Firstly let me start off by introducing myself for those of you that don’t know me!
 
My name is Paul Chiddicks, aged 54 and I have been researching my family tree on and off, for the last 15 years.  I am an #AncestryHour regular and also contribute a regular blog to Family Tree Magazine.  I am writing this guest blog for the #AncestryHour web page.
 
​Now go on admit it, everyone's “googled” their own name haven't they?? Well I certainly have.
 
Were you surprised with what you found??  Was there a lot more content about you, available on the Internet, than you ever imagined?? Have a look now, you might get a shock!

​I'm sure we all have at some point, googled our own name, so what I'm going to try and do with this blog, is take that process a little step further.
 
“Just Google it”, I must say that phrase at least several times every day, but where would we be without Google, or any search engine for that matter?
 
So let's explore how using Google in our research can open a few new doors for us:
 
1) Now I'm not going to sit here and explain to you how to use the various Google search helps, such as speech marks, the plus sign and minus sign, asterix etc, there are plenty of guides or “how to pages” available on the internet that will teach you the specifics of using Google.
 
What I am  going to try and do is, point you in the right direction of some different ideas of what to search for, hopefully some ideas that you maybe haven’t considered before, that might just knock down that brick wall for you.
 
2) So what should you consider? Well apart from individual names, experiment with searching for streets where your ancestors lived, also look at images as well as straightforward web pages, you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.
 
3) As an example, my great-grandfather, Matthew Chiddicks, lived at 40, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade. Put that into Google and it leads you to this wonderful website listing the history of the properties in the street.

​http://www.biggleswadehistory.org.uk/Roads/shortmead_street_west.htm  ​Without using that type of search I might never have found this site.

4) Another search on an ancestral home at Plough Cottages, South Ockendon, brings up images of The Plough Public House, nestled alongside, are Plough Cottages, where Matthew Chiddicks also lived.

5) Use Google street view to locate where your ancestors lived and how the house looks today.  Take a screenshot of the image and you have a ready-made picture of your ancestor’s home.  Make comparisons if you have a picture of the same house in your photo collection.
 
6) Experiment with people’s names in conjunction with streets and areas that they lived in, again use a combination of web pages as well as images.  Look at Schools where your ancestors would have attended, look at school reunion sites as another alternative.
 
7) Consider your ancestors employment, look at companies they might have worked for, or occupations and Industries which they were engaged in.  Again be imaginative.
 
8) Don’t’ always abandon a search after one or two pages, look a bit further down the results pages that Google has provided.  I have searched my great grandfather “John Edwin Barnes” numerous times over the years.  My great grandfather died at Gallipoli during WW1.  A more recent Google of his name brought up an interesting find, he is mentioned in a book, Britain’s Lost Regiments, by author Trevor Royle.
 
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=q_3RBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT152&lpg=PT152&dq=%22john+edwin+barnes%22&source=bl&ots=uFbVrds1A-&sig=kc0tTogAzRBTxIS_5Eh6H_F4ohk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZ-_n1hNDVAhXGIcAKHUsgA7E4ChDoAQgnMAA#v=onepage&q=%22john%20edwin%20barnes%22&f=false

​Without this later search, I would never have known about the book. It was such a wonderful surprise. None of this would have been possible without the original Google search.
 
9) So, in summary, be flexible, experiment, look at all aspects of your ancestors life. School, work, occupation, where they lived, what they did, hobbies, where they possibly socialised, clubs and organisations for example.
 
Working Men’s clubs were a big part of life a generation or two ago, as well as sports and social clubs. Did your ancestors socialise here? Are there any photographs online?
 
One final example to end with.
 
10) My grandfather was Secretary of our local Labour Club, The Rook Hall Club, putting this into Mr.Google brought up this site
 
https://www.francisfrith.com/uk/grays/rememberinggraysandrookhalldellroad_memory-458191
 
I then contacted the lady that made the post in the article. She was now living in Australia.  By absolute sheer chance, she recognised my surname, her husband went to the same school as my Father.  They kindly sent me some fantastic images of my Father, in a series of school photographs and a local street party.  These pictures are priceless to me now, but without my original Google search, I would never have found them.

So why not spend an afternoon trying various searches, experiment, be flexible, be patient and you just might be rewarded with a wonderful surprise or two that you never expected.
 
Please let me know how you get on……..
 
Paul Chiddicks
Researching the names:

• Chiddicks in Essex
• Daniels in Dublin
• Keyes in Prittlewell
• Wootton in Herefordshire and London
• Jack in Scotland
• Day in Essex, Kent and Gloucestershire
• Barnes in Poplar
• Dodd in East London

 
You can find me on twitter @chiddickstree and my own family tree blog page is 
​ https://chiddicksfamilytree.wordpress.com

So, you’ve made a good start on tracing your family tree and found some fascinating ancestors, what next? Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine shows you how to write up the history of your family to share with your relatives
 
You may be lucky enough to personally remember your Victorian ancestors and recall the tales they told, or perhaps your mother and father were brought up by parents who lived during this era. If you have some great family stories, consider writing them down for your own descendants to enjoy.
 
Even if family anecdotes for your ancestors are thin on the ground, you can still write up your family history by using your own memories as a starting point.
 
The planning stage
 
Whether you’re aiming to produce a small booklet or a complete family record book, the basics are the same: make a plan before you start to write.
 
First of all, who’s your intended audience? If you’re writing for relatives, you can stick largely to featuring your own ancestors and their immediate environment. However, if you hope to appeal to a wider readership, you might want to include some local history.

For simplicity, it’s usually better to concentrate on either your maternal or paternal line. Organise your research notes so that you can decide on a timeframe, the number of ancestors and different themes.
 
Starting to write
 
Before you begin, take a moment to consider your reader. You’re going to be taking the bare facts from certificates, censuses, directories, etc, and weaving these into an appealing account. A good way to start your story is to begin at an exciting moment.
 
Opening with words such as ‘Alice Hemingway was born on 1 October 1940’ will do little to engage your reader. Instead, a few extra words to put that fact into context could make all the difference: ‘Alice Hemingway made her entry into the world on 1 October 1940, in a busy hospital which was struggling to operate during the London blitz.’
 
You don’t have to write the story as an exact chronology; consider whether the tale of your ancestors might be better arranged into themed chapters such as marriage, childhood, working life, etc. You could also include details of local or national events to put the lives of your ancestors into context.

For example, say which monarch was on the throne when an ancestor was born, or how many people lived in your home village at the time your great-grandparents set up home there. Remember, not all of your readers will share your enthusiasm for dates, so ‘softer’ details such as local news, popular songs of the time and styles of dress will enliven the text.

You could also include excerpts from sources such as letters and diaries –allowing your ancestors to speak for themselves. And don’t be afraid to include the ‘black sheep’ among your ancestors – people’s faults and failings are another way of bringing the story to life. Having said that, beware of including information which affects people who are still alive and could be upset by the family’s story.

Finally, don’t forget to include information about yourself and your family, so that the story can be continued by your own descendants.
 
The finished product
 
Once you’ve completed your story, if possible pass it on to a friend or relative who can check it for grammatical errors. You can then consider which illustrations would help bring the text to life. Photos, letters, tickets and certificates can all help brighten up the pages and allow your reader to literally picture the family’s story.
 
When you’ve printed your final version, consider depositing a copy with your local family history society, particularly if you’ve included a large number of ancestors, as your work may help someone else researching the same surname.
 
Layout tips

• Consider using an index to help readers locate a particular topic
• List your sources
• Have a ‘further reading’ section for books you found helpful

 
Read up on it
Writing Your Family History, Gill Blanchard (Pen & Sword, 2014)
Write Your Life Story, Michael Oke (Hachette UK, 2011)

For more tips on exploring your family history, visit the Family Tree website.

(image copyright Thomas Martisen)