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​More than a little in love with House History

22/4/2021

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Tracing the histories of homes, and the people who once lived in them, has got to be one of the most evocative means of travelling back in time. Helen Tovey, Editor of Family Tree Magazine, shares some of the joys of investigating house history.
​Our homes, in all their shapes, sizes and varieties, form the backdrops to our lives. Last May we moved house to an interwar semi – the sort of classic three-bed that so many millions of us live in across the UK. And it intrigues me. I just know that its relatively short and ordinary history will turn out to be anything but as I begin to look into its past. This is because each of our lives are a beguiling mix of typical patterns and events, and also unusual twists and turns in life that are specific to each of us too.
​Our little semi is the 24th house or flat I’ve lived in (not including a stint living with my grandparents as a toddler, or my halls of residence in the first year of uni). Thirteen of these were in the first eighteen years of my life as we followed the drum of my father’s Army career. Often homes on windy former air bases, Crittall windows icing up, utility through and through, furnished with Army issue G-Plan. Large gardens and greens for swarms of children to play out communally, where dustbin lids were shields, bicycles were turned upside down into makeshift ‘spinning wheels’, dens were dug and treehouses made. The height of luxury, and the envy of neighbours, being an old tyre suspended from a tree, on the green, where everyone could play on it - but you’d know that it was your dad who had invented this marvellous toy. Meanwhile my mum would be in the kitchen wrestling with the twin tub and big wooden tongs and frequently our childhood baths would be by candlelight (due to electricity strikes and the Three Day Week) – this was the 1970s.
​Why do all these memories matter? It’s because the histories of homes, and the people who once lived in them, have got to be one of the most evocative means of travelling back in time, and gaining a better understanding of life in the past - our ancestors’ lives. 
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​Did your great-grandparents live in a multi-occupancy tenement – with the struggle and juggle to prepare the family meal using shared cooking facilities, when all the men came home from shift at the same time? What was it like to try to nurse a feverish child to sleep with clatters and chat coming through the all too skimpy walls? Or did they live on a family farm, cade lambs keeping warm by the range, fresh eggs fetched in, and layers of woolly home knits the order of the day?
What is excellent news, is that when undertaking to trace the history of a house, many of the same records that are used for family history can be put to use to research the history of a home – the census, old maps, and – of course – where possible, talking to family, neighbours, former inhabitants.
​Since moving to our new house last year, I’ve chatted to the neighbours and realise that our home  used to have a (proportionately) massive pantry – about a quarter of the size of the living room. While I was gardening a long-standing villager stopped to tell me how he used to live in our house as a lad, and at the time the garden was about twice as long and his father used to fill it with rows of veg, but the bottom half was sold off for a road to the estate nearby built in the 1990s. I’ve read and read and have learned that our lane is named after a former much-loved village school headmaster. And I’ve also been interested to discover that when the villagers were interviewed as to what they’d be looking for in a home in the 1920s they were very keen to have a front parlour. Contrary to the impression that I’ve so often heard – that this was to be a room to be primly kept for best – the ​consensus was that such a room was vital, whether for the young people to ‘hang out in’ (that last phrase is mine!), or to nurse family members, particularly older ones, so that they would have a room on the ground floor and not have to manage the stairs. I was also amused to discover that when the same villagers were asked for their thoughts on a bathroom they weren’t too fussed and didn’t see that as a necessity at all! That tin bath and privy were just fine.
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​So whether it’s the home you currently live in, or the home of your ancestors, I cannot recommend highly enough for you to take a look and see what you can uncover about the stories of these homes in times gone by.

How to begin a house history

​There are three very easy places to begin.
  1. As mentioned and demonstrated above – talk to former inhabitants.
  2. Look at the census – study the census page carefully for details. Are many people dwelling in one house? Are there live-in servants? What are the ages and occupations of the inhabitants? What do the birth places tell you about the community – are they people who have moved for work, perhaps, or established networks of families who have long lived in that place? The Victorian era is famed for its building works – are there dwellings in the process of being built? Why might the street have been so named?
  3. Look at old maps. It’s useful, just as with family history, to work backwards in time. Road names and layouts do evolve over time, and you’ll find it easier to orientate yourself if you start with the present, note some landmarks (such as the parish church, or a bend in the river), and then track down as many maps as you can – every few decades – until you reach the time period you’re interested in. (www.oldmapsonline.org is an excellent hub of map resources with maps from all over the globe).
​Electoral rolls, old newspapers, and the 1939 Register will also make very valuable hunting ground for your 20th century research. Of course, this is just the beginning; these are just some of the questions you can begin to ask yourself, just some of the places you can look.

The House History Show

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For the House History Show sponsored by Chimni on 15 May Family Tree has teamed up with the House History Hour team and we are absolutely delighted to be showcasing their presentations. Find the full programme here:  https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/house-history/house-history-show-go-to-orientation-page/
​The speakers comprise the UK’s leading house historians: onscreen contributor and historical consultant Prof Deborah Sugg Ryan and house historian & research consultant Melanie Backe-Hansen from the BBC TV series ‘A House Through Time’; buildings historian and heritage research consultant Karen Averby; historical researcher, author and house historian Gill Blanchard; author, broadcaster and historian Dr Nick Barratt; house historian, author and genealogist Keith Searle of Tracemyhouse; heritage consultant and house historian Ellen Leslie; and accredited genealogist and house historian Cathy Soughton.
​Tickets to the House History Show cost £45 for an all-inclusive ticket to the show on 15 May, and the subsequent summer lecture series. Tickets to individual lectures £10.
To find out more or book tickets, please see: https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/house-history/
Any queries – please email Helen Tovey at Family Tree. 
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The Importance of Memoir – ‘Asna’s Story’ by Cathy Aynsley-Smith

26/3/2021

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Just how well do, or did we know our parents, grandparents, or indeed any of our forebears? This month’s blog demonstrates the importance of memoir and recording first-hand experiences, recollections and reflections for future generations.  It is written by my second cousin once removed Catherine (Cathy) Aynsley-Smith and is an extract taken from Chapter 8 of her family history book which is headed FREEDMAN AND COFNAS ANCESTRY,  “My Mother’s Story”.    ​
Cathy, her sister Vivie and I (Susie Douglas of Borders Ancestry the founder of #AncestryHour) share mutual ancestors in John Smith (1813 – 1881) and Hannah Aynsley (1837 – 1922).  They are granddaughters of my great-granduncle George Aynsley-Smith senior (1886 – 1942), (who along with his eldest son Philip, were the compilers of so much of our mutual  paternal line family history), and his wife Jeanne Eugenie Mournetas (1878 – 1947).  Their father was the second child of three sons and one daughter born to the couple, George Aynsley-Smith junior, (Dick), ‘a nickname he had been given when very young by the family cook due to his love of spotted-dick pudding. Or so the story goes.’  Their mother was Asna Freedman, and this is her story …
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Asna Freedman pictured in 1934.

Extracts from ‘My Mother’s Story’ ​

​​My mother, Asna Freedman, was born to Jewish parents Joseph Freedman and Jane (Janey Myers) Schneider at 57 Lord Street, Cheetham, Manchester on 4th May 1914.  (Lord Street was also sometime home of the Jewish Soup Kitchen.) She was the youngest of eight children born to the couple.  Her eldest brother was Abraham (Abe) born in 1896.  He was followed by a sibling in 1901 who died in 1911 and whose name is not known, then Miriam (1897), Golda (1900) who died aged 17 from the world-wide influenza epidemic.  There followed Frank (1903), Sally (1905), David (1909) and lastly Asna (1914).
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​​The little I know about her early life and her family comes from the odd snippets of information she told me and from notes that she wrote in later life.  Some of her life experiences are described in the ‘diaries’ that she wrote at my request when she was in her eighties.   Much of that information was new to me as she rarely mentioned her childhood and in fact, the diaries tell far more than I can.  They give an interesting flavour of various parts of her life which I have copied verbatim.

​Memories of her young days written by Asna in 2001

Cathie once suggested I write down incidents in my life as they came to mind & this morning, Sept  18th 2001, I am doing just that. I received a notice in the post this morning from the BHA (British Humanist Assn) about a Xmas holiday in Buxton, so memories came flooding back.
​

My mother still only in her forties suffered from Osteo-Arthritis, then known as just Rheumatism, & each year went to Buxton for a month to 'take the treatment' hers being mainly mud applications & drinking the Spa water. The year before the death of my father he looked after me at home, but after his death when I was 8 years old my mother took me with her for possibly 2 years running until she could no longer afford the treatment though we stayed in a simple little flat.

After arrise (sic) & settling in we would go shopping, my mother buying a selection of young vegs then coming into season & would make a soup containing new carrots, peas, beans pots etc cooked slowly in milk; [we buy bread?] she always bought me a treat – a large bun of choux pastry bun (as my pudding) filled with fresh cream from a wonderful bakery.

Our next journey was down to the Pump where she would produce her little silver 'collapsible' cup to drink the so called healing waters. I waited in a queue of children all anxious to man the pump & each of us would be allowed to 'serve' a few people.
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Asna Freedman's stainless steel collapsible mug used to take the 'Buxton Waters'.
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Asna Freedman's stainless steel collapsible mug used to take the 'Buxton Waters' extended.
Although pumping was quite difficult for small children nevertheless we wouldn't forego this pleasure which I looked forward to daily.
​

During the months stay we would go to the Buxton Opera House to see a musical two I remember, No No Nanette, Maid of the Mountains. Perhaps we also saw some plays which I don't remember as my mother loved the theatre & Cinema. At home we saw a film every Sat. evening possibly in the winter when the Sabbath ended in time for the film. The stars were Rudolf Valentino, Paula Negrie [Pola Negri] , Gloria Swanson & of course silent until the first 'talkie' with Al Johnson. I loved all this so I suppose my liking for the Arts started then. At about the age of 12 my brother David bought a Record Player – a free standing console model, where the records were kept in the cupbd of lower part, & then I heard my first opera arias on 78s. The Rigoletto Quartet + excerpts from Cav & Pag. etc. David also took me to hear the Henry Wood Concerts & once to a Jazz Concert with a famous American Saxophone player. He also took me to several plays – B. Shaw's mostly, by the M/c Rep. Co. which produced many actors later to become well-known in the London theatres. So, despite my lack of formal higher education through straightened circumstances I had a rich cultural childhood (including books) not always available to children in poor to moderate circumstances & I think this in part is due to Jewish people wanting to enrich their lives, by self-education not unlike the Welsh & Irish.

Asna’s notes continue: Recollections 26.10.93

​… My childhood wasn’t easy but I was ‘lucky’ in having access to good books & being influenced by three of my older siblings who were broadminded & more radical. Another influence in my early teens, when joining a friend to help in her father’s shop (lock-up shop with no living accommodation) in a poor Salford district was the sight of real poverty. Children with no shoes (Phil Casket whose family were poor remembers this & himself wore none in early years) & torn clothes. The mothers would pay 1/-d or up to 2/-d (todays 6p & 10p) every week & buy some essential piece of clothing & be forever in debt. Streets were dirty & houses unkempt & men and some women drank heavily using money (? 1d pint for beer at that time) they could ill afford & which should have been spent on food. But who could blame them, as now, there was no way out of the poverty trap – (the recession of the 1920s & the 1926 General Strike). My friend’s father had made good profits from selling surplus army clothing after the 1914-18 War & bought himself a nice house - small but comfortable in a pleasant M/c district. He didn’t make the huge profits that many did during the war years & worked hard. However, these differences affected my way of reasoning & I came to the conclusion that the ‘System’; had to be changed & thus became a Socialist.

​Sally was my biggest influence & I suppose being without a father from the age of 8 I ‘looked up’ to the older members of my family. My Mother’s religious beliefs didn’t influence me at all & although my father was religious & a keen Zionist, he was politically a Socialist believing in the formation of the Kibbutz in Israel. (What was then Palestine). He took no part in British politics as his endeavours were solely propelled to the causes of Zionism & not long before his illness & death was making plans for our emigration to Palestine. He went to Berlin to have an operation for removal of cataracts in both eyes, the surgery being more reliable there in those days.  But even so he needed long convalescence which unfortunately he did not take and following his return home contracted meningitis and died a week later.
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Asna's greatest influence, her sister Sally photographed circa 1926
​Asna often talked about days spent rambling in the Derbyshire countryside with other friends. Rambling clubs provided not just recreation but an escape from the city and poverty around them but also an environment where they could discuss social and political issues whilst enjoying the freedom of the moors.
​​In her teens she had the intellectual stimulation of literature, politics, religion and social injustice.  The latter created a desire for a solution which eventually brought her and many others to communism.  Having lost her father at a very young age maybe weakened the pressure to conform which was accepted by other Jewish youngsters who were unwilling to marry out or to smoke in the street on Shabbos [the Sabbath]. Those who became communist often described themselves as ‘rebels.’
​I remember my teenage years at home in St Albans, when we would have many political discussions and Asna would often mention like-minded friends (Beck Caskett and Pearl Binder) and relatives (Sally and Frank) who influenced her political thinking even though she was a lot younger.  I cannot remember my mother ever talking about anti-Semitic attitudes whilst she was at school and in fact she her sister Sally, and many others moved to London looking for other social ‘beliefs’, considering them being more relevant than religion.  The explanation as to why so many Jews were attracted to communism in the 1930s was that the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was opposed to fascism and in communism they found a form of self-defence against the fascists.

​Asna continues ...

​… In those days in England children could leave school at 14 and even though I was told by my Headmistress I had a “promising future” and was offered a place at Manchester Grammar School if I stayed on, I decided to leave. The Depression and General Strike of 1926 made things very difficult for my mother and so I took employment in an office and went to evening classes to continue my education and also did a good deal of reading becoming both a socialist and atheist in the process.
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Asna Freedman with husband George Aynsley-Smith (Dick)
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​​But I remember her telling me on many an occasion how this curtailment of her formal education disappointed her and affected her future life.  In the 1920s her sister Sally went to work in London and some years later at the age of nineteen Asna left Manchester to follow her.  Due to the poverty she saw in her childhood she developed an interest in politics and through attending political meetings and demonstrations she met my father Dick (George Aynsley-Smith junior).  When in her eighties she would often talk about their life together and describe how they ‘had 44 happy years together’ and explain how he came from a Quaker family but that as ‘he too felt the same about religion and politics as I did so that there was no disharmony on these issues, nor on any others that matters, such as the emancipation of women, equality in the home and workplace etc.. I felt very bereft when he died over 16 years ago and still do.’
​Sadly, her marriage to Dick, who was not Jewish, displeased her elder brother Abe - who was acting in loco parentis at the time - and hence caused her separation from most family members.  Asna used to talk quite often about how upset she was that Abe objected to her marrying my father and rent his clothes when she said she was marrying out.  There was a common belief that Jewish parents treated ‘marrying out’ like death and would sit in mourning for the child. ​

​Recollections 20.11.93

All sorts of thoughts pass through my mind in the morning and today, for some unknown reason, my mind went back to my brother, Abe.

Strange. I cannot recollect anything about him before he married in 1921. He was in the Army in the ‘Great War’ (1914-1918) & I seem to remember him in ‘Kahki’ (sic) uniform on his return but no other memories of him at home until I used to visit him & his wife, Emma, at their home & even then only after the birth of their first daughter, Eileen, when I was 8 years old. I remember that Emma made my first gym slip when I started secondary school & seemed bad-tempered at the fittings & ‘ticking me off’ for various reasons.
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Abe Freedman's marriage to Emma Simon in June 1921. (Asna bridesmaid front left) Wonderful example of 1920s wedding photo and fashion - brides headdress, very large bouquets, serious faces and lack of hats for women.
However, I digress, as I was actually thinking of Abe in a much later period in connection with myself. I went up to M/c to tell him of my intended marriage which he opposed on grounds of religion (as I knew my mother would too) but said if I intended to go ahead – which I did – advised me not to disclose this to my mother & I followed his advice – perhaps I should say his wishes – which I’ve always regretted. I’m sure she would eventually have become reconciled (she had met Dick in London & when I tentatively brought up the question of our marrying, put the same religious objection though she thought ‘he was very nice’ & I am certain that knowing & seeing Cathie, my first baby, would have given her some pleasure in the last few months; she died in Aug ’43 without knowing I was married or of Cathie’s existence. Something I cannot remember without pain. What surprised me was being warmly received by both Abe & Emma when I called some months later with Cathie whilst staying in M/c with Sylvia & Maurice for a few weeks during the heavy bombing. After that first ‘reconciliation’ we remained on amicable terms, but didn’t meet again only communicating by letter & a phone call – before mother’s death.
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Asna's father Joseph Freedman
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Asna's mother Janey Schneider
​​As a child in a Jewish family Asna was well aware of the hardships endured and the religious practices that were so important in her upbringing.  In her diaries in 2001 she wrote:
​The diaspora of Jewish people to Europe was to escape from the persecution that beset them continually in Russia and Eastern Europe.  But they had a hard time in the countries where they settled with only low paid, mostly manual work, open to them. There were certain periods over the centuries where they did enjoy freedom to pursue their cultural and professional careers as in Spain and Germany and for a short time in England but these periods always passed with further oppression and discrimination and so they fled to whichever country would take them. In the time of the Spanish Inquisition many Jews converted to Christianity otherwise it meant death, unless they could escape and some came to England.

I remember them in Manchester when I was a child as their religious practices were slightly modified allowing them to use transport on Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath) and as many were quite affluent having brought their wealth with them from Spain, we saw them arrive to their special Synagogues in their cars – quite a phenomenon in those days of the early 20s. The Synagogues were called ‘Reform Synagogues’. I remember when a young child going to our own Synagogue and sitting in the Balcony where all the women sat – we had a good view of all the happenings below. At a certain part of the Service the Scrolls – “Torahs” were brought out of their little Ark and carried round, their coverings were of white satin, which I thought was lovely!


I was told by Sally that my parents experienced hard times but always ‘pulled through’. I don’t know a great deal about my parents’ early married life but Jewish immigrants had a hard time and in those days it was difficult for them to work in the professions or follow a career, the only work being available was manual (in the tailoring trade mostly) or in business.

I believe at one time my father ventured into the coal business, having one employee to deliver, but he was no businessman and was a soft touch when families were badly off with no heating in winter and did not insist on payment. This venture didn’t last long! As my father’s attempt in business wasn’t very successful and having been a teacher in the Jewish Community in Russia, he started a small school.  By the time I was born he had been teaching Hebrew in a room in the Synagogue which I visited with messages or whatever for my father.  Whilst waiting till there was a break I’d sit and watch and listen but not understand apart from a few everyday words. Girls were not included in this education as primarily it was to prepare the boys for their Bar Mitzva at the age of 13. My father was called a Rebbe i.e. teacher & my Grandfather was a Rabbi – the Religious Head (Minister) of the local Jewish community.

The boys came after their English school-day finished and for a full day on a Sunday. My Father also officiated in the local Synagogue and helped my Grandfather in his duties as a Rabbi both were held in high regard by the local Jewish community in our area – Jewish people seemed to have lived in various areas of Manchester by the time I came on the scene.
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Freedman family with Miriam and Abe to the rear, Asna in the centre foreground flanked by her parents Joseph and Janey
In 1998 Asna wrote a little about her parents and their social and religious beliefs. Her paternal grandfather (Rabbi Yehuda Leib Freedman) and his family were immigrants from the pogroms in Tsarist Russia and settled in Manchester.

Asna believed her mother’s family originally came from Germany and later lived in Latvia.  Her mother, Janey Schneider, was born in Riga and came to England in 1892 at the age of 18 together with her mother Sarah Milner and other family members.  With Holocaust Memorial Day having just passed on 27th January, the family’s story and how the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, touched Asna’s family too, together with Cathy’s discoveries regarding the wider family and its legacy will be continued in part II. 
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Asna Freedman's two daughters Cathy and Vivie Aynsley-Smith photographed in 2013
​In the meantime I hope you have enjoyed this brief glimpse into Asna’s memories of her younger self and touching recollections of the relationships with her family particularly her own mother.  Without the diaries her feelings, emotions, joys and regrets, which say so much about her as a person would have been lost.  I know many of you have taken the opportunity presented by ‘lockdowns’ to commit your own memories to paper, but if you are yet to do so I would urge you all to get writing!  ​
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Green shoots of hope for family history amid the continuing lockdown

23/6/2020

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There’s no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the genealogy community hard, with library and archive closures affecting both self-employed and hobby genealogists. But it’s not all bad news, as Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine reports.
 
Whether you’re someone who makes a living from family history or an independent researcher, it’s hard not to feel that the Coronavirus lockdown has put the brakes on research progress temporarily. And whilst health is always the priority, we can’t help but miss the libraries, archives and society meetings that form part of our everyday lives as genealogists. 
 
As we look towards the rest of 2020 and what the coming months might bring, here are five reasons to celebrate family history in lockdown and what it’s meant to us.
 
1 Family history as a welcome distraction
 
With so many of us spending many more hours than usual at home, family history has been a welcome distraction. Thanks to modern technology there have been so many ways to research, whether that’s interviewing relatives on a Zoom call, exploring those online records you’ve been meaning to mine for clues, or finally getting around to backing up your precious research and organising old photos. 
 
There’s nothing like going down the rabbit hole of research to while away the hours…
 
2 Organisations reaching out to genealogists
 
Another benefit of our enforced home-time has been seeing the way that genealogy organisations large and small have reached out to researchers and found creative ways to share their content online. Many of us have enjoyed the free access to records at The UK National Archives and there have been (and hopefully will continue to be) free of charge record releases and privileged access for set periods of time to material you’d normally have to pay to enjoy.
 
Of course, most of the digital records that we enjoy are available thanks to the hard work of volunteer transcribers who have often put in years of work to make collections available to us. Hopefully the trial periods at online repositories will convert into paid-for subscriptions to help support these organisations.
 
3 The joy of the family history community
 
Most of us are used to popping into our local archive, library or family history society research centre whenever we get the chance and so lockdown has been a challenge from this perspective. But even in these times, the family history community has come together, with family history society meetings held virtually, conferences and events brought online and regular meet-ups that are such a lifeline (such as #AncestryHour every Tuesday at 7pm) proving more valuable than ever.
 
4 Hope that your DNA match might finally reply!
 
If you’ve been waiting to hear from that DNA match who might hold a vital clue to bust through that brick wall, or hoping that a distant cousin will reply to your request for family information, the fact that people have more time on their hands might actually work in your favour.
 
5 Looking ahead to enjoying our family history facilities like never before
 
That old saying you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone could be the lockdown motto – we look forward to the day when we can return to our favourite family history facilities and meet up with family and friends. 
 
So here’s to all the many people who give their time so generously to make our family history community what it is. On behalf of all of us, thank you.
 
Get involved with Family Tree’s #StoryOfOurStreet local history challenge – the project you can join from anywhere in the world! Find out more here.
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Hooray for siblings!

28/4/2020

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Connect with distant cousins and expand your family tree, simply by including siblings of your ancestors on your online tree, writes Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine.
 
Many of us are so intent on tracing our ancestors down through the generations that we don’t always pay attention to the brothers and sisters of our ancestors, perhaps not including them at all on our family tree.
 
But if you have an online tree with one of the big sites such as Ancestry, Family Search or FindMyPast, do consider adding these siblings to your tree – they are a key means of linking up with distant cousins who are researching the same line.
 
How do I find ancestral siblings?
 
A quick and easy way to discover how many siblings your ancestor had is to follow their childhood family through the censuses. Here, you can see that ancestor within their family setting and from the censuses, get birth year and place for brothers and sisters – clues you can then follow up to find these people through birth and baptism records and then adding them to your tree.
 
As always in genealogy, best practice is to check relevant records for each person mentioned (such as birth and baptism records) rather than just relying on the census as your source. 
 
So how does this help me find present-day cousins?
 
By adding confirmed siblings to the relevant section of your tree, you are putting potential ancestors into a ‘pool’ of ancestral information that will be picked up by others researching the same ancestral line, typically through the hints or clues that family history websites offer to those who have a family tree on their site.
 
So for example, your great-grandfather Tom may have had two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary. And each of these three children went on to have families of their own. You are descended from Tom and other researchers will be descended from Elizabeth and Mary. And so, by connecting to these present-day descendants you are in touch with people with whom you share ancestors (Tom, Elizabeth and Mary’s parents). Just as you have stories and photos relating to your own family, so too will they.

The above method will also help you if you take a DNA test and are presented with a list of potential DNA matches by your testing company. Without a family tree it would be nigh on impossible to work out how you and a match are related. But factor in a tree complete with your ancestors and their siblings and your chances of finding common ground – and ancestors in common – are much higher.
 
Family relationships
 
Whether or not you’re hoping to connect with present-day distant cousins, recording siblings will also help you to understand your ancestor’s younger years within the context of their birth family. Perhaps you’ve found that your great-grandmother was the oldest of twelve siblings, making it likely that she would have been kept busy helping to look after them during her childhood and even beyond. What a contrast to the family life of an ancestor who had just one brother or sister. 
 
It’s also fascinating to follow any siblings through the censuses, seeing the different paths that their lives took as they entered into a trade or profession, married and perhaps moved away from their home town.
 
Siblings can also give you clues to help you trace ancestors in the generation above. Finding the oldest child in a family should allow you search for the parents’ marriage with reasonable accuracy. 
 
So give those brothers and sisters a place on your tree – and reap the rewards in the past and the present.
 
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Six steps to make 2020 your most organised year yet!

13/2/2020

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Looking for tips to keep your family history research under control? Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine introduces a six-step plan to help you organise your paperwork, digital files, photos and books.

No matter what stage you’re at with your family history, it’s all too easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information you amass. Whether it’s certificates, old photos, reference books or just lots of digital data, continually sifting through piles of information can be disheartening.

Follow this six-step plan to get your research under control – allowing you to focus on the fun part of family history – finding your ancestors!

Read to find out how to organise:
  • notes of your work in progress
  • family charts, trees and record sheets
  • original documentation
  • family history memorabilia
  • photographs
  • your family history library

1. Your day-to-day notes

Start a research log, an ongoing document that shows what you’ve looked for and where – preventing you from duplicating and showing where the facts you have came from. You could also keep correspondence logs and a research record covering all ancestors.

Consider creating a small portable research which has an overview of your research, your working family tree and to do list, so that you don’t have to transport bulky and precious originals to libraries and archives.

2. Family history paperwork

If you’re determined to be super organised, have a separate binder (with acid-free pockets) for each surname on your tree. This can contain a copy of your family tree, record sheets for individuals and other information relating to the family such as census returns and trade directory details, etc.

Don’t be tempted to use cheap PVC pockets as these can strip the ink from the document; acid-free archive quality versions will give your documents top protection.

3. Precious original documents

Your original documents are the foundation of your family history and can include inherited documents such as BMD certificates, school reports, certificates for professional qualifications, service records, etc.

These are the items which you’ll be passing onto the next generation and so it’s worth taking the most care with this category, as these are the records which must stand the test of time.

Acid-free storage materials are used by record offices and archives and are widely available to members of the public from family history supply companies.

4. Genealogy memorabilia

Anything of a non-paper or bulky nature comes under this category and acid-free storage boxes are the best bet for long-term preservation. Wrap items such as family Bibles or fabrics such as a christening shawl or wedding veil in acid-free tissue paper before storing in the box.

5. Family photographs

If you have a collection of precious old photos, consider having them scanned and restored before keeping the originals in your own family archive. Sulphur-free boxes are perfect for photos if not stored in an album. Don’t use sticky labels on the back; if you want to write on the back use a soft lead pencil and write names, date and occasion.

6. Family history reference library

This doesn’t have to be anything grand, particularly as many of us don’t have room to store shelf after shelf of reference books, but it can be really useful to own a few key texts that will help you at all stages of your research. Ideas include:

  • A dictionary of family history to help you understand key terms
  • Books related to the geographic areas your ancestors came from
  • Books that relate to a particular trade or industry

For free, printable or downloadable record sheets to help you organise your family history, visit the Family Tree website.
 
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
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Six ways to make a family gathering work for family history

25/11/2019

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For many of us, the Christmas season means get-togethers with close and perhaps even distant relatives. Whether you love or loathe the prospect, with a little preparation you can turn your next gathering into an opportunity to enrich your family tree, as Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine explains in our latest blog.

When it comes to family history, your relatives are probably your biggest source of information apart from official records. Long-forgotten photographs, documents and certificates could be hiding away in attics and cupboards – and with a little planning could become part of the family tree.

At the next family gathering, why not make it your mission to gather this information together, enjoy a trip down memory lane and consolidate what each person knows about your ancestors and their lives.

Follow our six-step plan and enjoy a gathering to remember.  

1. What do you hope to gain?

You’re likely to come away satisfied from the get-together if you focus on a couple of objectives. For example, are you hoping for help in identifying unknown people on family photos? Or have you come across a family history mystery that older or more distant relatives might help to solve? Maybe you just want to find out what documents and papers belong to the family as a whole. Knowing your aims will help with step two…

2. Prepare your participants!

Contact your fellow party-goers to explain that you’re hoping to carry out a bit of fun family history research whilst you’re all together and would welcome their input. You could invite people to bring along old photos and do some scanning to share copies around. Or perhaps some relatives have old documents or certificates they might let you borrow. And if there are any relatives you feel will be particularly helpful in terms of information on particular ancestors, make a mental note to have a chat with them at the party.

3. Bring along a family history kit

Believe it or not, bringing along selected excerpts from your research can be a great ice-breaker and encourage your relations to help you in your quest to find ancestors. Just a few items such as a copy of the relevant part of the family tree, a few interesting photos and perhaps one or two birth, marriage or death certificates will set the ball rolling and get people reminiscing about grandparents, great-grandparents and maybe even stories relating to ancestors beyond that. And of course don’t forget you’ll need something for recording or writing down all this new information!

4. Set up shop

On the big day, find a corner where you can ‘set up shop’ and leave your family history research on display for people to look through. Have paper and pencils available for ancestor-identifying from old photos or recording any new information. If you can access a mobile scanner, teenage relatives might be willing to get busy scanning photos and documents, and you could also record mini memory sessions on your phone.

5. Make it all about the memories

Although dates are obviously key to us as family historians, in general these will always be available to us via family history records, even many years from now, whereas memories and knowledge are more precious and time sensitive. If anyone’s willing to share their reminiscences about the family in years gone by, this is a great opportunity to record that information and enrich your family tree. The same goes for old photos – aim to identify as many of those ancestors as possible whilst there are still people around who remember those pictured.

6. Can you gain any research buddies?

By the end of the gathering, hopefully everyone will have enjoyed a trip down memory lane and you’ll have gained some valuable new information. If anyone’s shown a particular interest in your research, why not enlist them as a research buddy? You could set up a WhatsApp group or e-mail circle to share your findings on a six-monthly basis or even organise a follow-up session.

(image: New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed November 25, 2019.
​ http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/6f66e490-c325-0135-3c23-199488d815a9)

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The Ducal Conscientious Objector

15/10/2019

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In the course of her research into the Scottish Anti-Vaccination League, Sylvia Valentine encounters many interesting stories.  In this blog for #AncestryHour she shares her latest findings where the connections of the individuals involved, as well as proving to be somewhat of a coup for the 'League', pose some tricky #familyhistory questions.  
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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horrible_monster_vaccination.jpg
​On February 3rd 1903, the Duchess of Hamilton gave birth to a baby boy, her first son. The child was named Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale, and was heir to the premier dukedom of Scotland.[1] His parent’s were Alfred Douglas-Hamilton, the 13th Duke of Hamilton and his wife Nina Poore.
In due course the Duchess gave birth to six more children.
  • Lady Jean Douglas-Hamilton born 11 June 1904.[2]
  • George Nigel Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk born January 4th 1906.[3]
  • Lady Margaret Douglas-Hamilton born 1907.[4]
  • Lord Malcolm Avondale Douglas-Hamilton, born November 12th 1909.[5]
  • Lord David Douglas-Hamilton November 8th 1912.[6]  
  • Lady Mairi Nina Douglas-Hamilton born 24th August 1914.[7]
 
On August 26th 1904, The Duke appeared at Wimborne Magistrates Court in Dorset to register his conscientious objection to the vaccination of his child and was granted his certificate of exemption. The word child is used advisedly, The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review, the journal of the National Anti-vaccination League, refer to “…a little daughter…” and that the Duke had become a member of the Scottish Anti-Vaccination League.[8]
 
However, the numerous newspaper reports refer to “…an infant son.” The following is an example taken from The Bellshill Speaker.
 
The Duke of Hamilton applied to the Wimborne magistrates on Friday for a certificate exempting his infant son from vaccination. The Chairman—Why do you ask for this? The Duke—I have objection to vaccination. The Chairman-Very well, it is granted. It should be added that in Scotland conscientious scruples would not entertained, but in England the vaccination laws are voluntary.[9]
 
So, did the Duke claim exemption for his heir Douglas or his daughter Jean? Either is possible as in England and Wales, vaccination had to be performed by the time the child was three months old. Without reading the court documents or tracing the Registrar’s Vaccination Book it is impossible to identify which child was exempted. No earlier record of the Duke applying for exemption has yet been identified.
 
Whatever the gender of the exempted child, it certainly created something of a furore in Scotland. The law relating to conscientious objection which came into force in 1898 allowed parents in England and Wales to obtain a certificate of objection. However when the legislation was being considered by parliament, Scotland was specifically excluded from the legislation. Had these children been born at the family seat Hamilton Palace, Lanarkshire, the Duke would have been unable to claim an exemption from vaccination, as the conscience clause was not extended to Scotland until 1907.
 
In 1905, John H Bonner undertook a speaking tour of Scotland on behalf of the National Anti-Vaccination League, to “educate’ the people of Scotland about the “evils of vaccination”. One of the locations where Bonner spoke was at Hamilton and Bonner’s account comments
 
At Hamilton we assembled within half a mile of the Duke’s palace, and the fact that his Grace had been enabled to apply for, and obtain, an exemption certificate considerably impressed the local people.  I was informed that in all probability the attention of the Duke was attracted to our question through an employee on his estate having suffered a term of imprisonment a year or two ago.[10]
 
 
A search of The British Newspaper Online discovered another court appearance by the Duke in 1906, the year his second son, George, was born.
 
At Wimborne, yesterday, the Duke of Hamilton obtained a vaccination exemption certificate on the ground that he conscientiously believed vaccination would be prejudicial to his child's health.[11]
 
But no further reports of court appearances have yet been located.
 
What influenced the Duke to become an anti-vaccinationist? Quite possibly because of the influence the Duchess, Nina Douglas-Hamilton who was a founder of the Animal Defence and Anti-vivisection Society.[12] Many anti-vaccinationists were also committed anti-vivisectionists, probably owing to the use which was made of calves to cultivate the cowpox lymph used in vaccinations. The Duchess remained committed to animal rights until her death in 1951.
 
The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review of August 1907, reported that the Duke was to open a fete being held in aid of the N.S.P.C.C., with a “beautiful baby” class. Perhaps somewhat with tongue in cheek, a suggestion had been made that the committee should have a speciality class for ‘…un-cowpoxed bairns and that the Duchess herself could enter two.[13]
 
Did the Duke obtain exemption for “the Heir and the spare”? Did he allow his other children to be vaccinated?  It is impossible to know with any degree of certainty. What is certain is that the Scottish Anti-Vaccination League considered his membership to be something of a coup, one which would encourage others to follow his lead. It is a pity that the society records are not in an archive, but one can live in hope that somewhere, they are lurking still in a box and might yet be re discovered


[1] St George Hanover Square  Registration District, March Quarter, volume 01A, page 449.

[2] Poole Registration District September Quarter 1904 Volume 5a, page 243

[3] Poole Registration District March Quarter 1906 Volume 5a, page 241.

[4] Stockbridge Registration District December Quarter 1907 Volume 2c, page105.

[5] Avondale Registration District, November 1909 621/108, page 36

[6] Avondale Registration District, November 1912 621/88, page 30.

[7] Avondale Registration District, August 1914 621/74, page 74.

[8] The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review, Volume 26, no.388, page 162, November 1904.

[9] Bellshill Speaker 2 September 1904.

[10] The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review, Volume 26, no.311, page 213, February 1905.

[11] Globe 21 April 1906

[12] Jon Wynne-Tyson, Nina Mary Benita Douglas Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, September 2004.

[13] The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review, Volume 29, no.341, page 88, August 1907
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Is it good to share?

9/7/2019

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Should you pass on your family history research to someone who’s a stranger to you but with whom you may share a common ancestor? Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine offers her thoughts.

Three times in the past year I’ve had exciting emails from someone with whom I share an ancestor, who’s reached out to me either via my online tree on Ancestry, or through a DNA test I did a couple of years ago. It’s always great to get that feeling that we family historians love, when the possibility of finding new ancestors or even overcoming a brick wall presents itself.

Each of my new connections has turned into a friendship, but that initial contact got me thinking, do some similar cases not turn out so well? Have there been times when people have shared their precious research only to regret doing so? This blog isn’t intended to act as a guideline for what to do, as only you can make that decision, but instead to offer some thoughts on different ways to proceed with a new genealogy contact and to show how these partnerships can work well when handled with care on both sides.

Hello, third cousin once removed!

As family historians we revel in inter-generation links and in those clues that can help us back to the next generation or on to a new ancestor. Many of us will have worked on our family history for years and most probably will have spent quite a bit of money in pursuit of our obsession. So how much should you be prepared to share with a stranger?

The first step when someone reaches out to you as a potential family match is to work out which common ancestor you share (if indeed, there is one). It would, of course, be a waste of both of your time should your new ‘cousin’ turn out to have no connection to your family at all.

But once you’ve made the connection and established which common ancestor you share, then your joint project can begin. Even if you’re communicating with someone who’s completely new to family history this should be a two-way process with both of you contributing in your own way.

The start of a beautiful friendship?

A good way to look at the process is to imagine how it would work if you were starting a new friendship in the non-genealogy or non-online world. Of course you wouldn’t spill your life story to someone you happened to sit next to on the train. In most cases, friendship builds as trust is earned and information about both your lives will naturally reveal itself as the relationship grows.

Each of us will have our own feeling about how much of our tree we’re prepared to share but it makes sense to bear in mind the worst case scenario – that someone could take all the information you’ve given them about your ancestors, copy it straight into their own tree and pass it off as their own work. How would that make you feel? 

The more generations between you and your contact and that common ancestor, the narrower the portion of tree you’ll be interested in. So don’t feel that you have to share your whole tree at once or even at all. Some programmes (such as Family Historian) allow you to section off areas of your tree to share with a contact and of course it’s essential to safeguard the privacy of anyone who’s still alive and is featured in your research. 

Another option is to ‘drip feed’ the information as the two of you share your findings (and maybe collaborate on a research project together). You might be surprised how much you can learn from someone who’s new to family history. Family stories and memorabilia pass down different branches of the tree and you could be lucky enough to gain access to photos and paperwork you didn’t know existed.

Let’s work together…

As I mentioned at the start, my three tentative contacts have turned into partnerships where I hope we’ve both gained something. I’ve found a new Irish cousin, which has been really rewarding since my own family had lost touch with its Irish roots. We never knew why my 4 x great-grandfather was known as the ‘silver king’ but my new-found third cousin has helped me uncover newspaper reports about this ancestor’s role as a provisions dealer in Ireland and his brushes with the law. 

In return I’ve been able to pass on family photos from my own branch, allowing this cousin to see descendants of the ‘silver king’ and I’m also going to photograph some gravestones over in Dublin next month to help him with his research.
I guess what  I’m trying to say is that I went against my natural instincts to share my research and I tried to think about I could contribute to the partnership even when it seemed I was receiving more than I was giving. Whatever stage we’re at with our research, we’re all on the family history journey together and I’m sure you’d agree that it would be a sad day if we thought we’d learnt all there was to know about our ancestors and their lives.

For free advice on tracing your family tree, visit Family Tree's website.

(image copyright Ahsmann)
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Create a family tree matrix and solve your family history mystery

8/4/2019

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In the latest issue of Family Tree magazine, editor Helen Tovey introduces a new project – creating a family tree matrix. In our latest blog, we share this great project with the Ancestry Hour community, helping you to find red flags and promising leads in your genealogy research.

Sometimes when we come to a brick wall in our family history investigations it’s because we can’t find the details we’re after to enable us to continue searching. At other times it’s because we’ve found details but aren’t sure which of the information or paths ahead of us is correct.
 
For instance, perhaps you have an ancestor that you’ve found under several (apparently unaccountable) surnames through their lives in the records? Or perhaps you have an ancestor whose age varies wildly. By gathering a matrix of information about a person and their relations you can recreate (or reconstitute) the family – analysing your collection of data for red flags to be worried about, or promising leads.
 
How to create your family tree matrix

 
The column and row headings listed below are examples of table headings that you may like to include, when creating
your own collection of data for you to compare.
 
In this instance, the concept has been designed to relate to just one person (though it can include cross-references
to other people). The idea behind it is to help you build up a collection of clues that can be analysed side by side, to help you spot evidence that’s more likely, or less likely.
 
The premise is to think about the facts that we’re after and to have a range of records in which we can search for
them. When you have a puzzle on your hands, this log will give you the scope and space to record your details in a
layout that’s easy to study at a glance. You may like to copy these details into Excel to create your own spreadsheet.
 
Spreadsheet information to include
 
COLUMN 1
Forename
Surname
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of marriage
Place of marriage
Date of death
Place of death
Place of burial
Spouse
Parents
Children
Address
Occupation
 
ROW 1
(with space in column 1 left blank)
Birth certificate
Baptism
Marriage certificate
Marriage (other; parish, banns)
Death certificate
Burial (other: parish, etc)
Family ‘lore’ (oral history)
Family records (birthday books,
Family Bible etc)
School records
Apprentice
Occupations
Electoral registers
Trade directories
Phone books
Newspapers
Census 1841
Census 1851
Census 1861
Census 1871
Census 1881
Census 1891
Census 1901
Census 1911
1939 Register
 
Good luck with your own matrix and we hope it helps you solve your family history mystery or eliminate those red herrings, saving your time and energy.
 
For more on Family Tree magazine, visit the website.
 
(image © Crazyphunk)


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The Power & Joy of Family History on the Internet

9/2/2019

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By Lynn Heiden
I am a collector of old photos, sharing them every day on Twitter & Instagram & I especially enjoy researching any that have family names & blogging about them with a hope that they may eventually be returned back to their families. So this past week has been such a joy.

The story started last weekend when I received an email from a lady called Caroline from Wiltshire about a Blog that I wrote back last August about Walter, Matilda, Kathleen, Betty & Daisy Bartlett, as a result of buying two postcard photos with names on from Old Postcards.  I was quite pleased I had managed to find out so much about the family who came mostly from Somerset, not too far from us in Dorset.
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Caroline had Googled one of her family surnames BARTLETT & came across my Blog, she was astonished to see the photos & her family history.  Walter was her Grandmother's brother.  She gave me her phone number & we've spoken on the phone a couple of times this week, a lovely lady.  I posted the photos off to her & she was thrilled to have them back in the family. She has been researching her family history for a while now.  This is another family photo she shared with me to add to my Blog, showing her Grandmother's Wedding group & you can see Walter & Matilda far right.
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I posted on my Facebook page & Twitter about this update to the Bartlett story & Old Postcards contacted me to say that after reading my Blog she realised that she still has more Postcards from the same family, so she sent me the links to a few still in her store which I have passed on to Caroline, brilliant!  So, hopefully even if she doesn't want them for her collection, she will still have been able to see the postcards that some of her Ancestors wrote, back in the times when they didn't have telephones to keep in touch.

Another friend on Twitter @book_magpie Gill Edwards, also contacted me to say that she had bought three of the same family's postcards from Old Postcards too & that if Caroline wanted them she would gladly post them on to her, which she did the same day, how wonderful of her!
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Everyone coming together to help each other is exactly what family history people are so good at!  It echoes the ethos of #AncestryHour helping people every week find answers to their questions & queries.

Keep up the good work everyone.

If you haven't read the Bartlett Blog yet here's the Link: https://lynnswaffles.com/2018/08/24/walter-matilda-kathleen-betty-and-daisy-bartlett/
​

You can find Lynn online at Lynn's Waffles 
On Facebook ​ www.facebook.com/lynnswaffles/
On Twitter twitter.com/LynnsWaffles
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