Family History Writing Challenge 2014

Courtesy of
The Armchair Genealogist

This is the fourth year that I have taken part. This year I tend to use the month long challenge to do several things. 

Firstly, edit work already written, and "process" that material ready for publication. 

Secondly continue writing the next project, which is a big one and will be published in the first quarter of 2015. 

Thirdly, scope out a further project in preparation for the autumn of 2014.

The details of the challenge itself can be found here with an outline of the potential writing commitment for the month. For the big project I will aim to write 28,000 words over the course of the month which is about half of the complete project. I won't be sharing that via this blog because it is a commissioned and to be published endeavour, but over the course of this year there will be hints, snippets and details at the website for the book. 

Meanwhile, some editing will be happening on material already written. The scoping out on the third item on my list will also be taking place and for that I will probably write around 1,000 words a day. I will also be writing at this blog during the month (as usual). 

There is nothing like being busy!

52 Ancestors:# 3 ~ Esther Bellasis nee King (1770 - 1805)

No Story Too Small

This post is for week 3 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Crow from No Story Too Small.

You can read the list of my posts HERE

"The Carrajan by Mrs Bellasis,
Sydney" and was painted circa 1803.

Esther Bellasis has been well documented at this blog over the last few years. Her "fame" is that she left behind in Australia this beautiful picture which Esther had drawn sometime after 1801 when she arrived in Botany Bay with her husband George Bridger Bellasis.

George had been sentenced to 14 years in the colony having killed someone in a dual in India for causing dishonour to his sister in law. George as it happens was pardoned and returned to England before returning to India where he married for the second time to Esther's sister.

Meanwhile, Esther had died at the Bellasis home in Berkshire and was buried in Puttenham in 1805.

Image courtesy of Ancestry. Puttenham Bural Records - 1805

A close up and personal image reveals

Image courtesy of Ancestry. Puttenham Bural Records - 1805

There is so much more details I am sure that I can unravel about Esther and George. George had quite a standing in India because of his rank in the Honourable East India Company (HEIC). His father was a vicar so between the religious and military backgrounds there is much to be gleaned from the wider family records.

Actions

1. Work on the timeline for Esther & George Bridges Bellasis especially 1801-1805 period
2. Preparation for next Australia trip in terms of other paintings created by Esther, George's pardon and his involvement with the early Freemasons.
3. Explore the supply of material I have already located about George Bridges Bellasis creating a structure of his military career, the duel and his subsequent marriage to his sister in law.
4. Berkshire Records Office & other archives.
5. Revisit my copies of the Charles Kerry Manuscripts in the Puttenham One-Place Study archive as there are several references there about Esther Bellasis.
6. The details surrounding George's pardon are quite interesting and mention that Esther was quite sickly. Explore anything else on this line of enquiry (hopefully"!)

Society Saturday - West Surrey FHS

I first joined today's featured Society, The West Surrey Family History Society in 1988. In fact, it was the latest journal for the West Surrey that gave me the idea for this series of blog posts.

In 1988 everything in the genealogy world was conducted via post,or was passed member to member whilst at the meetings of the Society which were announced in the journal. There was no internet, no website and no email facility.

Today, the West Surrey still has the regular meetings, and the journal but it also has a website which does include a lot of information including a members room. Below is a map of Surrey which is taken from the website.

Copyright to June Rudman and WSFHS

As you hopefully see, Surrey is next to six other Counties, and my own ancestry from Surrey rolls across into predominately Sussex and Hampshire, with some branches into the other Counties. Surrey also benefits from a second Society, which covers the East of the County.

The two Societies are independent of each other, although there is a little overlap in places and they do share a Strays index.

The member's room is a new addition. I had missed all mention of it in journals until the December 2013 edition arrived, when it mentioned the members room and I instantly thought, what members room? I went over to the website and sure enough a members page. The lesson here is keep visiting the website that is operated by your Society and read the journal (and remember the contents!).

Societies want to progress and stretch themselves delivering more for the annual subscription and this can only be done with volunteers. 

Claim A Convict Site - Relaunch

Today those who live in Australia will celebrate Australia Day. It is therefore very fitting that the Claim A Convict site developed by the late Lesley Uebel is to be relaunched today.

I was very saddened to hear of Lesley's passing. The relaunch today is a fine tribute to Lesley and work she has left behind.

Book of Me, Written by Me, Prompt 22

Today is week 22 of what is going to be a 15 month project. Each Saturday, at around 12.30am UK time I will release the prompt for that week's Book of Me, Written by You.

If you are new here, welcome! The details, background flyer and Face Book link to the Book of Me can be found HERE.

This week's prompt is - Daily Routine(s)

Do you have a daily routine?

Did your parents? Grandparents?

Why did they (or you ) have this routine?

Where did this routine take place?

Structure - Is this important to you? or your family?

Weekend Cooking ~ Burns Night

Across the globe, thousands of people with Scottish Heritage celebrate the birth of the Scottish Poet Rabbie Burns on 25 January. Traditionally there is a Burns Supper of Haggis, Neep and Tatties to celebrate the event.

Rabbie Burns 1759 - 1796

The formal supper starts with a welcome and announcements then the Selkirk Grace.

Selkirk is one of the oldest towns in the Borders of Scotland. The Grace itself is a prayer and said before a meal. Here is the prayer in both Scottish and English translation:

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

Some have food and cannot eat,
And some would eat that lack it,
But we have food and we can eat,
So let God be thanked.

After the Grace everyone stands as the Haggis is carried into the room to the sound of bagpipes. The Haggis is laid at the hosts table and then there is the cutting of the Haggis and the famous poem "Address to a Haggis" is read.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dicht,
An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,
Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sicht,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit" hums.

Is there that o're his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect scunner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his wallie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whistle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thristle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,

Gie her a haggis!

At the end of the poem there is a whisky toast to the Haggis. Then the meal is consumed.

The meal itself is Haggis served with mashed potato known as tatties and mashed neep which are turnip if you are in Scotland or Suede if you are south of the border!

When the meal reaches the coffee stage there is a toast to the Monarch . After the meal an "Immortal Memory" takes place. This is usually a speech on the life and poetry works of Robert Burns and the evening concludes with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne* ?

CHORUS: 

For auld lang syne, 

my jo, for auld lang syne, 

we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, 

for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie's a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Haggis can be found in most super markets here in the UK. They are usually found on the fresh meat counters and can be frozen. I routinely have at least two in the freezer. They do need defrosting before cooking.

Picture of ready cooked Haggis

Haggis can be cooked in a variety of ways

1. Haggis can be cooked on the hob, in a pan of boiled water. As soon as the water boils reduce the heat and add the Haggis, with the water simmering it takes around an hour. 
2. Haggis can also be cooked in the oven, remove from the plastic casing and wrap in tin foil. Place the Haggis into an oven proof dish with a little water and cook, usually for around an hour. 
3. Haggis can also be cooked via the microwave, I usually remove the outer plastic and skin, and don't forget the metal clips at the ends! Cut the Haggis into small segments and cook on full power. Length of time will vary depending on your microwave. 

Haggis Pie

Cook Suede and Potatoes
Haggis cooked for about 3 minutes in the microwave (mine is 900w)
Cut Haggis into sections and place in bottom of a dish, I use a Lasagna dish
Mash Suede and place on top of Haggis
Mash potato and place on top of Suede.
Place in Oven for (mine is fan assisted) so 20 minutes until nice and brown.

Wee Beestie!

Cook Haggis and break into bits with a fork.
Serve on a bed of mashed potato and mashed suede (neep)
cover with cheese sauce and a light dusting of black pepper to taste

Haggis is available in most supermarkets in the UK as either fresh or in some cases in tinned form. In the US it is available, certainly a few examples of companies that have a US outlets or ship to the US are  - http://www.scottishhaggis.com/index.aspx  

 - http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/  

 - http://www.britishdelights.com/

(I have no financial gain from the companies mentioned.)

Taking part in Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads

Nature, Nurture or something else.....

Last night my blogging buddy Pauleen from Family history across the seas reshared a post that she wrote back in 2012.  The post, which can be read HERE talks about how Pauleen feels of being an Australian.  I read the post as I did two years ago and noticed that I consistently left the same remark on the comment page.

I was born in England, my Mum is English with her roots spanning 300 years across the south east in the home counties of Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, with one line that only arrived in Surrey from Warwickshire in the early 20th Century. My paternal line is Italian, well Sicilian to be quite precise. I have never lived in Italy and yet can feel very Italian when I am with a group of people who ask me about my Italian heritage, whilst feeling very Anglo when with a group of Italians.

A few years ago now, I was at a meeting describing a situation that happened in the workplace. A colleague asked me, if I had dealt with the situation with the English or Italian bit of my brain. Even now when I contemplate that question I have to pause and think. I have to think, because I simply do not know. I responded in quite a natural way for me,  but was that in an Italian manner?

According to my reading journal I read a book called Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour back in 2005. From memory it was an interesting book and I may well read it again; and soon.

The question that I do ask and send out into the ether, is can we feel a genetic pull to a place or destination? I feel an real connection with Australia and did so before I lived there in the early 1990's. Is that pull, simply a coincidence or does it reflect a family connection right back to my first family member lived there in the early 1800's?

I am from a generation where it was common to take a gap year and travel. My close friend went to New Zealand and after returning she went onto University. I meanwhile qualified then went to Australia before returning, picking up my profession and building a career. I also acquired a husband too!

With so much of my family history being English, and England's history of being exploratory and building an Empire is that just circumstantial or is it part of the English genetics rather than specific to my genetics?

Such an interesting question to ponder and I suspect that I may never know the answer, but what do you think?

Sepia Saturday 212 ~ Snow Abound

We have been lucky so far this winter. It has been very wet rather than snowy. Personally I would rather have it cold that wet. Either way, here is a look back at yesteryear!

This is from my Guildford & District Collection & is Farnham Road Guildford (Hogs Back) on 28th December1927. Brr!

Taking part of Sepia Saturday

Australia Day Challenge 2014: C’mon Aussie

My blogging buddy, Pauleen from Family History Across the Seas has organised a fun little meme for Australia Day. As I blogged for Australia Day in previous years - 2011, 2012, 2013 I simply "had to" take part for 2014, although I have not answered all the questions.

My first ancestor to arrive in Australia was: George Bridges Bellasis and his wife Esther nee King who I blogged about in 2011 (and many times since). George was an officer in the Honourable East India Company and was transported on a ship called "The Fly" for killing a man in a duel for being dishonourable to his sister in law. George was pardoned and returned to India and his previous role in the HEIC. Meanwhile, Esther left behind in Australia this lovely piece of artwork, one of the earliest pieces painted by a woman.

This is called "The Carrajan by Mrs Bellasis, Sydney" and was painted circa 1803. I sent off to the archive, The Mitchell Library, State Library for NSW, for a electronic copy and it is one of my genealogical treasures.

I’m an Aussie mongrel, my ancestors came to Oz from: My family lines that went to Australia were all from England.

Did any of your ancestors arrive under their own financial steam? Yes, some did. John Ellis and his wife Sarah migrated to Geelong in Victoria in 1854 under an assisted migrant scheme. John Hunt Butcher and his wife Sarah migrated under completely their own steam to Victoria and then to Tasmania in 1821. Branches of that family moved west to Western Australia.

Did one person lead the way and others follow? Yes, In the case of John Ellis and his family they were followed by Sarah Ellis' brother Josiah Turpin who travelled with his nephew Josiah Ellis a year later. John Hunt Butcher was I believed tempted to try the new land through his brother in law William James Burchell who was a famous botanist who had spent time in South Africa and South America.

Did anyone make a two-step emigration via another place?Other lines of Burchell family were planning to migrated to Australia, as they applied (and were granted a land grand) but stopped off in South Africa to see other family and stayed there.

Did any of your ancestors leave Australia and go “home”? Go home, who would really want to? The only one was George Bridges Bellasis who was pardoned and returned to India via England.

The Section of the meme called NOW IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU I have decided to miss out however, I have had family members since 1803 somehow involved with Australia the last member of my family to migrate there was in 1947. So is Australia and the travelling gene in my blood? Quite possibly.

As to a Australian bucket list destination - I have travelled a fair bit in Australia, but something that is on my list is to do what I have called the Hunt Butcher circuit. I want to explore the destinations of the family of John Hunt Butcher.

Society Saturday - Getting Involved.....

Over the years I have been involved with several family history societies, but why did I bother?

When I first dipped my toes into the genealogy & family history Society arena I was steered in the direction of the local society. That was back in 1988, and I have been a member of that Society ever since.

That was the days before the Internet and the days before on-line facilities. The way to become involved with a society was to pay the appropriate membership fee and in exchange receive a quarterly journal. For this particular Society I still have all those journals, all 104 of them! Surname interests were submitted to the Society using pen and paper and inserted into an envelope with a stamp. They appeared in the journal within a few months. In order to "connect" or share information with a fellow member you wrote a letter. I am still in touch with several of those early day researchers. One has become a great friend and resides in New Zealand. I can still recall the excitement when an envelope arrived with a New Zealand stamp on and I devoured the letter full of details of domestics, holidays, friendship and of course family history, the latest finds and discoveries.

This was the days of indexing parish records, monumental inscriptions and strays and much, much more. The data was indexed, checked and collated on index cards and slips and stored in shoe boxes. There was an army of volunteers working for the benefit of the members and the society. Working in a way that was completely alien to many of the new genealogists of today. I recall checking a series of monumental inscriptions at the churchyard of a rural parish in Surrey during a series of lunch breaks, in the days when pharmacies closed for lunch. Really it was all very civilised and looking back on the changes both within my profession and family history we really have been on a quite a journey.

A volunteer held those shoe boxes of data and undertook look ups on behalf of the Society. There might have been a fee to members or non members. It depended on the indexes and the Society. As I write this I have glanced back through a few of the early journals. Some of those journals contained articles from members who were deemed knowledgeable within the Society and many have since passed away after contributing so much.

Today, we can pay a fee and access an amazing amount of records via the on-line portals and business of Ancestry, FindmyPast and several others. Genealogy and family history is at risk of being deemed an on-line and "there at the touch of a button" hobby, but that is a subject for another Society Saturday.

I believe in giving back. Not necessarily to the Society that I have gained so much from, but to the wider hobby, obsession, genealogical arena. Paying the way forward in terms of knowledge, support and simply providing funds in the form of membership fees. That first Society I mentioned above had their annual fee at £6 for over 15 years and for me it was worth at least two or three times that. That Society is established in my home County. I have not attended a meeting for over 15 years because of geography, but I look forward to the journals and usually read them within days of it arriving. The membership secretary is in fact the one that processed my membership back in 1988!

Perhaps the instinct to belong to something somehow kicks into our minds and encourages us to part with cash to join a group of like minded people. Whatever the reason, stepping forward to Societies that we are members of,.and assisting in the society growing, moving forward into a new dimension of family history is important not just to the society but to us as individuals.

I believe that it is not necessarily what our Society can do for us, but what can we do for our Society.

Book of Me, Written by Me, Prompt 21

Today is week 21 of what is going to be a 15 month project. Each Saturday, at around 12.30am UK time I will release the prompt for that week's Book of Me, Written by You.

If you are new here, welcome! The details, background flyer and Face Book link to the Book of Me can be found HERE.

This week's prompt is - Hobbies

• Childhood hobbies & collections
• Did you share a "passion" with a family member or friend?
• Tell us about it - How, why, where
• Do you still have any old hobbies - the ones that have been with you since childhood?
• Do you still have those childhood collections?

The In-Depth Genealogist - Digital Magazine - Issue 12 - OUT NOW!

The next issue of the free digital magazine is available NOW!

You can read my Introduction post HERE and you can follow the column by visiting The In-Depth Genealogist website and subscribing via email or via twitter and Facebook.

This month's Across the Pond column is about the Survey into Life and Labour in London by Charles Booth

Happy reading & researching!

Prompt 20 - The Feeling of Home

I am a Surrey girl. I am very proud of my roots and the endless genealogical issues and repercussions of living within a specific area, the boundaries of Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex for about 300 years.

When I research my maternal line, it is quite simply a nightmare! with several surnames appearing more than once; such as ELLIS, DENYER, HARRIS, HOLT, BRIDGER, BUTCHER and even a GOACHER/GOUCHER! - My own Grandparents were 6th Cousins although they didn't know in their life times.

I have lived away from my native Surrey for about 17 years. I get that sense of giddy excitement of anticipation when I get to go "home", back to Guildford and the South East of England. In some ways it does seem very ridiculous that someone in their 40's can experience such a thing, but I really don't care! I have lived in Devon for 17 years, and never in a million years will the seaside town that is where I live feel like home. That is somewhat sad, but it is absolutely the truth.

As we make the journey, probably along the A303, back towards the south east, across eventually towards the A31, what the locals call the Hogs Back I know I am home when I see the Cathedral at Guildford. In a strange and yet similar way, the journey home, down the B3192 into Teignmouth with a clear view of the sea and neighbouring Shaldon, I get a feeling of I am near to my home and the kettle and the sad task of unpacking looms.


View Larger Map

What is stranger is that in the early 1990's I lived in a City in New South Wales, Australia. My initial visit was for a year and since then I have revisited my family there. I probably feel more comfortable and content in Wagga Wagga than I do where I actually live, which for me, indicates that home is not just a physical structure, but a collection of emotions and people. A feeling of inclusiveness, contentment and safety.

Desk Ramblings.....(17)

The last five weeks with Mum in hospital has been full of mixed emotions. I have felt everything from fear, weary, scared, anxious, worry, joy,exhaustion and no doubt a few others that I can not remember.

I have always been quite close to my Mum,  We have often during the course of a week experienced a variety of conversations. From the long to the quick and snippy plus emails.Regardless of that, I always forget to mention something and I have a "Mum list" in my notebook!

For much of the last five weeks, Mum has been unable to be bothered to talk on her mobile. She is hopeless at texts so we have managed with a few  brief conversations. I miss our usual routine of chatter. About a week or so ago I heard Mum ask one of the nurses who was looking after her if her Mum was alive. The nurse replied that her mother was. I thought it was just curiosity; and perhaps it was. Then Mum said, that her Mum had died 16 years ago and that she missed her everyday.

I sat with Mum as she drifted off to sleep and pondered with the realisation that I always pick up the phone and chat with Mum. The regular mother and daughter conversations and much more. Now I was suddenly aware that Mum no longer has that with my Grandmother and I guess that no matter how old you are, we all want our Mum's (or our equivalent) when things are tough. That basic instinct to return to the safe and secure.

How many of us though, take our Mum's for granted? How many times have I thought in the last few weeks, "oh Mum will know that". A question I have been forced to contemplate, somewhat reluctantly is, what about when Mum is no longer able to be asked? It is a sobering and depressing thought and yet somewhat inevitable at some point.

What I have shared with Mum over the last few weeks is comments, thoughts and good wishes sent to Mum from friends and family across the globe. Much of it thanks to social media. I shared the fact that some friends have mentioned Mum in prayers and some people have lit candles for her. It raised a smile when she responded with the question of was it greedy if the prayers and candles continued? I reassured her it was not!

Mum and I, along with my husband have been truly touched with the wishes, prayers, candles and messages. It has meant a great deal to us.

We can not thank you enough.

Society Saturday - The Guyana / British Guiana Genealogical Society

Today I am going to highlight a society that is new to me and I stumbled across, quite by chance.

Image courtesy of the The Guyana /
British Guiana Genealogical Society

The Guyana / British Guiana Genealogical Society formed in 2005.

It is completely free to join and is totally reliant on volunteer assistance with the Society. Sadly, the newsletters have stopped due to the workload and lack of support, but the Society does offer free membership and in order to take advantage of the free membership, all that you need do is register and post a message on the Forum. This is also free to join.

I do not believe that I have any particular ancestry in the region, but that said I have stumbled across several individuals from collateral lines that have popped up where I did not expect them to be. Furthermore, as I am also undertaking two one name studies, for the surnames of Orlando and Worship I find references in all manner of places and documents.

A quick read of the forum revealed an interest in at least two surnames that are registered with the Guild of One Name Studies.

There are numerous transcriptions, sources and other links to explore and I think this is certainly worth exploring if you potentially have ancestors in the region.

Book of Me, Written by Me, Prompt 20

Today is week 20 of what is going to be a 15 month project. Each Saturday, at around 12.30am UK time I will release the prompt for that week's Book of Me, Written by You.

If you are new here, welcome! The details, background flyer and Face Book link to the Book of Me can be found HERE. 

This week's prompt is  - The feeling of home

Home means different things to different people, so this week we are going to explore what it means to us

• What does it feel like?
• How do you recognise it?
• What makes it home - people, place, time

52 Ancestors:# 2 - Daniel Brown (1812 - 1869)

No Story Too Small

This post is for week 2 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Crow from No Story Too Small.

You can read the list of my posts HERE

Daniel Brown was married to the sister of my Great, great, great Grandmother Prudence Budd.

Courtesy of Ancestry - Parish Records Puttenham Surrey
13th October 1839

The marriage was witnessed by Prudence and her husband George Ellis and they both signed their names with the X indicating that they could not read or write, or certainly not well enough for such an occasion.

Daniel and Rosanna made their life in Puttenham where they raised a family of eight children between 1835 and 1857. Their eldest child, a daughter called Emma was born 4 years before they married in 1839.

In this period, a marriage could take place if there was parental consent before the age of 21 years. At the time of the marriage Rosanna was 25 years old, so perhaps there was not consent from Rosanna's father Richard which might explain the delay in the marriage. Moreover, perhaps it also explains why the marriage was witnessed by her sister and brother in law.

In the burial records for Puttenham I came across the burial of Daniel Brown who took his own life and was buried in January 1869. He was 55 years old.

What I like especially about this record is the note at the side of the entry, with the handwritten finger pointing downwards to the bottom of the page, with the explanation of the amendments that were made for this burial.

Courtesy of Ancestry - Parish Records Puttenham Surrey Burials 1868 & 1869

Actions to do:

1. Inquest data
2. Newspaper  (Surrey Advertiser)
3. Follow the family post 1869 to see if there were repercussions to the family post Daniel's death

Society Saturday - Society for One-Place Studies

Last week I announced my thoughts for Society Saturday, so first up is the Society for One-Place Studies.

I was approached in the late Spring of 2013 and asked if I would be prepared to get involved? Well of course I would, as I believed that such a Society was much needed and long overdue within the genealogical and local history arenas.

Image courtesy of the Society for One-Place Studies

The Society formed back in September 2013. It has a truly global focus, both in terms of membership and the location of the registered One Place Studies. The committee is spread across three continents.

The Society exists to promote best practice, share ideas, sources and debate with other like minded historians. That is of course not all and further details can be found on the Societies web page

The Society truly has embraced the modern age. Members can benefit by the Society forum, access to Destinations the quarterly digital newsletter and the growing list of resources. Meanwhile, everyone can read and comment on the Society blog and can take part in the monthly hangouts which are hosted using Google.

In early December the Society hosted a Google hangout with the discussion of "Choosing Your Place"



The Society will be hosting regular monthly hangouts taking part on the fourth Friday of the month from January 2014.

The Society has launched a World War One Centenary Project which encourages historians with specific place study to explore the community and the lives of those individuals who contributed to the war effort.

The Society for One-Place Studies is available across a variety of social media channels - Face Book, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Blog and the Website.

Book of Me, Written by Me, Prompt 19

Today is week 19 of what is going to be a 15 month project. Each Saturday, at around 12.30am UK time I will release the prompt for that week's Book of Me, Written by You.

If you are new here, welcome! The details, background flyer and Face Book link to the Book of Me can be found HERE. 

This week’s prompt is –  Who Do You Miss?

Having just gone through the Festive season our thoughts turn to those not with us. 

• Whether that is people who live elsewhere and that we will not see over the festive season
• People that have passed away.

• Who do y0u miss?
• Why do you miss them?
• Them as an individual
• Something specific to them

New Beginnings

Earlier today the Worldwide Genealogy Blog went live. How exciting is that? Since my reminder post of a few days ago two more genealogical authors have joined us in this genealogical blogging adventure.

If you want to keep up with our daily posts, then you can subscribe to the blog by clicking HERE and if you want to see who is currently taking part then click HERE. If you want to take part then click HERE

52 Ancestors:# 1 ~ Mary King nee Budd (1744 - 1817)

No Story Too Small

This post is for week 1 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Crow from No Story Too Small.

You can read the list of my posts HERE

Mary King nee Budd was the sister to my several times Great Grandfather, Richard Budd. Mary was born in Puttenham Surrey in 1744 the youngest of 8 children born to Henry Budd and his wife Martha Otway.

Mary married John King in Puttenham in 1767 and together John and Mary raised a family 10 children (9 girls and 1 boy). Each of their offspring spent time in India and have over the years given me a huge amount of insight into the lives of women at this period of time.

John King died in 1803 and Mary died in 1817. From what I can establish at the moment, John did not leave a will.

Courtesy of Ancestry - Parish Records Puttenham Surrey Burials 1817

Recently Ancestry has published the Probate records and a quick search revealed that Mary left a will when she died.

Courtesy of Ancestry - Probate Record 1817

Courtesy of Ancestry - Probate Record 1817

Actions

1. Transcribe the will of Mary
2. Search for will of John King (again)
3. Explore the residence at time of death - Tooting which is London
4. The will indicates that Mary was living with her daughter Lucy who married Richard William Eastwick
5. By the time Mary King died her only son had predeceased her, within a year of this will being made, yet Mary had not made a new will.

Happy New Year!

With the weather here in the UK typically miserable, we have as we have got older and (wiser?) stopped going out on New Years Eve, opting for a quiet family affair.

This year with Mum still in hospital, a new year full of promise starts full of concern and worry and a fair amount of contemplation. We did opt to stay in, we watched the fire works at London and rang Australia to talk to my family who are so very dearly missed.

Here are the fireworks from a cold, wet and windy London.



And from my home and family to yours Happy New Year. May 2014 be everything you wish for.