Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

As genealogists we work back, from ourselves, through our parents and their generation, to our grandparents and great grandparents, but in addition to that, we are surely also part of the narrative.

We are part of our family and that includes any such research we undertake. In the years ahead, descendants will want to know about you and how that written version of you connects with the summary and assessment you have made of your ancestors. That opinion formed by research, notes, heirlooms and photographs.  It is as we work on our own family that we encounter something in their life that fascinates us so much we develop our own focal point and establish a specialised study. Our trigger to that study will vary. It might be a shared interest, or something more random.

For me, I developed several such studies – largely that connect to the towns and places where my ancestors lived but so too have I considered a few other matters, all health related. Does my Endocrine issue stem back to my generics? I encountered over the years several individuals who descend from my Butcher family. The common ancestors are my three times great Grandparents John Butcher (Woolgar) 1795-1877 and his wife Mary Baverstock. One cousin, like me descends through John’s son Charles born in 1823, another in Canada descends through John’s son William born in 1825 and another who descends through John’s son James born 1835. The question is

Is this a genetic issue, something that has followed the generations or is it nothing more than coincidence?

Over time, I have researched and read quite a lot concerning this and whilst I believe it is a genetic issue, that hardly makes it a scientific response. I have also explore other associated conditions and again that could be coincidence, but not necessarily. Over the coming year I hope to lay out my research further and a review of it might even be published here.

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020