How Did it All Begin?
It
started with a shoebox of old photographs and memorabilia in a
cupboard at my grandfather''s house. It was a grand treat to be allowed
to look through them. I especially loved the embroidered postcards that
Grandad has sent back from Flanders Field in the First World War.
Grandad (William Danson of Poulton le Fylde, Lancashire) was one of
eight brothers, five of whom had served in the army and whose
photographs featured among the collection. Grandad, like many men,
would never talk about the war, but my aunt related tales of her uncles.
From
primary school days, history was my favourie subject, and I was keen to
find out more about my ancestors. I started with drawing up a basic
Danson family tree back to my great grandparents
Cards sent to my mother and aunt in 1917 and 1918
My
interest though was most inspired by this photogaph of my great
grandmother Maria Danson, nee Rawcliffe, here with her eldest
granddaughter Annie Maria Danson, my mother's cousin.
Maria
looked a formidable figure and her Christian name had echoes of a
Spanish flavour, whilst her surname Rawcliffe reflected typical
Lancashifre grit. There was also an apocryphal story that "Granny's dark looks" came from Spanish sailors who settled in the fear after their ship wrecked off he coast.
Early Research in Pre-Internet Days
Many
years later I began the ancestral trail, but money was short to buy
certificates and I had only limited time in Lancashire when visiting my
Danson relations. Blackpool Public Library gave me access to census
returns - a laborious search trawling through microfilms or getting
eyestrain from the IGI mirofiches. I joined Lancashire Family History
and Heraldry Society whose members were helpful , particularly in
finding records for me in Lancashire Record Office - including copies of
two Danson wills of 1821 and 1833.
We got a Computer!
I
wrote on Word my first family history narrative on Maria and had it
spiral bound at a local printers, A few years later I became a
silversurfer as we went online. I was in my element searching census
returns, and old parish records, joining ancestry.co.uk and posting
queries on message boards.
I became a Blogger in 2010
I
was first introduced to the blogging world through my work and an
article in the magazine "Women in Home" about starting a blog if you
enjoyed writing, had time to write regularly and were passionate about a
subject - well I ticked all the boxes and Family History Fun was born - and I have never looked back.
When
I set up my blog, why did I choose the user name “ScotSue”, when I was unaware of any Scottish ancestry?
The
reason - I have now lived in Scotland
for 64 years, studied here and worked here in tourism, including ancestral
tourism, in local studies and
archives where family history inquiries were a key responsibility. I was keen to get across on my blog that I was
knowledgeable on Scotland - its history, geography and genealogical sources.
The “Scotsue” name has served me well! "Family History Fun" was meant to convey my enthusiasm for my hobby, but looking back is a tad inappropriate for much of the events on the ancestral trail.
I
think of my blog as my personal family history magazine and enjoy learning
from other bloggers as I developed my style of writing and
presentation. My Danson/Rawcliffe research, together with the photo
collection provided me with plenty of stores to share. The support and comments
from fellow bloggers and "online" friends has been invaluable - I would
not want to be without my blog!
I never expected to last this long, when I tentatively wrote
my first post back in August 2010.
My main concern then was "Is anyone finding this and more importantly actually reading it?" A
few arms were twisted with friends
and relations to sign up as my first
followers. Writing comments on other blog posts soon widened my group
of followers - very few from Britain, mainly Australia, Canada and the
USA. Let's face it, although. we enjoy writing, recognition
from others is a great motivator.
I thought I would soon run out of material, but the online prompts and inspiration from other bloggers have been so stimulating. Two unknown third cousins, one from my birth town, and one in the USA, gave
me a big shot in the arm, in providing me with with fresh stories and photographs.
Reconnecting with Relatives
Four
cousins of my mother were still alive, though I had had no contact with
them since childhood. A family funeral was an occasion to meet one
such cousin, A. and exchange contact details.
I phoned P. and introduced myself as "A voice from the past - I am Kathleen Danson's daughter" .
What
a wonderful reception I got - P. outlined the family memorabilia she
had up in the loft and offered to come up to Scotland to visit us, and
my husband and I made a return visit the next year. The result of making
contact, I received:
-
Memories
of my grandparents William and Alice Danson - my grandmother died when I
was a baby. It was somehow funny in the nicest possible way to hear my
grandparents referred to as Uncle Billy and Auntie Alice. Also
memories of my great grandmother Maria, her daughter Jennie and Maria's
eight sons.
- I
touched personal possessions of Maria including her favourite teaset,
and jewellery sent back to her from Malta, where son Frank was
hospitalized during the First World War.
Family photographs of Maria and her daughter Jenny that I had not seen before.
and the only photograph I have of my great grandfather James Danson
(1852-1906), the bearded figure, sitting merry in Poulton old stocks.
Plus two poignant
letters written by my youngest great uncle George, just weeks before he was killed on the Somme in 1916, aged just 22.
- Overall I could not have asked for a better boost to my blogging activity and a
more rounded view of my ancestors, beyond the purely names and dates in my family
tree - exactly what family history is all about.
So the message here is do not dither and delay in reconnecting with relatives - you never know what might result.
Joining Facebook
Many
bloggers said I was missing out by not using social media. So I set up
a link for my blog with Facebook and have attracted new readers, But I
have also loved accessing the wealth of genealogical sites on Facebook,
learning and sharing my own knowledge. Pinterest has done nothing for
me in terms of my family history.
Joining the World of Modern Genealogy - DNA
I must
admit that my knowledge of DNA was rather sketchy and I was always under
the
impression that I needed a relation to test with me – and I come from a
small
family that includes three of my mother’s cousins even older than myself
and not online. However a friend convinced me otherwise, and
that I would understand the results. So
I took the plunge with Ancestry and have enjoyed following up my
matches - with some good results in discovering unknown 2nd and 3rd
cousins and sharing information and photographs. Some disappointments
as it has done nothing to break down my major brick wall and frustrating
the people who do not reply to queries or have no family trees online,
but overall well worthwhile . And nothing showed up to prove I had a Spanish background from my great grandmother Maria!
Last Year Saw My Long Patience Rewarded
My major brick wall over many years was the lack of information on my maternal grandmother Alice English (below) who married William Danson. My mother and aunt were very cagey on her early life and I sensed not to ask questions. I put numerous queries on message boards and Facebook pages without success. I was always told we shared the same birthday 23rd September and census returns gave her birthplace as Bolton, Lancashire but no certificate could be traced. Bolton turned out to be a fabrication.
Then a message came though from contributor on the Find My Past Forum - an Alice English was born illegitimately in Liverpool Workhouse 23rd September 1883. This was my grandmother! I was able to trace her background, though not her father - she was one of five sisters. Her early life was sad; she was in domestic service from an early age and and did not appear to have lived with her mother. So my patience was eventually rewarded!
Family History never comes to an end and
my Genealogy Journey is still ongoing -
I am definitely not ready to stop yet!
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