A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies O is for Occupation

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

The Channel Islands were during the Second World War, occupied by the Nazis and the lives of the Islanders changed perhaps for ever.

It of course, was not just the Islanders, whose lives were irrevocably changed, but those too of individuals and families who were detained under the regime, many millions displaced at the war end or in death.

Meaning, that for those researching their family history or those following a surname, may find it a challenge to locate individuals. On visiting Jersey, there is a persistent theme across the island; an immense acknowledgement of the war years. I visited one venue, and was surprised to find plaques of former prisoners from across western Europe who had endured, not just the hardness of war and that of their captors, but also the enforced labour they had to provide. The plaques at this venue represent those who died on Jersey as a result of excessive work, lack of food and rest, illness & disease. Indeed, this was sobering and the world needed to be shown the endurance displayed by the islanders and those brought in to work.

Below are a few links to explore, many of which have catalogues and collections.

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Channel Islands, Jersey - Channel Islands, One-Place Studies, Oral History Series, Specialised Studies | Leave a comment

A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies N is for Names

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

Those who frequent this blog would have likely known that N had to be for Names!

Our names are a way of highlighting us, as individuals, linking to our past both in terms of our people and our history.

There are many ways that people can be inspired to work on a surname project, or One-Name Study, here are a few reasons:

  • Genealogical Brick wall
  • Curiosity
  • Adoption and an attempt to connect to biological ancestors (and perhaps relatives)
  • Intriguing surname
  • Family myths
  • Connecting with a surname as part of a wider project researching an enslaved family

Whatever the reason, it is quite an interesting research undertaking, one that is a gentle stroll in a park rather than a sprint in a marathon. There are no rules especially, apart from responding to enquires from others who reach out to you.

Top Tips for Considering Surname Research

  • Review your own ancestry or research, which surname are you most curious about and might want to work on as a One-Name Study?
  • Having selected a possible surname, write down what you know about it, origins, people etc – you likely know more than you think!
  • Surnames can be from anywhere in the world, not just British! There are more than 200 “foreign” or non-British surnames registered with the Guild of One-Name Studies.
  • Explore the FREE worksheet (download HERE)
  • Explore and Read the many, many posts written HERE
  • Connect with like minding people – Join the Guild of One-Name Studies
  • Undertake some learning to get on the “right track”, thus getting the best from your research time and experience.
  • To get the best results for your study, it should be without restrictions – across the globe and all dates – Otherwise, you might miss people from your study
  • There are no restrictions to your work – you work at your pace
  • If you have a surname related question send me a note and I will answer it, without publishing your name as part of my Q & A series

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Advanced One-Name Studies (Pharos Course 902), Genealogy, Introduction to One-Name Studies (Pharos course 901), One-Name Studies, Practicalities of a One-Name Studies (Pharos Course 903), Specialised Studies | 2 Comments

A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies M is for Mining

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

I wrote quite recently on Sicilians who worked the sulphur mines in Sicily.

In terms of the United Kingdom, over the centuries we have mined, with some success (and failings), coal, tin, copper, slate and even gold. Further afield Opal is mined in Australia as are other commodities.

We can research those individual venues or those in a geographical area, We might research a mixture of venues in order to look at the understanding of the commodity mined, rather than the people themselves, or we might look to the people themselves, whether they worked in mining or in an associated job, or they owned the mine(s) themselves.

There are many options for researchers and below I am providing a list of sites to assist that research, though the list is not exhaustive.

There are many places, countries and types of mining missed from this list. Whilst not all are lists of names and dates, they represent an opportunity to explore the occupation and people, adding context to our own family research or those in a specific study. The context provides opportunity to under the hard work and the lives deeply embedded with the occupation of mining, irrespective of what was mined and where it was mined.

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Genealogy, Introduction to One-Name Studies (Pharos course 901), Miners and Mining, One-Name Studies | 2 Comments

A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies L is for Genealogical & Historical Learning

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

The best way of learning is to be inspired by someone or a group of someones. Many genealogists and indeed others too, say that “school history was learning to dry facts for two years in order to get an O level” to quote a old school friend.

I never felt this way, I loved nothing more than going to a museum and wandering around. I was always the last to leave any venue on school trips that had any link to things that were historical. As the years passed, I did not loose my interest and if anything, it got worse. I returned to university as a mature student and read history, which was just wonderful. I did return to my pharmaceutical career, and went into management and then learning and development, before taking a leap of faith. Eagle eyed or frequent readers will note, there is very little of my former career on this site, which in itself speaks volumes!

Learning though is not always about academic work, sometimes it is exploring online and learning that way too, that spurs us on to take an interest with something else. Essentially layering our learning.

I teach three one-name studies courses for Pharos Tutoring and Teaching.

These courses are specific in their remit, in that they focus on surname research and one-name studies. These courses enhance knowledge and add methodology to the concept of researching a surname and building a study. The new course sits in the middle of the existing two courses, hopefully filling a gap, bearing in mind the gap is varied. The Practicalities course runs over five weeks with four lessons and I could have probably provided text to run the course over 30 lessons, because the focus is on the practical elements and there are many, many variations on the software and tools available.

Teaching the courses is rewarding and I guess each tutor will have different measures in what they find rewarding. For me it is about sharing and perhaps inspiring others, creating new friendships and enjoyment as you watch (even virtually) students become engaged with the learning, enjoying the process and interactions.

There are a number of Massive Online Open Courses or MOOC for short courses available, from multiple providers, across multiple platforms. There is a useful and interesting Wikipedia page about MOOC in general and this page which provides links to the various providers.

In the case of those looking to enhance their knowledge to add context for their genealogical pursuits, I have added a few options below, these are not exhaustive and they are not necessarily all MOOC, but they are all educational options.

Many of the courses above provide a grounding and indeed some context for moving forward with a specific study.

On a recent walk I stumbled across two houses within easy reach of my own home which look different to the majority of houses in my locale. On standing back and looking at them it was obvious they predate my house by about 60 years or so. As I live in former mining territory, I wonder if the original houses that I spotted were that of a mine owner, or if they were owned by a landowner who farmed and sold off some land to mine owners for residential dwellings. I rushed home, washed my hands and made some tea before quickly placing my thoughts on paper so I can research in the coming weeks, or even months if I need to go to the Records Office. Remembering that our forebears, if they owned land or mines might well have had houses for employees, what is known as a tied properties, as it would have meant your workers complied and if they didn’t then it was not just loosing a job, but a home too. When you have a family and there is no or very little social provisions, there is just too much at stake.

When working on something, like a study that is becoming a specialised one, it is useful to get a good grounding and context, as that is very much the foundations of a sound project.

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Advanced One-Name Studies (Pharos Course 902), Genealogy, Introduction to One-Name Studies (Pharos course 901), One-Name Studies, Practicalities of a One-Name Studies (Pharos Course 903) | 1 Comment

European Ancestors – Romani,Travellers & Gypsy’s

Posted on April 11, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Romani Flag

Roma flag Courtesy of Wikipedia

The flag shown here is the flag of the Romani people. It was approved by the representatives of various Romani communities at the first World Romani Congress, held in Orpington, Kent, England in 1971.

Two distinct groups of Ethnics, that are different from each other, whilst exhibiting similar lifestyles.

  • Irish Travellers
  • Romany Gypsy originally from North India who began their migrations to Europe in the 15th Century.

When they arrived from North India, whilst originally having their own surnames, many took surnames, selecting what they heard from the local population, wherever they had stopped. Others took surnames from well respected locals or those with land, hoping that would given them some protection from hostile actions and language. Some married locals, settling into the community, gaining acceptance and eventually overtime  original names disappeared.

North of the border, in Scotland there were examples of nomadic lifestyles as far back as the 12th Century, driven by their work as tinsmiths. Whilst many did work for domestic items, there were a great many opportunities for work by using their skills creating weapons and shields for use in battles. With this moving population there were others who were forced from their homes either through famine, Highland Clearances and of course those that were turned away from their homes during the potato famines. Some Scottish Travellers have the names of various Scottish Clans, perhaps meaning that there were links to the Battle of Culloden (1745).

The Romany traditional language is an Indo-Aryan language and is spoken by approximately 6 million people across Europe and the United States, with the largest concentration living in Turkey, Spain and Romania. Those living in England are often called Gypsies. The use of the old Gaelic by Scottish Traveller’s indicates that some descend from ancient Scots, coupled with words from the dialect of Irish Travellers. Others use the Romani language, likely because of the intermarrying or association with those who were across the border into England.

Posted in European Ancestors, Roma/Gypsies | Leave a comment

A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies I is for Instrument Makers

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

When I began researching my Grandmother’s family, and in particular her ELSTONE line, I encountered my Grandmother’s maternal Aunt, Eliza Elstone. Eliza married Joseph PARSLOW and they emigrated to Canada.

Indeed they did emigrate, but did not like it, so after having three of their four children there, they returned to England, settling in Woking, Surrey where Joseph established himself as an antique dealer.

Over time, I looked at the Parslow family and eventually established that the family were quite well known in the Kingston-Upon-Thames area of Surrey and that one of Joseph’s relatives was a banjo maker.

silver-plate-giving-the-name-of-the-maker-as-j-parslow-kingston_202573874_o

Back in 2006, I received an email from eBay confirming that something had been listed for sale on the auction site. Usually I have a quick glance and then delete the email. I still receive these daily emails, but nothing of late has yielded any success.

However, in one instance, there was confirmation of a listing for a Banjo, made by Parslow. I certainly did not want the Banjo, but I was intrigued and asked the seller if I could download the photographs. I was interested in the link to my branch of the Parslow family. The seller was obliging and I downloaded the photos. Meanwhile, I had mentioned to a fellow Parslow researcher that a Parslow Banjo was for sale and they indeed did purchase the Banjo.

Below is the complete set of Parslow Banjo photographs. In the coming months I really must get the Parslow papers into my database and upload the material to my website.

When I first joined the Guild of One-Name Studies, in 2002, the surname was registered with the Guild, but I note today that this is no longer the case.

Here are a few links which might be of interest:

You will also likely find mention of individuals in trade or street directories.

For those interested in Clock and Watch makers there are a few suitable bits of information, though this is by means a complete list.

  • Clock and Watch Research – UK and Ireland (fee payable site)*
  • Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the world by G.H.Baillie

In this book, Baillie shows hundreds of watchmakers from about 1550 – 1830 and provides some interesting cross-references such as:

– member of the watchmaker association
– master letter reached
– date of birth and death (as far as known)
– locations of famous watches

There are some early examples of European watch and clock makers, but it is no where near being a comprehensive reference in this regard.

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

(*I am not associated with the site, other than as a consumer of the information provided. I do recommend the site as a research resource.)

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Genealogy, One-Name Studies, One-Place Studies | 2 Comments

A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies H is for Health

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

In these days of modern medicine you would probably expect that the majority of support and knowledge came from Doctors or Health Professional. I have been qualified in my allied health profession for 30 years, but it has always been portrayed in a proactive manner? Even in the current Corona Virus epidemic the role that pharmacy teams play has been hugely under estimated and acknowledged. As someone who has worked across the relevant fields, community, hospital, learning environments and statutory bodies, I see that all are under valued, but leading that way are the community pharmacy teams.

Today’s post is not about the shortcomings of a profession, (I might save that for another day!), but about the focus on health conditions that might lead to a specialised study, and might lead to such a study for a variety of reasons.

I have long pondered the thought that Thyroid conditions are hereditary and I have written about it numerous times, though I should write a more up to date post.  I tend to keep an archive of articles that I come across, including a printed archive of material and numerous books. I do the same for Polio, for interest relating to my late Mum.

Today’s post is about material that can help us with a quest for either information about specific conditions, the impact of them in a genealogical sense or the history of the various condition themselves. What follows below is a list of links that you might find useful as you research:

We are living in unprecedented times. Our lives impacted by something that is dangerous and yet invisible. Just months ago, this invisible destroyer was unknown to us and now sets us challenges. Any notes that we make, recordings we undertake on our smart phones, provides and opportunity for the next generation to explore these challenges. In much the same way as we ask what people did in the War, Our next generations could potentially ask what we did about Covid 19.

Examining the cause of death on death certificates is very interesting. You can see if a pattern of conditions forms. Though the death certificate will confirm what actually caused the fatality. Sometimes, the cause of death is not explanatory of other conditions that assisted in the patient passing away.

Whilst someone’s passing is a sad loss, it also provides time for us as genealogists to record the facts, and to add notes and context relating to the conditions. It may offer us insight into our individual family genetics and enable us to research with understanding.

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Genealogy, Health | Leave a comment

A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies G is for Games and their History

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

For today’s post I am sharing some back story, leading to my interest, in cricket, for which I am a very unlikely candidate!

Having traced my maternal Grandfather’s family back to Puttenham in Surrey, where I was introduced to the Budd family by researching in the parish and poor law records, I found a further reference to them in the Manuscripts of Rev Charles Kerry which I wrote about HERE. Charles Kerry wrote on the Pedigree, “first of the Budds” which implied that like me he had looked back through the parish records and found no trace of them prior to 1724. In those early records, it was as if Henry Budd and his wife Martha had relocated to the village and began raising their family there. Martha had originally been living in Chobham, Surrey but Henry, he was no where to be found.

I began searching the records of nearby villages, both those in Surrey and across the border in Hampshire. Then I had a small breakthrough. Firstly I attended the funeral of Great Aunt. She was buried with her husband, my uncle in Shackleford, Surrey. A small parish joined with the parish of Peper Harrow. As we drove to the Church along the Country roads, it was easy to see how folk of previous generations could arrive in a parish, Peper Harrow was merely 3 miles from Puttenham. I made a mental note to research in that parish again, making an assumption, from memory that I had already searched there. I got home and checked my notes. The parish records of Peper Harrow had not survived in detail. I then came across a file, published by the Sussex Family History Group, of Sussex men married in Surrey and there, in 1704 was this entry:

Surrey, Peper Harow, Parish Record Transcripts, 1704 15 September BUDD, Daniel, Ssx, Lurgashall, WILLSON, Alice

Two things jumped at me, to be a transcript there must have been a record at some time and secondly, the parish of Lurgashall where I already had family members and I wrote about Lurgashall in an earlier A-Z post (A in the 2020 series)

I revisited the records for the Peper Harrow (Harow), little had survived, but I worked on a hypothesis that Daniel and my Henry could be related. Daniel would have been born circa 1683 or so, whereas Henry was likely to have been born around 1699, they could have been brothers, or cousins.

As I began working on the never ending trawl of Surrey records for Henry and Daniel, I came across the website for the village for Peper Harrow where it recorded:

A report of one of the earliest cricket matches ever recorded in England, played in 1727, the rules of that match which formed the basis of the modern cricket rules we know today. Source Info

As I read the details, which comprised of this:

The Articles of Agreement by and between His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Mr Brodrick (for two cricket matches) concluded the 11th of July 1727………

And then this, in the last paragraph:

…….Who scored the notches we do not know, but in the Duke’s team his groom Thomas Waymark was the outstanding all-rounder. Described as ‘the father of all professionals’, he was perhaps the best cricketer in England at that time. Other good players employed by the Duke included Stephen Dingate – who was also a barber – Joseph Budd, Pye and Green.

Alas, we do not even know who won the game, though it would be safe to say that the Duke had the stronger side.

I do not know the first thing about Cricket, but from an historical context and a genealogical one, this was fascinating. Joseph Budd was employed by the Duke of Richmond, there was a further opportunity to research. Was Joseph a connection to Daniel? or to Henry? or both? or none?

I will likely write more on the topic of Daniel and Henry Budd, but before I close, here are a selection of sport databases that might assist genealogists or those pursuing a One-Name Study:

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Budd, Genealogy, One-Name Studies, One-Place Studies, Specialised Studies | 1 Comment

European Ancestors – Romanian Research

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Romania Flag

Flag of Romania courtesy of Wikipedia

At the point of the outbreak of the Second World War, in 1939, there were approximately 750,000 individuals who were of the Jewish faith. Yet fewer than half survived the war, despite the fact the Germany did not occupy the country. Clearly, though, there was influence from the Nazi Germany regime.

Most of the Jewish were killed by fellow Romanians in Pograms and shootings, coupled with starvation, disease and cold in the ghetto’s, after being deported to Transnistra. Transnistra  is now located in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, which occupies a thin strip of land between the River Dniester and the border with Ukraine. It is internationally recognised as part of Moldovia.

In addition, 6,000 Romanian Jews died of heat stroke in the summer of 1941 in deportations on the “death trains” following the last Pogrom.

To start researching, I would recommend visiting JewishGen. Register for a free account and search the databases. I do not have any Jewish ancestry, but have found both Butcher and Orlando examples for my One-Name Study.

Posted in European Ancestors, Jewish Genealogy & Research, Romania | 2 Comments

A-Z Challenge 2020 – Specialised Studies F is for Fairgrounds, Fun & Travellers

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Julie Goucher
Specialised Studies

Created by Julie Goucher using wordclouds.com March 2020

I have talked previously about researching travellers and Gypsy research, during my Oral History Series, 

On revisiting some notes made about 10 years ago and then verifying those details, I can confirm the Drakeley family who were involved in the fairgrounds, coal merchants and canals of the Midlands, descend from Abraham Drakeley who was the brother of John. I descend from John whose Great Grand daughter, Bethsheba married John Matthews. The link is a fair way back (no pun intended!) and I so wish my Grandmother was here to tell her.

In the course of that research, I have gathered bits and pieces relating to DRAKELEY (DRAKLEY) Fairs. Whilst they did exist, the amount of material available is limited, though I have gathered material about the Fairs in general. The fairgrounds make a fascinating specialised study.

There are a number of useful research materials and sites, and exploring those can give a sense of context to our research. Today I am sharing some of those sites:

Taking part in the A-Z Challenge for 2020

Posted in A-Z Challenge 2020 - Specialised Studies, Drakeley (Drakely), Genealogy, Matthews, One-Name Studies, One-Place Studies, Specialised Studies | Leave a comment