A-Z Challenge - U for Unusual, Unforgettable, Unlucky & Uniforms

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.

This letter has proved a challenge in itself, so here are a random selection of suggestions for family history writing.

UNUSUAL WORD - UNQUIHILE  - this word was new to me until I began researching Scottish records in more  depth   You may come across this in old documents, wills etc. and it  is an archaic Scots word meaning "the late" or "the deceased."  I lay claim  for this being the  most unusual U word!  


UNLUCKY SEARCHES  - sometime researching family history is a matter of luck.  In researching my  my father's childhood in Shropshire. I was delighted to find that the Broseley Historical Society website included extracts from newspapers  with fascinating titbits of life in the local church and school.  But guess what?  The crucial years I wanted of 1925 and 1926 were missing!  

You may also be unlucky when trying to trace  World War One service records for an ancestor, as so many were destroyed in a 1940's bombing raid on the National Archives in London.  My five Danson great uncles served, but I have only managed to trace the records for one of them - George.

Tom and George Danson

 UNIFORMS   - Whether  it is military, school or work, photographs of our ancestors in  uniform   put them in the context of their wider lives.  Below  is my Great Aunt Jennie Danson  (second left)  with colleagues who worked in the local post office in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire.

UNDISPUTED RECORDS We are always looking for that undisputed  record on an  ancestor.  My four times great grandfather John Danson had a daughter Ellen Danson, baptised at St. Chad's Church in 1763 (Poulton Parish Register).   In searching for a marriage I came across an Ellen Danson marrying a Ralph Dewhurst - and made the basic fatal error of assuming this was "my " record - until I discovered that there were two other young Ellen Danson's in Poulton around the same time.  Given that the marriage entry does not name her father, I remain Unsure that I do have the right record.

UNFORGETTABLE - we all have a person in our ancestry who makes a particular impact.  For me it is my great grandmother Maria Danson, nee Rawcliffe.  It was Maria's photograph that started me on the ancestral trail and has been at the heart of my blogging activity.   Below with her only daughter Jennie, born after 10 sons (2 died in infancy) and her little granddaughter Annie whose mother died of TB aged only 21.

And finally I remain Unflagging in my family history activities and in following this A-Z challenge - soon nearing its end.  

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On to V  for Verses & Vicissitudes