I was going to use ALL of January to research and write a talk I have been asked to give about the Dymock Poets (Edward Thomas, Robert Frost, et al) and had made a good start on the timeline. THEN, as the result of a book I was given for Christmas, about the history of one of the Widdicombe parishes, where the Smerdon family hailed from, and because I have a Smerdon connection in my distant family tree, I had blown the dust off one of my big folders of family history research. On Friday, idle internet browsing suddenly became all-out research, inspired by what I had found. So many more documents and details have been posted by local history societies and family history societies and - should you wish to pay for membership of any of the genealogy companies such as Ancestry,etc you have access to millions of records. HOW things have changed since my initial forays into family history and the contents of the IGI!
Anyway, I am going to do some research this morning and then it will be nose to the grindstone again. It's difficult to change direction of research though, especially when one has the bit firmly between ones' metaphorical teeth!
Meanwhile, if I wake up early (who am I kidding? WHEN I wake up early, every morning!) I go downstairs and read some more of my Phil Rickman novel, which is excellent, as always. No goriness so far, unlike some of his others! At bedtime I am reading the third Ann Cleeves novel, Red Bones.
Right, back to the history and good folk of Ashburton, where a relative of mine (Emma Ferris) was once the village Schoolmistress.
Glad you have risen above the house sale thing and have lots of new year plans BB. Wish I could come to your talk.
ReplyDeleteI have to move on or I would go mad, Pat! I wish you could come to the talk too. Have to write it first though, and go to Dymock to take some photos by way of illustration (something else to look forward to).
ReplyDeleteWe saw our builder yesterday to get a quote for a repair to be done and repainting the walls outside. Positivity comes at a price!
Wow! What a huge book haul in your previous post! Good luck with your research, the talk should be great, do you have a date set for it?
ReplyDeleteI hope you get the move sorted soon.xx
First week in May Yarrow. Good book haul but I know I shall have to renew a few!
ReplyDeleteI am captivated by your header photo. What kind of tree?
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to do family research without getting side-tracked? Often after a long session of trolling the internet resources for bits and pieces I lie awake visualizing the roots and branches of a family, endlessly sprawling, knotting, doubling back--the thought of all those people--and wondering how much of 'me' is connected to someone living in England in the 1600's--overwhelming!
Its interesting that when tightening up a 'talk' or a written report we need to go through, weeding out some things, trying to keep relevance and 'flow.' I find it hard to let go of the puzzles, always wanting the 'rest of the story.'
Not bad is it?! Taken at Bronllys Castle last week. I think it's a beech tree. As for the family history, I have been encountering brambles and black holes today, but have cleared up a misheard middle (family - mother's maiden name) name scrawled on a marriage certificate. I've found ancestors in Ashburton I never knew of before, but the downside of all this is that I just want to pack my bags and "go home" tomorrow - the pull is strong! Herefordshire is probably still the best bet though, sadly.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, truly fantastic. I did a lot of my family history many years ago, for years. I found my biological grandmother who had given mum up for adoption. They have since met (I had Mum's permission to look of course). Amazing isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI've met a few of my distant "cousins" Tracy, and am regularly in touch with one. I've been to a couple of family group meetings too. How lovely that your biological grandmother met her daughter at last.
ReplyDeleteIcan't count - that should be 3 - probably a couple more if I sit and jot them down.
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