Over the Easter holidays, I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days with my aunt and my two children in Wiltshire, whilst my husband was away on a trip. We booked a lovely bed and breakfast for two nights and enjoyed some fun excursions to nearby Lacock and Bath. On our way home…
Oast Houses, Sissinghurst, KentImage courtesy of Derek Winterburn via Flickr- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/ The Garden of England, as Kent is often described, is the county of my birth and indeed, my ancestors have been living here since the earliest dates. Kent is known as the Garden of England because historically, it was full of pretty apple, pear,…
As many readers of my blog will know, I have long had a particular interest in the RAF, as my uncle, Gordon Herbert Batchelor, was a member of 54 Squadron during World War II. Another young man in my family, who saw service with the RAF, is my mother's cousin, Sergeant David Nicholson Clough of…
This year I have decided to launch a new series of blogs called Jude's Gen, which will differ slightly in content to my regular articles. I love sharing research stories and writing about specific record sources but I thought it would be refreshing to take a theme and thread through news, reviews, opinion and commentary…
Bexhill-on-Sea Observer Saturday 18th June 1921 - https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ Introduction The 1921 census has undoubtedly caused great excitement in the genealogical community. Over a hundred years after the forms were completed, we have the opportunity of finding out more about our family members, some of whom we may have personally known and loved. There is the…
A few months ago I was invited to talk with some fellow genealogists and historians on the subject of occupations, and their importance to family history on the new "Really Useful Podcast" produced by the Federation of Family History Societies. We had a really interesting discussion, which you can listen to here: https://www.familyhistoryfederation.com/podcast (Series 1,…
It is an interesting question when you ask a couple how they met. Did they get together through mutual friends, or perhaps through a shared hobby? Maybe they met at university, or bumped into one another in the pub. For younger couples, a dating website may have provided the introduction. I like asking this question…
Some of the most intense fighting in the history of air warfare occurred over the skies of Kent in August 1940 when the Battle of Britain was at its height. 54 Squadron, having been posted to No. 11 Group, was one of the squadrons that bore the brunt of the German aerial assault. At this…
Introduction I recently wrote a post entitled, Top Ten Tips for Tracing Your Ancestors pre-1837. One of my main recommendations was to join a family history society. Some readers may be thinking that family history societies surely belong to an earlier era, when the genealogy landscape was very different. Research then had to be conducted…
(c) Paintings Collection; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation Introduction Even if you have only limited expertise or experience, it is often possible to trace your family history back to the early years of the Victorian period without too much difficulty. Speeding through the records of General Registration and census you can make rapid progress.…
Genealogy Jude 