This coming week Fri 26 Feb to Sun 28 Feb sees the Who Do You Think You Are Live show at Olympia. A must for anyone who can get to it. I will be there on stand 86 all weekend. I'm also next door to Pharos Teaching & Tutoring, who I run online courses for. I'm also presenting on the Friday on Norfolk Ancestors.
As well as founder Helen Osborn, who will be on the stand all weekend, other Pharos tutors to look out for that weekend if you want to pick the brains of some of the best in the business are Chris Paton, Scottish epert, Guy Grannum who teaches courses on Caribbean history and using The National Archives Catalogue, Simon Fowler, who is also editor of Ancestors Magazine as well as tutor and expert in military history and Hannah Baker who runs a course aimed at those who want to introduce children to genealogy.
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Record Offices & their rules
I'm very supportive of record office rules about leaving bags in lockers, only using pencils etc. After all they are the guardians of our documentary heritage. When I worked in Norfolk Record Office I used to wish I had a pound for every time some idiot said "are you going to strip search me" because they didn't get why they should comply.
But, I've been on my travels again the last two weeks, so have been to several different record offices again, and it never ceases to amaze me how differently they each apply certain rules. One is photography. They all charge different rates and some don't charge at all (Lincoln for example). Most say no flash can be used. But the reasons given why are often different, with many staff not seeming to know why they don't allow it. Others won't allow you to use a tripod, usually because of space, which I get, but again the rationale varies enormously from place to place. Others have a special area where you have to photograph everything and show the staff what you are doing. Essex is one of these but their photographic table isn't big enough to put maps on!
Some will let you photograph the screen of a film or fiche reader. Others don't but don't seem to notice when people do. I've never got the point of doing this anyway as I've tried it and the quality is very poor.
Some don't allow photography at all, or only of certain items, whilst others insist photographs can only be taken by their staff for a hefty fee.
I think this is just one area where perhaps different record offices could share notes at annual meetings and perhaps come up with a more standardised policy that is based on common sense.
I think I'll leave my thoughts on booking policies for another time in case my blood pressure hits the roof.
But, I've been on my travels again the last two weeks, so have been to several different record offices again, and it never ceases to amaze me how differently they each apply certain rules. One is photography. They all charge different rates and some don't charge at all (Lincoln for example). Most say no flash can be used. But the reasons given why are often different, with many staff not seeming to know why they don't allow it. Others won't allow you to use a tripod, usually because of space, which I get, but again the rationale varies enormously from place to place. Others have a special area where you have to photograph everything and show the staff what you are doing. Essex is one of these but their photographic table isn't big enough to put maps on!
Some will let you photograph the screen of a film or fiche reader. Others don't but don't seem to notice when people do. I've never got the point of doing this anyway as I've tried it and the quality is very poor.
Some don't allow photography at all, or only of certain items, whilst others insist photographs can only be taken by their staff for a hefty fee.
I think this is just one area where perhaps different record offices could share notes at annual meetings and perhaps come up with a more standardised policy that is based on common sense.
I think I'll leave my thoughts on booking policies for another time in case my blood pressure hits the roof.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Norfolk Family History Society's new online records
The Norfolk Family History Society are beginning to make the transcripts of parish registers held in their library available online. Members of the society can now access the first offerings at
http://www.norfolkfhs.org.uk/membersarea/intro.asp
I spent a large part of last week in the record offices in Cambridge and Lincoln. I was pleased to see Cambridge have added some new parish register transcripts to their already impressive collection. Compiled by the Cambridge Family History Society the new series include parishes from in and around Wisbech. As the original registers for most of these are held at the Wisbech and Fenland Museum and the films (where they exist) are often poor quality, this is very welcome news.
One of the parishes I searched in Lincoln was Whaplode. The vicar there had a habit of including comments about some of his parishioners on the entries. One great example was the baptism in 1817 of William "the bastard son of Maria Lown a widow". The vicar went on to say "NB. This abandoned Woman might be Married, but will not. The Banns of Marriage have been published, but she prefers a state of Prostitution! Remarking, or having remarked, that she is already a Whore; & can be no worse. Therefore she will remain as she is".
This will undoubtedly appear in my upcoming course on marriage records with Pharos, along with my theories on why she might have refused to marry, and how such records can be used to find out more about our ancestors.
http://www.norfolkfhs.org.uk/membersarea/intro.asp
I spent a large part of last week in the record offices in Cambridge and Lincoln. I was pleased to see Cambridge have added some new parish register transcripts to their already impressive collection. Compiled by the Cambridge Family History Society the new series include parishes from in and around Wisbech. As the original registers for most of these are held at the Wisbech and Fenland Museum and the films (where they exist) are often poor quality, this is very welcome news.
One of the parishes I searched in Lincoln was Whaplode. The vicar there had a habit of including comments about some of his parishioners on the entries. One great example was the baptism in 1817 of William "the bastard son of Maria Lown a widow". The vicar went on to say "NB. This abandoned Woman might be Married, but will not. The Banns of Marriage have been published, but she prefers a state of Prostitution! Remarking, or having remarked, that she is already a Whore; & can be no worse. Therefore she will remain as she is".
This will undoubtedly appear in my upcoming course on marriage records with Pharos, along with my theories on why she might have refused to marry, and how such records can be used to find out more about our ancestors.
Into the blogosphere
Welcome to my inaugural blog. I'll start off with an article taken from my January 2010 newsletter, but the blog will be getting bespoke content later this week, so check back soon.
A year gone and a year to come
One of the more difficult years of the recent past, 2009 has been weathered well in this corner of Norfolk. Firstly thank you to all my customers for their support over the past year. The fact so many are still commissioning me for research and attending classes in such austere times is very touching.
Looking at a brighter future, I’ve been invited to speak at Who Do You Think You Are Live, on 26 February. I will be presenting ‘Your Norfolk Ancestors: An Insiders Guide’ from 12.45 to 1.30 pm. The event is at OlympiaLondon, over the weekend of 26-28 February. I’ll have a stand there on every day of the event. The stand is number 86, next door to the nice people from Pharos Tutors.
Life hasn’t been all business, we’ve had drama and excitement on the home front. In August my partner Ian had a rather dramatic and worrying reaction to swine flu, or possibly Tamiflu. This rather put the dampers on our summer holiday. In the finest tradition of the NHS, the staff at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital were fantastic. Our thanks also goes to the helpful staff at Sidmouth Folk Festival and all my customers who sent their regards upon hearing of Ian’s predicament.
Better family news came when my daughter Cáitlin decided to marry Jos, her long term partner. The wedding is in April, which will add a new Blanchard marriage certificate to be unearthed in the future. I’ll sign off this article by wishing everyone a happy new year and the best of luck in their family history endeavours and life in general.
A year gone and a year to come
One of the more difficult years of the recent past, 2009 has been weathered well in this corner of Norfolk. Firstly thank you to all my customers for their support over the past year. The fact so many are still commissioning me for research and attending classes in such austere times is very touching.
Looking at a brighter future, I’ve been invited to speak at Who Do You Think You Are Live, on 26 February. I will be presenting ‘Your Norfolk Ancestors: An Insiders Guide’ from 12.45 to 1.30 pm. The event is at OlympiaLondon, over the weekend of 26-28 February. I’ll have a stand there on every day of the event. The stand is number 86, next door to the nice people from Pharos Tutors.
Life hasn’t been all business, we’ve had drama and excitement on the home front. In August my partner Ian had a rather dramatic and worrying reaction to swine flu, or possibly Tamiflu. This rather put the dampers on our summer holiday. In the finest tradition of the NHS, the staff at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital were fantastic. Our thanks also goes to the helpful staff at Sidmouth Folk Festival and all my customers who sent their regards upon hearing of Ian’s predicament.
Better family news came when my daughter Cáitlin decided to marry Jos, her long term partner. The wedding is in April, which will add a new Blanchard marriage certificate to be unearthed in the future. I’ll sign off this article by wishing everyone a happy new year and the best of luck in their family history endeavours and life in general.
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