather.

My maternal grandmother’s ancestors

Finally, to my maternal grandmother’s line. The Sussex Woolgars are well documented and can be traced back to the C15th, so perhaps it is not surprising that there are 23 relatives on this branch, ranging from a 4th cousin (with only 6cM shared) to a 6th cousin sharing 17cM. Six of these can be precisely identified.

On the virtually impossible to trace Cardell line I have two matches. These support my speculation as to the ancestry of my brick wall ancestor but more is needed.

The Essex Dawsons and Bowyers can be traced back to the 1650s, again giving potential for plenty of matches and there are 47 of them, of which I can pinpoint the exact relationship for 16, all of whom are 4th– 6th cousins. Thus, this grandparent gives me 23% of my matches, not far from her fair share.

In summary then, this is the percentage of matches that each grandparents is responsible for:-

Paternal grandfather 60%, paternal grandmother 3%, maternal grandfather 15%, maternal grandmother 23% – sorry, I know that adds up to 101% – blame rounding up/down.

Ancestry have just announced their Mother’s Day sale. Shall  take the plunge and get a daughter to test, so I can do all this for her paternal ancestry as well?

* My only connection with any DNA testing company, is as a customer. I have received no concessions, free gifts or financial inducements from any of them.

And just because I can, one of my favourite family photos, colourised by MyHeritage and then enhanced by me.Colourised Philip James and Percy James Woolgar c 1896