Why do we study family history?

Dick Eastman’s Newsletter of 7 June 2018 asked the question ‘Why do we study genealogy?

Genealogy is defined as the direct descent of an individual or group from an ancestor.

It is a simpler question than ‘Why do we study family history’.

Family History I believe is to research not only our lines of descent but also the details of our family members, their occupations, the places they lived and the social influences that affected their lives. It is trying to understand what made them do what they did. One question that crops up as you discover more about them is why they survived to create the generations of our family. They endured war, disease, poverty and occupational injuries. Sometimes they were working with the law and sometimes they appeared on the opposite side or merely as witnesses. Every event creating a record of their existence.

So why do we study family history? It is because:-

• It is curiosity.
• It is the search.
• It is the sense of knowing more about the family than other members of it know.
• It is the discovery.
• It is the puzzle as to where to look.
• It is finding sources that add to the search.
• It is the discovering characters that you like and wish you had known.
• It is the discovering characters that you feel you would not have liked, but wish you had known.
• It is the challenge of a ‘brick wall’ and the joy at demolishing it.
• It is the history of the place that the family inhabited.
• It is the history of the country that affected them.
• It is the journeys they undertook and the reason why they traveled.
• It is an addiction.

So why do you study family history?

Family History is more than just family

Family history is more than just family, the research may involve local and industrial history. In seeking why families move may be for work reasons and that brings into question what occupations are sustained by the location. Lack of work would dictate a move to new employment or perhaps even the reason for joining the Army or Navy.
To help with this knowledge in addition to belonging to a family history society you may also join a local history society. Alternatively an occupation society such as 'Tools and Trades Historical Society' (TATHS) or the British Brick Society (BBS).
These societies like NWKFHS produce a journal, example today I received both the NWKFHS December edition Vol. 13 No 12 and Eden Valley Heritage Newsletter Number 29 the Journal of the Eden Valley Museum.
Lots of interesting articles to read over the coming days.

North West Kent Family History AGM and Family History Day 27 April 2013. NWKFHS will be at 'Who Do You Think You Are Live' Friday 22 - Sunday 24 February 2013.Crossness Engines Trust Sunday 21 April 2013. Free Famine Orphan Girl Database

North West Kent Family History Society Family History Day 27 April 2013.

 

The 35th Annual General Meeting and Family History Day will take place at Dartford Science and Technical College, Heath Lane, Dartford, Kent DA1 2LY.

 

There will be talks and some stalls including Society Publications. More details will be available soon.

 

NWKFHS will be at the Society of Genealogists fair at 'Who Do You Think You Are Live' Friday 22 - Sunday 24 February 2013. The National History Show, Olympia, London.

 

NWKFHS will be at Stand number: 96 & 97. There will be Society and other publications for sale. If you have ancestors or family from the North West Kent Area our volunteers will be happy to see if they can help you. More details of the fair can be found at WDYTYA  More details about the Society can be found at NWKFHS

 

NWKFHS will also be at the Crossness Engines Trust, The Old Works, Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9AQ on Sunday 21 April 2013 from 10.30am.

 

More details can be found at Crossness Engines Trust

 

Other News:

 

Threat to Croydon Archives:

 

Archives for London  reports on the plan by Croydon Council's to reduce the Croydon archives to the 'statutory minimum' saving £105,000. This would mean the loss of its staff and effective denial of public access to the Local Studies Library.

 

Famine Orphan Girl Database:

This Database consists of some 4000 young women who came to Australia under the Earl Grey’s Famine Orphan Scheme  during the Famine years of 1848 to 1850. They came from the Workhouses in all 32 counties of Ireland. All were Orphans (which meant loosing at least one parent) and destitute.

It is a database that is growing and worthwhile having a look at. You search by name or by ship and the results are free.