Another day, another mind-bending, brain-frying #FamilyHistory conundrum 🤯
Helen Brooks
@hbrooks.bsky.social
Amateur family historian, East Yorkshire, Lancashire, Norfolk, Somerset, WW1 and WW2, old photos.
Talk about more questions than answers! #FamilyHistory research makes my brain feel like it's going to explode sometimes! Two sisters marrying man with same name, in same parish, on consecutive days in same year! WHAT IS GOING ON??!!! Need a trip to @norfolkro.bsky.social. Not common surnames either
A great afternoon - the lovely @whoamiftr.bsky.social came to our local #FamilyHistory group to give a talk on Special Collections and Projects. All went home keen to explore some new sites and databases. (And I had a much needed 'prod' to get on with my 'plane crash' project - thank you Kelly! 😂)
Do you have your copy yet? A History of the Census Takers - find out about the men and women who took the census and how your ancestors felt about them and the process of filling out the schedule. #Ancestry #Genealogy #GenHour
Fabulous @pharostutors.bsky.social webinar this morning by @drkarencummings.bsky.social on writing effective family history reports. Given me lots of ways to improve my current woefully inadequate approach! Took lots of notes, so no excuse for not improving now!
Isn't one of the best things about doing #familyhistory the feeling you get when you finally solve a puzzle that has been niggling you for ages? All the pieces drop into place, everything makes sense, and you can't help giving yourself a little cheer! So satisfying 🙂
Searching my Norwich MONEY ancestors and found that Leonard (1st cousin 3x removed) married a woman named Charity!
Are any family historians still buying wills for their own research? I'm gutted about the huge price rise - I often found great information in wills, but when you don't quite know what you're going to get it seems hard to justify the cost. Just wondering... #Familyhistory #Wills
Enjoyed another fascinating talk today by @davelifelines.bsky.social on Crime and Punishment in the 19th century. Jam-packed with useful information and illustrated by a few intriguing case studies. Will hopefully be able to uncover more about my own criminal ancestors now 😬 #familyhistory
Born on this day, 30 April 1894. My Great-Aunt, Sister Helene du St Sacrament, Filles de la Sagesse. Killed in a plane crash at Croydon airport, 25 Jan 1947. Find her story here: @familyhistoriespodcast.com
A little birthday present to myself! Well, I am researching my East Yorkshire ancestors #FamilyHistory 😁
Am I right in thinking that the East Yorkshire Family History Society are attending the @federationfhs.bsky.social #familyhistory show in April at St Ives, Cambs.?
Enjoyed this - fascinating and entertaining. It was like having a time-travelling tour guide, walking you along High Streets through time. Revealing how shops and shopping have changed and giving an insight into that aspect of my ancestors' lives #familyhistory @dranniegray.bsky.social
On this day, 1947. My great-aunt, a Catholic nun, was one of the 12 passengers killed in this plane crash at Croydon airport. Thinking of them today.
Found myself down a gruesome rabbit hole this afternoon. Whilst searching Hull Daily Mail Nov 1888 for articles about the SS Zaimis, captained by the husband of an ancestor, a couple of columns across was an account of the murder of Mary Jane Kelly in Whitechapel - final victim of Jack the Ripper.
My mum's Christmas tree - complete with gold star - made by me following instructions from Blue Peter around 50 years ago! It thrills me and makes me feel a bit wobbly at the same time 😬
Just found this amongst the old letters in the box given to me by my uncle. I'm guessing it was sent to my grandma by her RC nun sister - Sr Helene - although there is nothing written on the back #familyhistory
Visiting my uncle for Christmas. 'Do you want these?' he asks! Includes letters of condolences to my grandma on the death of her sister, Sister Helene, who died in the plane crash, 1947. Also several memorium cards with lots of familiar names!
Just got one of the wills I ordered for an ancestor of my husband's. He was a baker, and along with all his plates, linens, china, glass and other household goods, he also bequeathed to his widow his windmill! #familyhistory #wills #windmill
Just back from a brilliant morning, visiting this amazing museum in Maldon, Essex. @cmsmuseum.bsky.social Well worth a trip for anyone interested in British Military history. Everything from the Civil War to the Falklands conflict. #history
I've just seen this quote by AA Milne, and it has made me extraordinarily happy!
After frying many braincells, I found the bit of evidence to prove that the Cund brothers I have been researching are the same as the Cond brothers - the will states 'James Cond, formerly Cund', gives all the matching addresses to other documents, and brother's name. Happy dance! #familyhistory
My story today - The killer of little mule spinners - is the story of how the work of young cotton mill hands called piercers was giving them a rare form of cancer. #Genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry #genhour #history #lancashire
The killer of little mule spinners
Reaching over the machines to repair broken threads of cotton, the mule spinners of Manchester and Lancashire were falling victim to a silent killer
manchesterhistory.uk
I can't understand why many family historians don't research siblings and other family members. Today, researching my 'plane crash' family, I idly clicked on the mother's brother's 1939 reg entry. Spotted a familiar name, which showed me the two sides of the family knew each other long before
Feeling a bit pleased with myself - just found that bit of evidence that shows that I am right, and everyone else's trees for this particular family on Ancestry (and therefore their unhelpful hint) is wrong! I may even have done a little 'air-punch'! #familyhistory #detective !!