Just like a magic trick, our ancestors sometimes have the habit of disappearing into thin air. In this article, I am sharing how I discovered what happened to my third great grandparents, James Rudman, a labourer, and his wife Hannah, née Shepperd. They initially had me flummoxed when I couldn't find any trace of them…
When tracing our ancestors back through the years, all can be going well until we hit the 1700s. Suddenly, sources seem to dry up and it's easy to lose heart. Maybe you have found your ancestors' names in a parish register, but know little about them as people: they remain faceless and anonymous. Perhaps you…
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…
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…
(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.…
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…
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…
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…
Genealogy Jude 