Blog

What is this blog about?

Welcome to my home, my family history and genealogy blog. Here, you’ll discover practical guidance for researching your family tree and connecting with both living relatives and historical ancestors.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or revisiting an existing family tree, this blog will help you:

  • Navigate the exciting journey of genealogical discovery
  • Build comprehensive family connections
  • Verify existing research and uncover new branches

Family history research is surprisingly straightforward once you begin. It often starts with a simple spark of curiosity—that lightbulb moment when you realise you want to understand your  family heritage and discover where you came from.

My own genealogical journey began with this same curiosity, and through sharing my experiences and research methods, I hope to inspire and guide you on your own path of discovery.

Every family has stories waiting to be uncovered. Your ancestors’ lives, struggles, and triumphs are part of your heritage, and this blog will show you how to piece together those fascinating family narratives.

Beyond simply collecting names and dates, I’ll guide you through the art of storytelling—bringing your ancestors to life by adding historical context to their stories. This approach transforms dry genealogical data into vivid family histories that truly honour your heritage.

Ready to begin? Let’s embark on this rewarding journey of family discovery together.

  • Census Records.

    I previously gave a glimpse into Census Records in my blog “Filling the Gaps – Part One.” which was published on 21 April 2023. What is a census? The Collins dictionary states: “A census is an official survey of the population of a country that is carried out in order to find out how many Read more

  • Scottish Naming Conventions.

    When looking at Scottish records, you will come across some interesting names. You would have seen this in my blog “Adding Context” published on 7 February 2023. I use this in my example below. If you have not come across any Scottish ancestors, you may be wondering what this is all about. Basically, middle names Read more

  • IGI.

    What is the IGI? IGI stands for the International Genealogical Index. What did it consist of? It was a database showing genealogy records from various sources and usually covered birth, marriages & some deaths plus baptisms or christenings. Who produced it? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints produced it. Why was it produced? Read more

  • 1855 Scottish Certificate.

    Death. Cathrine Nicol, my fourth great-grandmother died in 1855 at Newfargie in the parish of Arngask, in the County of Fife. I will be writing more about Catherine later. Excitement. How could I be excited about a death? Don’t get me wrong, it is a sad time – any death is… My excitement was because Read more

  • Names.

    What’s in a name? We all have one. How we got our name can be interesting or even boring! Are you named after your mother or father or is it your grandparents or is your name one of those that was the flavour of the time? Similar. When doing family history research, one will come Read more

  • Filling the Gaps – Part Two.

    Continuing on from Filling the Gaps – Part One, where we discovered the use of Census records, 1939 Register, BMD Certificates, Directories & Electoral rolls. Previously. As discussed, the list is not in any specific order.  I will briefly give you some ideas on how to fill in gaps in your research or if you Read more