The best family history advice I never had

Do you remember the defining moments when suddenly something clicked into place, or you learned something the hard way without reading about it or attending a class?   I can count the following seven “aha” moments as some of my best learning experiences. 1. Don’t skip on collecting all relevant information.  When I joined the Society… Continue reading The best family history advice I never had

Stray Thoughts on the English census

Not that long ago, the large microfilm room at The Family Record Centre in London (God rest its soul) was humming with conversation and the clacker of the census films being wound forward or back.  The 1881 census was the first to be surname indexed, (which took a large team of volunteers under the supervision… Continue reading Stray Thoughts on the English census

Playing the elimination game

Which John Smith is mine? This article deals with the common problem of having too many candidates to choose from.  How do you separate out this John Smith from that John Smith?  Unfortunately, people in the past chose first names from a limited range, so it is possible to have three or even four men… Continue reading Playing the elimination game