Image courtesy of the Society of Genealogists, London

I will be at the Society of Genealogists in London talking about Tracing European Ancestors: East and West on Saturday 18th May 2019.

The history of Britain is full of stories about people arriving from Europe. Often they came as refugees, with few possessions. So, many of us face the challenges of tracing our ancestors back across a continent, frequently riven with war, famine and revolution.

Session 1: In this session I deliver a broad overview of research in Europe. A continent spanning more than 30 countries, subjected to wars, political unrest and border changes. Europe is a Continent with many languages, cultures and religions, all of which play a part in family history research.

I focus on:

• The obstacles and pitfalls you may encounter;
• The major historical events that have had a marked effect on family history, especially the impact of the world wars and regional conflicts, border changes and movements of populations;
• The concept of researching European surnames and how it might link into European DNA projects.

Session 2: In this session I describe the key resources, some well-known and others less so, for researching European ancestry. They enable you to explore ancestral and family history sites. But they are also great resources for embracing the cultural, social, economic and political lives of your European ancestors.

I will cover:

• How to research in the historical context of the time;
• How to put your people in their place in their time;
• Why this is vital to your successful European research;
• How to bring your ancestors to life so that they become more than just names.

There are still some spaces left and you can book HERE