The workhouse, detested and feared, evoked shame in those individuals who were forced to enter its walls. The workhouse is deeply embedded in folk memory; children were often warned by their parents that if they misbehaved they would be put into the workhouse. Kirsty Gray peers behind the closed doors of the workhouse, exploring the various records available for unearthing ancestors in theworkhouse, and explains what life was like for its poor inmates.

Ireland was England’s oldest colony, so many assume the records will be the same. They are not precisely because the two country’s histories and their relationship to each other were different. We all know about the terrible loss of Irish records, but there are great treasure troves of surviving records which don’t exist in England - records about war, rebellion, security and land control. So while there are great obstacles (record loss, language, differing histories), there is a great wealth of resources rarely accessed by genealogists. This talk will examine these differences in records and research techniques between Britain and Ireland, why Irish records were created, or destroyed, and how they can be used to unlock your past.

This was presented to a live webinar audience on November 15, 2017. 1 hour 50 minutes and 4 pages of handouts. The recording is also included as part of the monthly or annual membership.

 

Introducing the identity of ‘The West Country’, its geography and history over the centuries, this class guides the family historian through the wealth of historical records available both online and in archives and libraries to add the ‘flesh to the bones’ of the names of ancestors on your family trees, including some fascinating details that can be uncovered about the places they lived, their occupations and the distinctive features, identity and character of the West Country. Case studies of some notable individuals from the counties are provided as well as some records of those individuals who never hit the headlines.

A broad overview of research in Europe - a continent spanning more than thirty countries which has been subjected to wars, political unrest and border changes. Europe is a Continent with different languages, cultures and religions, all of which play a part in family history research. This presentation looks at the obstacles and pitfalls a researcher may encounter, and the major historical events & those that have had a marked effect on family history & are identified, especially the impact of the world wars and regional conflicts, border changes and movements of populations. Advice on broadly available sources is also discussed.

The parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials in England and Wales give many genealogical clues to help build a family tree. Kirsty Gray also highlights other documents kept by the parish, the diocese and the archdeaconry and the invaluable information which can be gleaned about the lives of our ancestors.

With increased digitization of genealogical records in England and Wales, documents relating to your ancestors are far more readily available but how are the records structured? Where are they located? And what information can be gleaned from these primary sources? Taking you through the basics by examining record groups including censuses, civil registration, parish registers and probate, Kirsty Gray highlights the online and offline resources available to today’s genealogist researching in the last four centuries in England and Wales.