MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR RESEARCH & DAYS OUT
Insights and advice for taking our research into the real world of archives, graveyards and the places of our ancestors once more
With the Covid-19 restrictions drawing to a close, many of the venues and attractions at which we enjoy carrying out family history research are readying to open their doors again. But how do we navigate this brave new world? Read on for the Family Tree guide to trips & visits in the postpandemic world with Twitter genies, Family Tree readers, Helen Tovey & Rachel Bellerby
Abreath of fresh air! While Zoom has been a boon over the past year or so, the enjoyment of visiting archives, libraries, ancestor graveyards, historic attractions – and of course – actual living family members, is something many family historians have sorely missed. In our guide, we’ll be looking at topics including:
• What to expect when you return to the archives
• Top tips on planning a postpandemic research trip
• How to make the most of your visits and days out
We’ll also be including the thoughts, views and advice shared by some Family Tree readers and Twitter followers.
Twitter folk have their say
Family Tree Deputy Editor Rachel Bellerby invited Family Tree Twitter followers to share their thoughts and views on aspects of family history research that they’ve missed over the many months of the pandemic restrictions, and also sought advice they’d like to share on returning to archives. You will find these interesting and useful tweets and tips woven through the pages.
Many of us have individual health concerns and/or those of loved ones to worry about, and, as the pandemic has made us all too well aware, there’s no single solution that fits all of us; as has been said many times now ‘While we’re all in the same storm, we’re in very different vessels’. However, we hope the insights and ideas to follow will help you come up with a plan that best suits you, whether that’s researching at home or out and about.
Enjoying being back in a Record Office
Family Tree reader Di Miles
I have recently been able to access a small County Record Office. I was able to book slots in advance, and when the time came, I was able at the end of each session to book cancelled slots for the next day, which was a great help as I was away from home!
Restrictions to 6 items was a bit limiting, but in practice I found that it was more than adequate, as the time slots were divided into morning and afternoon slots.
They were flexible about my making requests for the next day, as long as no-one else had used those records that week, or had booked them.
They were able to pre-book me a micro-film reader in advance, so that I could use micro-films after exhausting all the records I had ordered. I was able to use the films without restriction. I was also able to use volumes of books on the shelves.
The tables were provided with antiseptic wipes. Requests were placed on a trolley and not touched by the staff in the room. I undertook regular lateral flow testing, in order to ensure I was not knowingly passing on any virus to the staff. Masks were worn as a routine by everyone.
Researchers were limited to one person per table, or a couple from the same household, which gave plenty of individual space.
I was readily given assistance as I needed it, and enjoyed being back in a Record Office.
I felt totally safe in working there and after nearly two weeks later, I do not seem to have picked up the virus, so I have confidence in their system.
Archives staff are going to huge lengths to ensure that records are quarantined and desks are well-spaced to make visits to the repositories as safe as possible, and Di Miles has clearly had a very positive experience – something I’d endorse too on my trip late June to Lincolnshire Archives. The records I’d pre-ordered were ready on my allocated table in a sealed box, to which I returned them at the end of the session. Hand sanitising and mask wearing throughout was the order of the day. There were just a few other visitors, all of us well spaced out, and the archives staff were extremely helpful, carefully explaining the process step by step.
It is worth noting that ordering systems, visiting hours and access to the records are all very likely to have
changed (and will continue to evolve too). Some of the rules will seem very similar to pre-covid times too, however, and planning is always good.
Before you visit:
1. Check the website for opening days and times.
2. You will likely have to prebook items you’d like to view. There is likely to be a maximum number of items that may be booked.
3. Bear in mind that shelves that are usually open-access may not currently be accessible.
4. Review your research notes (while you’re making your trip are there any other items you would like to see too, to make the most of the journey).
For your visit:
1. As ever, pack paper, pencils, charged devices – and now, a mask too. Some places may require mask-wearing at their discretion.
2. Bring relevant research notes and perhaps a copy of your family tree, so that you can cross-refer to useful details if needed.
3. Set yourself some specific research steps to help keep your research session on track.
4. Remember to take a break if needed (we all know how important our health is nowadays).
5. And enjoy yourself, and be friendly to the hardworking archives staff.
Of course it’s not just archives and record offices that we may wish to visit. Trips to our ancestors’ former homes, villages and graveyards are all important aspects of our research too. Family historian Eleanor Botwright recently planned an ancestral pilgrimage back to Lowestoft and enlisted the help of local experts to help her learn as much as possible in her time available.
Plan early & ask for help!
Family Tree reader Eleanor Botwright
1. Start to plan as early as possible
2. Contact the local family history society and ask for recommendations – especially a local social historian.
3. If possible commission a local social historian as a guide. We had an amazing man spend half a day with us explaining what life was like in Lowestoft in the 1700s. He helped us work with maps, supplied etchings and helped us focus on time and place.
4. Because we were particularly planning to attend the church where all life events had been celebrated i.e. baptisms, marriages and burials I contacted the parish priest and archivist who helped set the scene and (because of Covid 19) enabled us to time our visit to have access to the church St. Margaret’s, Lowestoft.
5. Unfortunately a huge number of headstones had been removed as a result of government instruction (to create a bigger green space) so we were unable to actually find any grave markers for the Boatwrights but it was none the less exciting to wander the huge remaining graveyard. We enjoyed it so much we are planning a similar trip the Wiltshire in the autumn seeking another family tree branch…
Waiting for the current restrictions to lift
Family Tree reader Clare Pilkington I shan’t be going back to any archives until they lift the restrictions on what you can see. As all the archives I want require a considerable journey, (60-70 miles minimum) I need to know that I can access the records I want and need.
At the moment most seem to be operating on 6 items per visit, to be ordered beforehand which negates using records to generate further inquiries. As you will know yourselves, sometimes you look at a document and realise it doesn’t help at all and move quickly onto the next.
Alternatively you look at something and it leads onto another source, which you hadn’t appreciated. I also need the freedom to consult the archive paper catalogues as they can be more comprehensive than the online catalogues.
The other restriction which needs lifting before I return is the opening hours. At present the National Archives would be hopeless; reduced hours and reduced times you can visit in a week, limited access to documents etc, similarly the British Library.
None of the archives I use regularly are particularly busy so I am not worried about social distancing etc when in the search room. And I am very happy to book a place before
I go, as I have always done. With travelling I need to know I have a table place, microfilm reader etc.
While some level of lack of flexibility is a little frustrating, Clare Pilkington makes the valuable point that in some respect pre-ordering is nothing new. Equally, when undertaking a journey of any length, it is actually useful to know that you have your place and records securely booked to save a wasted journey.
When reading Jacqui Kirk’s thoughts below I am sure that others may feel similarly regarding health concerns.
Seeing the silver lining… of staying safe at home
Family Tree reader Jacqui Kirk
Until Covid struck I was a professional archival researcher. One who always seemed to pick up some bug or other after a visit to an archive even when I hadn’t travelled on public transport, and any bug I got passed to my
daughter. We took this to be normal and unavoidable and until lockdown we didn’t realise how much the viruses were impacting our health – for both of us. Then lockdown happened and we both have not been as healthy for years! No endless viruses and feeling run down.
As a result I am extremely reluctant to return to archives and public. When I finally do venture into an archive I will continue to wear a mask and nitrile gloves. Ventilation is an issue in archives and the dust generated is very bad for my asthma anyway so a mask will help on that front.
Whilst I know that archive staff will do all they can to make all safe for us to return my concern is – will the users? Many times I have observed those with streaming colds and hacking coughs come into the archive to carry out their hobby, and my heart has sunk even while I tried to keep as far away from them as possible.
We all need to start to be considerate to others. If we have a cold or flu or anything else others can catch we need to stay away from public places and people and that means libraries and archives. For some of my friends even catching a cold means being admitted to hospital.
It will be a long time before I set foot in a library or archive again. I have learned how to cope without access to them.
So what do we need to see? In addition to improved ventilation and social distancing, I would like to see:
• Better online catalogues with more cataloguing in depth to facilitate ordering of document copies
• More encouragement to photograph a number of documents to then view at home rather than production limits or pre-order limits on the day
• More encouragement to order digitised or printed copies (for emailing/posting) rather than undertaking in person visits
• More encouragement and access
to knowledgeable archivists in the field of your research for advice before a visit so that you get the most out of each visit and can find those documents you need.
Life over the past year or so has led to many innovations as we all seek ways to accomplish the things dear to us while keeping safe, and the digital world has been invaluable in this respect. Jacqui’s idea for better cataloguing is one such area where the real and digital spaces can help one another. Perhaps you have a little time and expertise to share and would like to volunteer to help catalogue collections. The Society of Genealogists, Familysearch, family history societies, and of course archives run numerous volunteer based transcription, indexing and cataloguing projects, to which you can lend a hand, very often from home.
To enquire about lending a hand, see:
• https://www.sog.org.uk/supportus/volunteers
• https://www.familysearch.org/ indexing/
• For central hub pages for societies and archives respectively, see https://www. familyhistoryfederation.com/ societies-az and https://discovery. nationalarchives.gov.uk/find-anarchive
That valuable time spent in reconnaissance…
For numerous reasons within and outwith your control you may not be able to make a trip yet. The joy of family history is that there is always something to be done, however, and (as you know all too well by now – many of these can be enjoyed from home) from reviewing your past research notes, to background reading or taking a course to enhance your skills. Time on these pursuits is never ever wasted.
These are just early days for returning to normal and, of course, the phrase ‘postpandemic world’ is not quite accurate, as Covid hasn’t gone away yet. We would value hearing how you’re getting on with your family history at the moment. Maybe you’ve already visited an archive – if so, what was your experience? Maybe you have concerns and have decided to stick to researching solely online? If you would like to share your views regarding family history related trips, in the light of
Covid implications, please do email helen.t@family-tree.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you – and wish you the best with your research, wherever it takes you.
Thank you for your Tweets & views
@Willsmanonename @Wynnjulia @Whoamiftr @julieback330 @genie_research @chiddickstree @lewis_wendy @trivvieliz @Ellencleslie @Genealogyjude @isherwood_phil @Scientistsoph @mschriner @27Ralphgh @ifamilyhistory @leannekruger @packrat74 @Simplelivingene @bazzamiller @Marianbwood @thedustyteapot @rlbwilson @Michelefnichols Di Miles Eleanor Botwright Clare Pilkington Jacqui Kirk