Just popped up to Bushey parish church to see the MONRO gravestones, including the memorial to Alexander Monro and family. He and his first wife, Harriet, eloped to Gretna Green in 1821.

Memories of family history research, old style…

Trying to start work today. Lots to do but Archie has other ideas which involve giving him a lot of attention…

Wishing my younger daughter the best of luck this afternoon!
She's organised a session at the RAC/TRAC Conference and she's giving a paper at 2 o'clock.
#RACTRAC
ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/ne…

Very pleased to report that the production company were able to send me a link to the episode of Finding Your Roots that I did some research for.
So the good news is that I've now been able to watch the episode.
In other news, they didn't actually use any of my research... 🫤

A nice past tense from a Hertfordshire will, dating from 1587:

... not before geven nor bequeathen ...

I might just use that!

Another major gap in Ancestry's London Parish Register Database.
No marriages for St John at Hampstead from 1754 to 1837. Four registers covering 83 years' worth of marriages, just not there.
Instead of telling us whether we like cats or dogs, why not do your job properly... 😠

I did some research for one of the cases in the latest episode of Finding Your Roots which I believe was broadcast on PBS yesterday but I don't seem to be able to view it in the UK.
Happy to pay but none of the suggested options seem to work...
Anyone have any bright ideas?

I've never come across this before but I've now found two separate instances in Army muster rolls of places in the Channel Islands (one instance of Jersey and once with Alderney) where the clerk has assigned them to the county of Hampshire!
Surely there's no precedent for this?

I've spent the morning, virtually speaking, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and appreciating the easy availability of records at Library and Archives Canada and Nova Scotia Archives
You can tell a lot about an ancestor's communtity from the local trade directories - particularly the adverts...

No. No. And thrice no!

This is not how historical research works... 😠

#FamilySearch #ShouldKnowBetter

With all the excitement of the Easter weekend, I didn't post anything last #MapMonday for my #52AncestralPlaces2024 thing!
So today I'm posting 2 for the price of 1: the 1881 and 1903 OS 25' maps showing my Annal and Christie ancestors' ancestral homes in South Ronaldsay, Orkney.

Apparently, I joined Twitter 10 years ago today… 🥳 #MyTwitterAnniversary

ICYMI I published episode 23 of my Setting The Record Straight video series a couple of days ago.
This one looks at how we can use a variety of sources to pinpoint the location of a particular address...
youtube.com/watch?v=clTdep…

Over the course of my 63 years I have been a:

- son
- brother
- grandson
- nephew
- great nephew
- cousin (various)
- husband
- son-in-law
- brother-in-law
- father
- uncle

Now, after receiving this photo from my older daughter, I’m about to add another to the list… 💍 🔔 🎉