I think it is wonderful that Week 14 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is The Maiden Aunt. So often these women get forgotten in history as they have no ancestors to research them. It is lovely to ensure the memory of these women lives on. The maiden aunt I have chosen to write about today is my great-great-aunt…
The next surname I am writing about in my family surname history is Newman. I am going through the surnames in my tree by generation to find out the origins of the surnames. It is a really interesting topic – understanding family surname history – as it can assist you with where your ancestors originated from. . Family Surname History…
The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge this week is Misfortune. There are many stories of tragedy in any family, however, the story that has always made me sad is the events that unfolded in my grandma’s family in 1944. . Week 12 – Misfortune . The year was 1944 and World War II had been raging for 5 years.…
The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge this week is Strong Woman. Probably the strongest woman I have ever known was my grandmother. However, due to people still alive who may be impacted if I told her full story I have opted to find another woman in my tree. Someone I never knew and who just from the records I…
Coming up with something for the Week 9 – Where There’s a Will, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was hard. Do I do a will left by the deceased, someone with will and determination, or someone named Will? I finally decided on the latter, although he certainly had will and determination as well. Week 9 – Where There’s…
Today I am writing about family surname history for Stokes. I am doing more in-depth research of all the surnames in my tree so have decided to share this as I work my way back through my tree. There are many great websites on the internet about family surname history and origins so join me on my family surname history…
Moving right along to catch up on the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. The week 7 challenge is Valentine. I really struggled to come up with a topic for this challenge. Do I find the longest marriage? The tragic early death of a spouse? There are no “love” letters in my genealogy documents and I don’t recall ever seeing…
The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge in week 6 is favourite name. I have some interesting names in my tree – both first and last names. Interesting first names that you certainly don’t hear today are Dorcas, Fanny, and Hilton. The surnames that fascinate me most and I want to find their origins are Washbrook, Crittal / Criddle, and…
Moving right along in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge – In the Census. Censuses are a great genealogy tool for the family historian. They provide snapshots in time of your ancestors. You can find out ages, place of birth, occupation, address, relationships between residents at an address. Sometimes, though they leave you scratching your head. . Week 5…
The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks fourth challenge is “Invite to Dinner.” Choosing who to write about for this one was easy. For years I searched for my great-great grandmother Henney – this is her story. Week 4 – Invite to Dinner Many years ago I found my great-great-grandfather, Jonah Walker, in the Census. In the 1901, 1881, 1871 censuses…