Genealogy Chat

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Nudge

I have just bought May 'your family tree' because it had a cover disc for Bristol and saw the article by Daniel Longman about the genes reunited meet. It can be done.

............ and yesterday evening I returned from another visit to places where I ''walked in their footsteps, and breathed the air that they breathed''........ and oh!! the excitement when I saw the gravestones; especially one, the inscription on which has now led me to other pieces of the jigsaw to be found! And when I have researched more, then I shall write another article for the Suffolk Family History Society magazine. :-) Joy [ Lady Marion Fitzwalter or Fitzwilliam - not sure which she was :-) ]

Zoe, I pmd you with addy.

Tom I would have thought the local newspaper archive would have all the details and pictures you need. They would probably print the article if they publish that sort of stuff. A very sad story though. I have a friend who writes a regular column for a Cardiff paper but she has a history degree and worked as a county archivist for Newport. I used to write articles for a nursing magazine. They seemed quite glad to get them - pay was about £30 for a thousand words plus a free magazine and would arrive about a month after publication. After sending the article you had to wait for a contract to sign giving them copyright, internet publication rights etc. then wait another couple of months. If you are going to start writing articles you need to think about wintery themes. It is useful if you can tie them in with an anniversary. At the momment Bristol is desperate for stuff about Brunnel. I think technically anything we write on the internet is publication. I look forward to hearing about everyone's success.

The cousin of my g g grandfather lost one daughter at birth, then two daughters and one son in a house fire in 1914, and then her husband in 1923 (killed down the pit) - unfortunately I have no evidence to prove this - just been told it by a descendent of the one surviving child. would be an interesting story though...

Zoe, Have emailed you. Frances

Yes, that would make a great story! Plug on with the research! Cheers, Horatia

I would love to do this and I have just the ancestor .......! Great great uncle william took to sea about 1890, came back 10 years later, married and had 2 kids, whom he swiftly dumped to become a gun runner for the Berbers in North Africa. I have a gut feeling that his 'sea trips' had a lot to do with his cousins - smugglers for generations - who went missing at the same time. I know william died in Accra in 1920's and if I can ever get to the bottom of the rest of his activities (and get the proof!) then I will put pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard!) (And him from a family of Parish Clerks too..... what must they have thought ?????? lolol!!!) Bev x

Frances/Heather Could one of you PM/email me the address for teh guy at Norfolk Roots. I've got a couple of stories he may be interested in Frances - perhaps you and I could collaborate on a story about how we persevered for a couple of years with our Bartrams before finding the connection. Zoe xx

It helps if you buy family history magazines and regularly read the articles. Sometimes you may think: 'Well my research story was more interesting than that'! Or my black sheep was naughtier than that. Or even: my research was more difficult than that and had extremely surprising results. That kind of thing. What editors want is an interesting story, how you went about your research and written in a way that other readers would find inspiration and help from your experiences. For example, I had a relation that got transported to Australia. After reading my story, other readers would have a better idea of how to trace such relations in Oz. Cheers, Horatia

Well, I've often thought of a series of Catherine Cookson style novels about my lot. The problem is, I suppose that they really want 'Success Stories' not ongoing b* mysteries, of which I have plenty. My Success Stories, whilst of riveting interest to ME, would probably bore the pants off anyone else, and are really only the result of straightforward research - they were easy to find. So, think I'll just stick to my Catherine Cookson idea for now. Olde Crone

Heather, Go for it! What is the worst they can do? If it is not accepted, don`t worry, try again, but I bet they will be interested. Or, you could send it to the letters page and ask for help as an alternative. Good luck, Frances

Thanks! Merry (fingers crossed!)

Hi Mandy, Your story sounds really interesting. I am sure it will be of interest. As you say, the contrast will be intriguing. I recenly wrote a similar story about two brothers who were on different sides of the law. One got transported to WA and the other one was a witness in a murder trial. That got published so if you research your story thoroughly, I see no reason why your story couldn't be published. It might be best to see what word count they want. Merry, yes, Dan Longman has written an article about Quakers. I'll have a look at it and if your certificate appears, I'll scan the page and send it to you. I'll PM you for your e-mail address. Cheers, Horatia

Horatia! I just saw your reply! Your Family Tree (I hope I've remembered the right mag?!!).....I think it was Oct 2005 issue ......an article about Quaker Roots.....there's a picture of the marriage cert for my 3x great-grandparents....Job Smith and Mary Tyler. It won't look like an ordinary marriage cert as it's pre-civil registration (1819). The physical cert measures about 60cm x 40cm. Sorry, I don't know the title of the article :o(( I would be really interested to know just that it's there......but maybe you have a scanner? LOL Merry

Frances and Horatia - Robin of Norfolk Roots just mailed me saying their readers would interested in any stories with local connections. I darent tell him now that my lot are too boring!

I'm hoping to write about 2 brothers in my tree. One was apparantley a WW1 'hero' and the other murdered his own 2 sons! I thought It would be interesting to compare these 2 brothers. Do you think a mag would be interested? Need to do a lot more research yet tho. Mandy

Not a true reply to this, but you have touched a cord. I am passionate about writing up my family history as stories rather than just names and dates which bore the family to death!! My main interest has been in my maternal grandmother's Shipley line and I have had to accept that I will not learn any more about this family which I have taken back, with proof, to c.1780. I have therefore written the story---'Some folks of Shields'--and sent a copy to the library in South Shields and to all the distant family who have helped me. I have to say that it has been universally enjoyed. I regularly re-read my story---I feel that a story brings to life our ancestors and makes them real. I am now trying to write a story for every other family line!! I need to live to be 100!! {I have also submitted articles to journals which have been accepted, but 'Some Folks of Shields' is the best thing I know that I will ever write as it is written from the heart.] Wendy