In just a few days I am lucky enough to be taking the genealogy roadtrip of a lifetime! This year was always going to be exciting on the genealogical front. The first full year of my long-time hobby now being my profession, and a conference in Europe to attend. A floating conference, no less! However, it grew from there.
Conference #1
When I initially booked the ‘Unlock The Past’ Mediterranean genealogy cruise for late September I decided immediately that I would add a couple of extra weeks to my trip to spend some time poking around in the UK. I hadn’t decided whether to do it before or after the cruise though, so hadn’t booked the flights.
Conference #2
Then another conference in Europe came up – the MyHeritage conference in Amsterdam at the beginning of September. I had sorely wanted to go to their previous year’s conference in Oslo, and had watched some of it online, so I decided then and there I would attend this one. So, it was going to be a whole of September trip, bookended by two conferences.
Conference #3
THEN…before I could book the flights the announcement came out that Rootstech was taking place in London in October. Rootstech? The massive conference held annually in Salt Lake City that I had long dreamed of attending? In London?
Now I was torn. MyHeritage or Rootstech? September or October? Then it dawned on me. No longer did I have the constraints of a regular job. I was…drumroll…self-employed! I decided then and there that this was my year to indulge in ALL the conferences! They all had fantastic programs, and of course great opportunities to meet up with fellow genealogists from around the world. Before I could change my mind (or end up permanently in Europe as more and more conferences popped up!), I booked the flights.
Genealogy Roadtrip of a Lifetime
So now I have three major conferences across two months in Europe. I expect to learn much about refining research techniques, using new and previously untapped resources and researching in different places. I will spend some time in between each of these conferences visiting archives, libraries, and no doubt walking the streets of ancestral towns and villages in between. It feels like I’m a kid again, and it’s Christmas Eve.
I’m hoping to keep up to date with the blogging while I am away, and I will be bringing you nuggets of informational gold from the conferences (they are always great for finding out about new or untapped resources!). And possibly even some pictures…
This month there has been a genealogy roadshow around Australia like nothing seen before. For the first time, there has been a series of events solely focused on genetic genealogy. Given the rapid growth in this branch of genealogy over the past decade or so, this is a fantastic idea. Many people are very nervous when it comes to the science of genetics, especially when most genealogists are used to being focused on humanities skills for their research rather than science. And that’s where the DNA Downunder events come in.
Events are in the process of being held in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. The programs are different in each city. Each contains a full day of presentations from various experts – except for Sydney which has a 3 day ‘DNA to the Max’ event. The main speaker is Blaine Bettinger, one of the most well-known genealogists specializing in genetic genealogy on the planet.
DNA Downunder in Melbourne
Yesterday, I attended the Melbourne event. Blaine gave an introduction to DNA for those in the audience with no background in the subject. His other presentations looked at using DNA to solve mysteries from the 18th and 19th century, using third-party tools to help analyse DNA (such as Gedmatch and DNA Painter), the limitations of cousin matching and a case study from his own tree.
Blaine in action!
It was wonderful to hear how a DNA match led him to find an Australian connection. This led to him making use of our amazingly detailed Victorian death records and which now gives him the opportunity to visit an ancestral grave while here!
I was also extremely happy to hear that DNA Painter has released another fantastic tool which provides a range of charting options for your tree. This includes the ability to mark those relatives confirmed by genetic testing. This way you can make charts of not only your genealogical tree but your genetic tree too. Hopefully I will get a chance to check it out before I depart overseas in a week or so!
Louise Coakley, a well-known Australian genealogist with expertise in DNA presented on standards, ethics, risks and limitations when working with DNA (a crucial and very hot topic!), and verifying family lines. Apologies to Louise, I was too engrossed to take a photo!
The other two speakers for the Melbourne event were:
Michelle Patient, another Australian genetic genealogy expert, talking about pros and cons of the various companies offering genealogical DNA tests; and
Brad Argent from Ancestry talking about how to get the most from AncestryDNA results.
I missed both these speakers sadly as their talks were held concurrently in another room As their presentations were focussed more towards the beginners, I elected to attend the more advanced topics. I hear they were excellent though!
The day was exciting, interesting and very well organised. I hope to see more of this kind of event in the years to come. The attendance not only in Melbourne but all around the country so far has shown there is a huge demand for great quality speakers about modern genealogical techniques. Thank you to the organisers at Unlock the Past!
Abandoning genealogy research seems at best a little counter-intuitive, at worst downright crazy. But giving yourself some distance from a frustrating brick wall line can help you to knock it down.
So here’s the situation. It’s 2am. You have been going round in circles all night with a tricky ancestral line. You’ve tried every source you can think of. You are now randomly googling every variation of the ancestor’s surname you can think of, and you’re getting nowhere. You are at an impasse and your eyes are dropping out of your head. Is this productive? Chances are, you’re not going to find this ancestor tonight, and if you find a clue, you’re now so tired and so close to the problem that you risk missing it. So it really is time to call it quits and go to bed.
Extrapolate this situation to one lasting for several weeks, months or even years. Some of our ancestors really do test the limits of our research skills with their ability to hide from all who wish to document their existence!
What to do when the ancestors aren’t cooperating
My advice – abandoning genealogy research for a while can be extremely effective. Even if it’s just that one pesky family line.
Science backs this up. There appear to be multiple reasons why a distraction, even a short one, can help with problem-solving. The brain unconsciously continues to work on the problem in the background. Having a quiet mind helps connections to be made, but the effects of even brief distractions can be remarkable. The problems appear to be restructured during the process, allowing for new solutions to present themselves as fresh insight. AHA!!!
This wonderful ‘Eureka’ moment has happened to me several times since I took up genealogy. I’ll tuck away my notes on a branch, go pursue another one and suddenly one day I will see the answer clearly. Occasionally, when I’ve had a few resistant lines at once, I’ve taken a complete break from genealogy for a couple of weeks. It’s worked wonders.
But the thought of doing this makes me twitchy…
Don’t worry, it’s quite safe to do this. The great thing about genealogy is that your ancestors aren’t going anywhere. They’ll still be there when you get back. There will be no missed opportunities.
So try it today. Close your notebooks on the mysterious great-great-grandmother Vaughan (yes, I’m talking about YOU, Nora!). Walk away. Go do some work on the Morris family instead. Or watch a movie. See what crops up when you abandon genealogy research.
This week I’m focusing on the final resting place of our ancestors, their epitaph and other inscriptions on their headstone. Why is the information to be found at the gravesite so useful?
The headstone of Joshua Pearce of Earlham, Norfolk
What will you find on a headstone?
There are four main types of information on a headstone:
Names – usually the first and last name are provided, sometimes middle names, and quite often you will find (usually in inverted commas) any nickname they were known by.
Dates – these may be just the years of birth and death or the full birth and death dates.
Other family members – there are two ways family members may be mentioned on the headstone. They may also be buried in the same plot and have their own inscription, or they may be listed as, for example, ‘beloved husband of [name of widow]’.
Epitaphs – these are additional words inscribed on the headstone, chosen by the family. This may be an appropriate religious text or something personal about the deceased.
What’s special about the epitaph and memorial inscription?
The information on the headstone has generally come directly from the person paying for it. That is usually a family member. Therefore the information is personal. Please note that this doesn’t always mean it is 100% accurate. For example, sometimes the dates can be slightly off, or the middle names not quite right. The person giving the information was grieving at the time, so mistakes were made. Sometimes the mason would make a mistake when transcribing the requested information onto the stone. Therefore if you have several other sources for a birth year that disagree with the headstone do not presume the headstone outranks them in reliability.
The greatest value is in the information that may not be easily found in more formal documents. The details that make the name into a person. The words dedicated to them on the stone in their epitaph.
The headstone of Blanche Bowen, aged 12, of Neven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Even when the epitaph is a simple religious verse, it can give an insight into the personality or outlook on life of the deceased ancestor. Their family chose that verse for a reason. If the epitaph is a statement or poem about them it gives an even clearer insight into them and their relationship with their family. Often touching, sometimes humorous, they provide a glimpse of the real person behind the dates.
My personal experience – I never would have known…
I was lucky enough to have a family with a vault in their local church. The parents had many children, most of whom did not live to adulthood. In fact, they tended to die so early that they had not even appeared in the baptism registers. They certainly didn’t live long enough to appear in censuses. The only record of their existence was the inscriptions on the vault. Oh and their names in the burial register, but I’d never have known they were children of this family as only their names were recorded.
One child that did reach adulthood married and set off to America on the Mormon trail, dying of cholera along the way. This was recorded on the vault, even though he was not buried there, but in an unmarked grave somewhere on the way to Utah. How would I have ever known this if it weren’t for the inscription on the vault?
Do I have to go to the burial site to read the epitaph, it’s 1000 miles from here?
Ideally, if you get the chance to visit the burial place of your ancestor I would recommend it. There is a real feeling of connection to stand at the foot of their grave and read the headstone in person. You will often also find that there are other connected families buried nearby. It’s always a bit of an adventure walking around a churchyard or cemetery, seeing who else is interred in the vicinity. However, it may not be practical or possible to visit in person.
Do not fear, there are plenty of resources available which may be able to help you. If all else fails, you can hire a professional in that local area to go find them and take photos for you!
Some sources for epitaphs and memorial inscriptions
Global
BillionGraves.com and FindAGrave.com are the two most well-known sites for finding your ancestors’ graves. Each has global though incomplete coverage. Billion Graves is GPS linked with both photos and transcriptions of the headstones. Find A Grave sometimes has photos of the grave and sometimes has biographical information provided. It is worth checking both sites for your ancestor. FindAGrave is owned by Ancestry so a search on Ancestry will also show if there is a FindAGrave entry. FindMyPast searches will find if an ancestor is in the BillionGraves database. Both sites are also indexed on FamilySearch.
Local
Many cemeteries (especially the larger ones) have online search facilities available. these will provide the location of the grave and in many cases the information on the headstone. If you know the area that your ancestor died in, try looking at the local cemetery websites.
Family history societies and genealogical societies often produce transcriptions of local churchyards and cemeteries. If you have several ancestors (or one really tricky one!) in a certain locality, it is well worth considering being a member of the local family history society. They have so much good information that is yet to make its way into the wider world and often at a substantial discount for members. Most of them have a presence on the web these days, and you should be able to purchase downloads or CD’s containing relevant data. For those with ancestors in the UK, the National Burial Index (NBI) may help you find the burial place of your ancestor. Search the NBI via FindMyPast.
Worth a try – epitaph collections!
In the ‘good old days’, people were very entertained by clever epitaphs, especially if they were witty. Several volumes were published and are now mostly out of copyright. This means you have a good chance of finding them at sites such as the Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, or Geneanet. This is a ‘potluck’ method rather than a targeted search. However, if you don’t find an ancestor’s epitaph amongst the offerings, you will certainly be entertained!
August 1st marks the beginning of National Family History Month in Australia. August is a bonanza month for anyone with an interest in genealogy (this means you, or you wouldn’t be reading this blog!). Family history events, activities, workshops and education sessions are available across the country and online. There are also bargains galore offered by providers of resources and services in the genealogy field.
National Family History Month is the brainchild of the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations (AFFHO). But it’s not just family history societies who are holding events. Many state and local libraries, archives and other bodies are also getting involved. So wherever you are, around Australia or the world you should be able to access some of the exciting activities available.
As I write this blog there are 180 events listed on the National Family History Month website. Obviously, many of them will be in local communities – go to the website to find out what’s happening near you. However, I’ve picked out some that are more widely accessible (i.e. online!) to highlight in this blog.
Births, deaths and marriages
Marriage between (James) Augustine Hoy and May Beatrice Hindhaugh (Beard).
If you have ancestors in Victoria or New South Wales you are in luck this month. Time to check if any of your ancestors’ vital events are not yet sourced beyond an index entry and fill those gaps.
Victorian uncertified historical certificates are available here all month at a reduced price of $20, saving you $4.50 each.
For those seeking NSW ancestors, the cost of certificate transcriptions has been reduced from $20 to $18 here till August 11th and here for the whole month.
Webinars
The National Library of Australia is holding a free webinar on August 7th on their eResources. They will be specifically looking at how to access newspapers that aren’t available on Trove. More information can be found here.
The following week they are holding another free webinar covering search skills and techniques, called ‘Ask A Family History Librarian’. Bookings can be made here.
The National Library of Australia is running some great webinars this month!
Keeping abreast of events
You can keep up to date with changes and additions to the activity calendar either at the website or the Facebook page.
