Editorial 1907 Map of Australia and New Zealand from The Catholic Encyclopedia When researching your family tree, you soon discover that not all the information you come across, even that found in official records, is necessarily correct or accurate. For example, an age on a marriage certificate may be a few years off, or a…
Editorial When I'm asked why I spend so much time researching my family tree, I often tell people that one of my main motivations is to bring to life those who would otherwise be forgotten. I love to learn about my ancestors' lives and in doing so, I have found quite a few unsung heroes…
Editorial Valentine's Day card 1860-1880 digital image copyright Museum of London The dark days of January are now past and with Valentines's Day fast approaching, the shops are filled with red hearts, flowers, cards and chocolates. It's the season of love or as The Illustrated London News on 11 February 1871 put it, the "silly…
With the start of 2024, I have decided to write some blog posts in a different format. It's good to try something new, right? Naturally, each one will still be packed with useful stuff, all relating to family history. My plan is that each Jude's Gen post will contain the following features: Editorial: my thoughts…
Tracing ancestors in London in the 18th century can be hugely daunting. The parish registers are large and it can be difficult to identify your ancestor amongst all the other candidates in the vicinity who share the same name. In addition, many of our ancestors would have arrived in London from elsewhere, attracted by the…
Coronation of King Charles III.By Department for Culture, Media and Sport - Gold State Coach, drawn by 8 Windsor Grey horses, PDM-owner, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131603435 Over the last year or so, there have been three major royal occasions in the history of the United Kingdom. In June 2022, joyous celebrations marked the Platinum Jubilee of the late…
Tracing the whereabouts of your London ancestors can be challenging, especially when they moved address constantly. Slum clearance and bombing has meant that many streets no longer exist today. Learn how you can pinpoint where they lived by reading my latest blog, "Lost in London"
Back in 1987, when I was a teenager, I paid a trip to London to search the General Registration indexes at St Catherine's House for a record of the marriage of my great great grandparents, James Batchelor, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Frances Naylor. I knew that the couple had both been born in…
Over the years, I have discovered that many of my ancestors were country folk and l love to visit the villages where they once lived. I usually make a beeline for the church and immediately, my imagination starts to run wild. I envision a large group clustered around the font, as a tiny baby is…
By Pieter Claesz, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4892401 It is a mysterious thing but sometimes, even recent ancestors seem to disappear from the face of the earth in a puff of smoke. After constructing a thorough timeline of their life, suddenly, the trail goes cold. In this article, I will be looking at some of the reasons…
Family photograph of Bertie Batchelor, June 1917, in his uniform of the Royal West Kent Regiment Perviously, in Bertie, Tracing a First World War Solider, I pieced together the story of Bertie's enlistment and his time with the 2/8th Manchesters in 1917. By looking at the Regiment's war diaries, I discovered the circumstances that had…
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.
I was first introduced to Bertie, (also known as Bert), when as a child, I saw his name recorded on a local war memorial in the churchyard of St Helen's, Cliffe at Hoo, Kent. Since Bertie and I shared the same surname, I immediately asked my Dad whether we were related. He confirmed that we…
Wills are truly the most wonderful source for family history. They provide unparalleled evidence on relationships, enabling extensive family trees to be constructed. Wills may also lead to you other sources, such as title deeds or manorial records, due to the description of land holdings. They also help you to pinpoint relevant baptisms, marriages and…
A British seaman! A heart of oak! One of the brave tars who fought for, and protected this happy isle / I.M. delin.Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827Published / Created[15 November 1801] Yale University Library https://collections.library.yale.edu/catalog/15813519 Tracing the career of a British seamen, (who was not an officer), before 1853 can be challenging, as until this date, there…
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,…
A book that has stayed in my mind, long after I first read it during my teenage years, is the classic memoir, Cider with Rosie by Laurence Edward Alan "Laurie" Lee, MBE, an English poet, novelist, and screenwriter. Cider with Rosie was first published as part of an autobiographical trilogy in 1959. It gives a…
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…
Although many of our ancestors had the same job for the whole of their lives, others pursued a variety of occupations. Through looking at census returns, we can often plot their changing roles, as well as their travel to different places. Often, I think these individuals must have been go-getters, driven to try new things…
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.…
Previously, in Ancestors who were Blind, I looked at how our blind ancestors might have lived with their disability, specifically looking at the life of my husband's ancestor, Hannah Lilian Woodcock. In this article, I will be looking at ancestors who were deaf, illustrated by the life of my deaf relative, Maria Batchelor (1827-1903). At…
Some members of your family tree may be fairly anonymous to you because you haven't really researched their lives, even though you know something significant about them. For example, in my family tree I have two female relatives, Hannah and Maria, who had disabilities. Hannah was blind and Maria was deaf, probably both from early…
You never know when a secret, long buried in the past, will come to light. As a result of the indexing of record sources, you can stumble across information about an ancestor that you would never have looked for ordinarily. This happened to me one day when a new, tantalising, green leaf on Ancestry appeared…
On the broad plateau of the chalk downs of North Wiltshire, you will find the handsome church of All Saints, Yatesbury. Yatesbury, a tiny village of around 150 souls today, lies just north of the current A4 road that runs between Calne and Marlborough. If you decide to pay a visit, and wonder through the…
When you consider the most important relationships in your life, no doubt some of your closest friends come to mind, perhaps even a certain best friend. It's ironic then that as family historians, we may know all about an ancestor's cousins, (some of whom they perhaps never met, or didn't get on with at all),…
After getting over the shock of discovering that his family had emigrated to America in 1849, leaving him behind, [see Left Behind], my quest to discover the identity of George Thomas Powell continued. I had solved the mystery concerning the apparent disappearance of his parents, (William) Benjamin and Mary Powell, but that still didn't change…
The early childhood of George Thomas Powell, my two times great grandfather, is a mystery. I first encounter him in the 1851 census, when he is 12 years old and living with his uncle and aunt, Henry and Sarah Glaysher at the cement mill in West Medina, Northwood. He spent the next forty two years…
Whatever your skills or experience as a family historian, there will always be at least one ancestral line that gives you trouble. For me, it is my Powell line and specifically, my two times great grandfather, George Thomas Powell and the mystery surrounding his birth and early years. It is easy to view a problematic…
Introduction It is rather sobering to think that my grandparents, (all four being born between 1888 and 1897), were part of the first generation to receive free and universal education. Prior to the passing of the 1870 Education Act, schooling had mainly been provided by church schools, the Church of England's National Society and the…
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…
by Ernest William Bullock 1893-1978 Introduction Nowadays, childhood lasts a long time with children remaining dependant on their parents, sometimes into adulthood, as they take advantage of educational opportunities. But during the Edwardian era, most children left school much earlier and went into the world of work to earn their keep. This was certainly the…
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…
Ernest William Bullock (1893-1978) Introduction Previously, in A Wiltshire Childhood, I shared my Granddad's reminiscences of growing up as a small child in the 1890s in Marlborough, Wiltshire. The story moves on, as some time between May 1898 and April 1901, when the census was taken, my Granddad, Ernest William Bullock, and his family, left…
Ernest William Bullock (1893-1978) Introduction In his retirement, my maternal grandfather, Ernest William Bullock, decided to write down his memoirs, producing over 50,000 words on his typewriter. Many of his stories are about his adventures in the Royal Navy, which he joined as a stoker in 1911. He saw plenty of action in World War…
When I was a child, I pestered my beloved Grandma, "Tell me some stories about your family!" She didn't have a lot to pass on but mentioned one extraordinary snippet of information: a relative had lost his arm. Unsurprisingly, this fact has been lodged in my head ever since. All my life I have wanted…
I've been thinking recently about how a person is remembered, not just by their nearest and dearest but also by their descendants, generations later. Family stories in which they feature are one way in which memories of them are preserved. Though the majority of stories about our ancestors lives and experiences will be forgotten about…
St Mary's Amport, Hampshire cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Anonymous 4452 - geograph.org.uk/p/144743 For most of us, the ancestral homes of our forebears are dotted around in many places. Sometimes they may even be located on a different side of the globe from where we live today. Even if you consider that you have a good grasp of geography, a place…
54 Squadron's A Flight.(pre-27th May 27th 1940 as F/Lt. Pearson was reported missing on that day)L to R: F/ Lt Max Pearson, Sgt Jack Davis, P/O George Couzens, F/Lt James Leathart, F/O George Gribble, P/O Johnny Allen and P/O Alan Deere.http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/DavisJ.htm This year sees the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the decisive campaign by Fighter…
In my previous blog, The Footman, I discovered that Fanny Basing, the wife of William Basing, was living with her children in Poplar, in the East End of London, in 1881. Fanny was recorded as the head of the household and married, but where was her husband? William Basing, now a butler and valet, may…
Genealogy Jude 