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23.01.2022 It always pays to dig a little deeper when researching your ancestors and, where possible, get your hands on full, original documents. When I started researching my great, great grandparents, I discovered that James deserted Mary Ann, leaving her to fend for herself and their young six children. A warrant was even issued for James’ arrest for wife desertion. I also discovered that James remarried a few years later, saying he was a widower even though his first wife was still... alive, and had two more children with his new wife. Clearly, this didn’t paint a very positive picture of James! I already knew a fair bit about James’ life at this point but, ever curious, I was keen to know more. In particular, I wanted to find anything that could shed light on why he left Mary Ann and their children. So I dug a little deeper and came across a bankruptcy record for James. I took a trip out to the NSW State Records Centre to have a look at the full record for myself. The first thing that struck me was James’ troubles with money had been happening for some time. The record covered the time period 1887 to 1893. And who knows how long he’d been having difficulties before the law finally caught up with him. The second thing that surprised me was the list of James’ creditors and why he owed them money. Yes, there were quite a few entries where he’d been lent money and there’s no indication of how he spent it. But there were also entries for board, food, meat, groceries and medical expenses the essentials of life. And this speaks of someone trying but failing to provide for himself and his family. It certainly doesn’t excuse him deserting Mary Ann and their children but it does give some insight into why and what his state of mind may have been. Want to uncover similar stories and intrigues in your own family tree? Get to know your ancestors on a more personal level? Join me for a fun and informative two hour online workshop on the essentials of family history research and learn how you can uncover the secrets of the past. http://www.discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-es/ #findyourancestors #familyhistory #familytree #geneaology #geneaologyforbeginners #ancestry

23.01.2022 Can you imagine sending your 13 year old child off to work? In a mine?! Or being that young boy on your first day of work? Again, in a mine?!! Well, as I discovered when researching the life and career of my great grandfather, Cecil, that’s exactly what happened to him. It’s almost unimaginable today but it was the way of life at the time.... In 1911, Cecil’s father, James, signed a document under the UK’s 1901 Factory and Workshop Act so Cecil could start Employment in Labour. Cecil was 13 years old. Cecil then began working at the Ashington Colliery in Northumberland, England. His first job was in the Lamp Cabin, cleaning and repairing the lamps the miners took down the mines. During his time at the colliery, he worked his way up to being a Fitter and Turner, before leaving to serve in World War 1. How much do you know about the careers of your ancestors and what life was like for them? Keen to discover more? Join me for a fun and informative two hour online workshop on the essentials of family history research and see what you can uncover about the lives and careers of your ancestors. http://www.discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-es/ #familyhistoryfriday #findyourancestors #familyhistory #familytree #geneaology #geneaologyforbeginners #ancestry

21.01.2022 Curious about DNA testing but not sure how it all works? Or have you done a DNA test but aren't sure what to do next? The basics of DNA testing and how to get the most of your results is a key component of our two hour, online Investigator Essentials workshop. For more information or to reserve your place, go to http://discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-essent/... PS While you're there, download the free eBook on how to stretch your research dollars further!

20.01.2022 I know a thing or two about the challenges of working with hand written historical records! In more than fifteen years of family history research, I’ve come across a plethora of variations and errors that have resulted from people writing records by hand and then others later interpreting what was written. Some of them are simple spelling variations you can easily guess. Like Dickinson being spelt Dickenson or Molly being spelt Mollie.... But others are more unexpected, and this can make it harder to track down your ancestors. For example, on index for the 1841 UK Census, my three times great grandfather, Charles Yarham’s name was transcribed as Charles Nasham. When you look at the record, you can understand how this error was made. The Y does look somewhat Iike an N and the r could be a very skinny s. But it’s not a variation I would ever have thought searching for. Instead, I found the record by omitting the surname from my search and adding in details about when and where he was born and was likely to be living at the time. Luckily, those details lined up and I found him! If you’re coming across similar roadblocks and would like some insider tips and insights on how to track down your ancestors, please check out my Investigator Essentials online workshop. http://discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-essent/

19.01.2022 What did your ancestors do for work? How did they earn their living? Over the years, I’ve come across all sorts of occupations while trawling through census records and death certificates while researching my family tree. Some, like the Druggist and Asylum Attendant, are known by very different names today!... Others, like the Scutchers, Throstle Spinners, Carters and Winders of the cotton industry in which my Lancashire ancestors worked no longer exist. And the Maid of All Work made me feel exhausted just reading it! Curious about your ancestors? Want to know more but not sure how to get started? Join me for a fun and informative two hour online workshop on the essentials of family history research and see what you can uncover about the lives and careers of your ancestors. http://www.discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-es/ #familyhistory #findyourancestors #familytree #geneaology #geneaologyforbeginners #ancestry

18.01.2022 We’ve all heard terms like second cousin twice removed but do you know what this means? Let’s look at some examples. Sheree is my first cousin because we had the same grandparents. Sheree’s daughters are my first cousins once removed. Sheree’s future grandchildren will be my first cousins twice removed.... Patrick is my second cousin because we had the same great grandparents. Patrick’s children are my second cousins once removed. And Patrick’s future grandchildren will be my second cousins twice removed. Make sense so far? Well, it does get a little more complicated when you move across generations. Jeffrey was my grandmother’s first cousin, making him my first cousin twice removed. However, his daughter, Diane, is my second cousin, once removed. Confused? Totally! The good news is that, ultimately, the labels don’t matter. What’s important is that finding and connecting with your cousins no matter how you’re related - can help you understand more about your shared ancestors and even solve family mysteries. Keen to know more? Join me for a fun and informative two hour online workshop on the essentials of family history research and learn how you can find, connect and collaborate with your cousins. http://www.discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-es/ #findyourancestors #familyhistory #cousins #familytree #geneaology #geneaologyforbeginners #ancestry

08.01.2022 Do you have your research ducks lined up? As someone who is normally very organised, I can tell you from first hand experience it’s all too easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of information and documentation you uncover as you research your family tree. Quickly you can find yourself forgetting where you found a document or record, losing track of why you decided a particular piece of information is correct, who told you what, and what you named a record or where you sav...ed it. The key to keeping your research organised is having good systems in place, preferably from the start, and ways of tracking your leads and source materials. If you’d like some advice and practical tips on how to organise your research more effectively, please check out my Investigator Essentials online workshop. http://discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-essent/

02.01.2022 Did you know what deep, dark secrets are hidden in your family tree? Check out my website for the stories I uncovered about my great, great grandmother, Elizabeth. http://discoveryourfamilytree.com.au/case-studies/

01.01.2022 Have you ever thought about what your ancestors went through to come to Australia? When I discovered my great grandmother, Hilda Mary, on passenger list for the Orama in 1926, it revealed that she made the journey from England to Australia when she was just 20 years old. Not only that but she travelled with her two infant daughters. My grandmother, Min, was 2 years old and her sister, Betty, was 7 months. That must have been daunting to say the least! A long voyage, leaving b...ehind everything and everyone she had ever known to join my great grandfather, Cecil, and start a life in a new country. You can discover a huge range of records about your ancestors' travels including passenger lists, crew records, and citizenship and naturalisation papers. Keen to learn more but not sure how to get started? The Investigator Essentials online workshop can help. Go to http://discoveryourfamilytree.com.au//investigator-essent/ for more information or to book your place!