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Tuesday 21 April 2015

A-Z Challenge: R for Reconnecting & Research

A-Z of Family History Sources & Stories 
Join me on this A-Z journey to explore the fascinating records 
that can  enhance your family history research and writing.

Records, Resources, References and Registrars are  at the heart of our family history activities.

RECONNECTING WITH RELATIVES   - family history has given me the push  to get in touch with relatives e.g. my mother's cousins, who  I knew about from my childhood,  but had had no personal contact  with as an adult  particularly when we moved to another part of the country. I prevaricated about this for ages,  but what  a resource I had been missing out on!  I have had a marvellous reception from them  to hearing  a family voice from the past - "I remember a little girl with pig tails".  We have exchanged memories, paid visits and I have gathered additional material for my blog posts. 

The daughter of my Great Aunt Jennie had a box of memorabilia in her loft, which she  wondered what to do with - and I was the benefactor of photographs, used heavily in my blog, including the only photograph of my great grandfather James Danson  and two unknown photographs of my great grandmother Maria Rawcliffe - plus much much more.   I was also able to read  the moving letter written by my great uncle George three weeks before he was killed on the Somme in 1916, and  photograph Maria's tea set and jewellery.  I was touching personal possessions used by Maria who lived 1859-1919. 

So don't delay in accessing the wonderful resource of family.  

RESEARCH in itself can be a source of family history writing,  especially if you are blogging.  Do you always use a dose of sceptism and  question information you find,  sources uncovered, the validity of online transcriptions and  family trees?   We all like to learn from others, so do you have you a particular research story to tell?  Mine was a tale of following false trails and making wrong assumptions.  Yours may be  a particularly exciting discovery.

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Copyright © 2015 · Susan Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved 

On to S for ScotlandsPeople, ScotlandsPlaces, Sasines, Statistical Accounts, Sadness & Sisters



 


2 comments:

  1. My cousin started our family tree and has gotten back to the 1600's on one side. Since then I have worked on my husbands side of the family as well. I have 4 folders running on all this stuff. It is fascinating to read where they came over on the wagon trains, one was a blacksmith. I have then coming from Germany, Ireland, Canada.....My advice to anyone reading this is to get as much info as you can from the older family memories before it is gone with them forever.
    http://enchantedfantasies.blogspot.com/

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  2. Reconnecting or even just connecting is part of the thrill of tracing one's family tree. I made a connection just this past week that resulted in some fun photos for an upcoming post.

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