It’s all about the context...

So often in family history we talk about ‘piecing together the puzzle’. It’s a great analogy isn’t it, and this issue there are two things that really struck me, when thinking about piecing things together.

The first is Chris Paton’s masterclass in how to look at the records with the eye of a professional genealogist. He urges us to take a step back and, rather than hurtling on with our research, to take time to find out about the records we use. He advises us to find out how complete they are, how to assess how accurate they may be, and how to weigh up the validity of the details that we’re finding. This background, contextual information is so important in order that we have a fuller understanding of our own research steps and discoveries, and what it means for our family tree.

The second is the House History Show, coming soon, online. Finding out more about the places our ancestors once lived absolutely transforms our understanding of our families in times gone by, putting their lives in context. Through the House History Show we’ll be exploring the historic maps, documents etc to help you find out when a house was built, who has lived there over the years, how the area has changed and much more. Their homes are the backdrops to our ancestors’ lives – let’s master the skills to research them.