England
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Those Strange Abbreviations
Apr 7
You will at least once in doing family history research come across an ancestor belonging to a fraternal or civic organization. Long before television and computers occupied most of a person’s free-time, being a member of several organizations and clubs in a town or city was a very popular activity. It offered a social meeting place, a sense of...
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Using Google Efficiently to Find Ancestors
Mar 30
Yes, Google is not the only search engine on the Internet, but it is one highly used and recommended by everyone. As with any search engine, the top items high up on a search will be those people or events related to celebrities, sports events, scandals or even where the closest place to order a pizza is found. Regrettably, archival records on our ...
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Some Interesting Free Databases Online
Mar 28
There are all types of family lineage information available, you just have to be willing to look and review different sites to see if they can be of any assistance. The easiest ones to try in your own home or at a public library are those listed as ‘Free’ on the Internet. The following are just a few to get you started. To begin there is 'Bo...
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Ancestral Phrases, Sayings and Clichés – Part 2
Mar 12
Did you come across familiar sayings in the earlier blog, strange little clichés you have heard all your life? Here is an additional set of familiar and unusual phrases from our ancestors. Upper Crust Refers to the high society or wealthier classes in a community. It originated when making bread in the 1500s was done using a ra...
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Ancestral Phrases, Sayings and Clichés
Mar 10
Here is an interesting aspect about our ancestors and even present-day, that is the use of certain phrases, catch words or clichés. We can say them all the time and not know where they originated from or why. For the most part there was a reason and a basis for every saying used in the past and today. Think back, your grandmother may have had...
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Celebrate Valentine’s Day the Genealogical Way
Feb 13
Besides seeing the unusual aspect of the name ‘Valentine’ as a given or surname in genealogy, this February holiday is also a great opportunity to learn a little bit more about any family ancestors or relatives who were born or married on or near Valentine’s Day. If you see a couple who married around that date, it was more than likely rel...
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Valentine’s Day and Surnames
Feb 11
There are surnames such as Valentine, Love, Heart and Cupid. The family name of Valentine is English and comes from the Latin term ‘valens’ which means something very strong and healthy. Additional spellings for Valentine include Vallentine and Vallantine. Some notable individuals with the surname include Robert John Valentine who was a profess...
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A Close-up Look at Records of London, England
Jan 24
The largest city in England, that of London, has been a major factor in millions of English citizens lives for centuries. Even if you had an ancestor from another portion of England they were affected by what was done in London. The online site, London Lives, is so intriguing, rich in tens of thousands of manuscripts and fifteen databases to p...
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The Eradication of an Ancestor’s Cemetery
Jan 18
That sounds pretty harsh, not only the closing to any further burials, but then the eradication and total destruction of a cemetery where one’s ancestors have been at peace and rest for decades. The very thought does not even sound possible, but it is true and it has happened, even in more recent times. It might be imaginable that a tiny pri...
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Images of the United Kingdom
Jan 4
Just like the United States National Archives has a wonderful collection of online images spanning many decades, so does the National Archives of the U.K. If a researcher has any family ancestors originally from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland this image library of the National Archives of the U. K. is well worth viewing. The imag...