A window into my mind on various topics.
Ancestors who got into trouble with the law will feature in most family trees. Undoubtedly, some were hardened criminals whilst perhaps others committed crimes out of desperation, or were just foolish. Some of those convicted may even have been innocent. Whatever the circumstances, to be arrested, imprisoned, separated from your family and accused publicly of…
DNA has often been used to discover unknown parentage but it can have other useful applications for family history. Read how I discovered the maiden name of my 4th great grandmother through a new DNA match of just 21CM.
DNA has been the big story in genealogy for some years now and rightly so, as it opens up so many possibilities. Seemingly intractable problems, especially those concerning the paternity of children born illegitimately, can be solved through the wonders of DNA, uncovering relationships that would be difficult to prove through traditional research alone. Nevertheless,…
For me, the appearance of the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace has been a highlight of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Joined by members of her family, including her great grandchildren, she clapped at the spectacle of more than seventy aircraft performing a flypast above. Her delight was evident when the RAF typhoons made…
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…
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…
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…
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…
After my father passed away in 2014, I inherited a miniature chest of drawers that had belonged to my mother. It had stood on her dressing table for as long as I could remember, filled with useful things such as hair grips and safety pins. I always thought it was rather attractive, and from the…
Introduction A person's name is very much bound up with their identity and as a result, they can challenging to trace if it changes. In Part 1 of Chameleon Ancestors, I looked at some of the reasons why an ancestor might appear in the records under a different name. Many people, then as now, hated…
Introduction Leopards may not change their spots but chameleons can change their colour and markings to suit the situation they find themselves in. I reckon that some of our ancestors are a bit like chameleons, changing their name, both officially and unofficially if it suited them, or as a result of their personal circumstances. It…
One of the wonderful things about researching your family history is that it provides a welcome distraction from whatever is going on in the world at the present time. After another year of turmoil, whilst we have been in the midst of a global pandemic, it can be a source of great solace, as well…
One of the joys of being a family historian is that when you delve into an ancestor's life, with any luck, (and some good research), you get to know them a bit. You find out about the significant events in their life, share a little of their sorrow, (perhaps when yet another child dies in…
Does your house have a name or a number, or even both? According to the Land Registry in 2011, 1.4 million homes in towns and villages across England, (out of 26 million), have a name. Although they are in the minority, amongst a sea of numbers, they nevertheless form a significant one. When the population…
Elton John - Rocket Man by Chris Roberts (biography released October 2019) A few years ago I went to the cinema with a friend to see Rocketman, a biopic film about the life of Elton John. It was an inspirational story about how a shy boy named Reginald Dwight was transformed into the international superstar,…
Genealogy Jude 