September 2018 – Family History research in England

Finding Mary Hornsby

I was recently able to uncover the identity of one of my 3rd great-grandmothers. Of course, I still have more to do, like finding her baptism record, but at least now I have a definite last name. I have been looking for her, on and off, for about 40 years. Actually, it’s ever since I… Continue reading Finding Mary Hornsby

Data Entry – Places

Now, just as with personal names and dates, it is important to be consistent with place names. But it is also important to avoid unnecessary abbreviations. For example, a lot of my people come from Gloucestershire. But if I search for Glos (an abbreviation), or GLS (the Chapman code) for the county, how much data… Continue reading Data Entry – Places

Data Entry – Dates

I’ve started, so I may as well finish. How should you enter dates? This is much less critical than how you enter names of people or of places. You are not very likely to search for an exact date, after all is said and done. For internet searches, a year will usually suffice, or even… Continue reading Data Entry – Dates

Data Entry – Names

First, let me state that there is no absolute standard for data entry in family history – at the end of the day what’s important is that your system works for you, and not against you. As such, while these are guidelines only, I would like to think they comply with common sense. This post… Continue reading Data Entry – Names

Parish Registers – What They Are

Parish records are pretty much essential when it comes to family history research. I actually got involved in research when I was 13. My father had the idea of taking me to the Gloucester City Library, which housed Bishop’s Transcripts (BTs). Now, BTs are not parish records, just copies of them, but similar nonetheless. I… Continue reading Parish Registers – What They Are

Occupations

I sometimes wonder at the different occupations listed in the various censuses. Not, I hasten to add, because my ancestors and their relatives had very unusual occupations. Far from it. The vast majority had the designation of agricultural labourer (commonly abbreviated to Ag. Lab) or domestic servant. That doesn’t leave much to the imagination, although… Continue reading Occupations