Since I covered YouTube in last week’s posting, I thought it appropriate to look further into what you may find through this avenue about locations where your ancestors once lived.
Now you may think this is a waste of time but you could be pleasantly surprised, like I was when I first tried it out. I will use examples of locations of my ancestors so you get the idea.
Examples.
I have provided three different examples and explained why I use them.
1. Dullingham, Cambridgeshire 2. Ludlow, Shropshire 3. Blo’ Norton, Norfolk
Dullingham, Cambridgeshire
When carrying out this location in my search I came across several videos of this small village. There was even one done by a distant relative. Also, a video on how to pronounce the village name!
Please acknowledge that you may also get results from people with this surname. A number of my ancestors lived in this village.
(Note: This screenshot was produced by “semw52”. It is titled “Dullingham St Mary, Cambridgeshire Visit by Sheila, ‘The Ancestors Were Here“. Dated: June 6, 2014)
Ludlow, Shropshire
With this search, I came across several videos where people had completed walks around the town. Ludlow has a castle, so there are many videos about it. British Pathe has a short, old video explaining Ludlow’s history and of course the castle – sadly no dates are shown.
One of my great-grandfathers was born here.
(Note: This screenshot is a Google search that shows a couple of videos. As stated, there are many to choose from.)
Blo’ Norton, Norfolk
I chose this village due to the unusual name. My grandfather was born in this village. It is a very small village situated on the Suffolk and Norfolk border. As you can imagine there are not many videos.
Others show the surrounding area where a number of my ancestors lived. So for me, it’s a win-win situation.
(Note: This screenshot is a Google search that shows a couple of videos.)
This is just three examples. You can imagine the visuals you may be able to view if you have the time to check out all the places that are shown in your family tree.
Rabbit Holes.
I have been very lucky to have visited my three example locations plus many more where my ancestors were born, lived, worked and died.
The videos reinforce my memories and of course, cause me to drop down into rabbit holes to spend hours looking at the other videos that show up. As I write this, on my TV (ah, via YouTube) I have a video showing someone in a churchyard talking about the headstones there and adding their own impressions. A side note on this person’s channel, I came across 110 videos of churches in Suffolk. I think this is something to come back to at another time.
For me, this is an additional source that brings one’s ancestors alive even if the videos are of a more current date.
Your Window.
Think about it, this is your window into the world of your ancestors’ lives, whilst you sit in the comfort of your own home. You never really know what you might find.
Explore & Discover.
Ancestor Family 