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FFHS. Public History: Participating with the past. Presented by: Roger Lewry (Archives Liaison Officer). The Federation of Family History Societies is a Company Limited by Guarantee Company Number 2930189 (England & Wales) - Registered Charity Number 1038721
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FFHS Public History: Participating with the past Presented by: Roger Lewry (Archives Liaison Officer) The Federation of Family History Societies is a Company Limited by Guarantee Company Number 2930189 (England & Wales) - Registered Charity Number 1038721 Registered Office: Artillery House, 15 Byrom Street, Manchester, England M3 4PF
Why study family history? • Intrigued by stories passed down within the family • Wanting to know what lies behind an unusual family name • Following up a contact from a previously unknown relative • Encouraged by growing popularity of family history as evidenced by TV programmes
Why turn into an amateur historian? • To satisfy curiosity • Is there any truth in the stories handed down? • Who were these people? • Where did their names come from? • Why did they die young? • To put flesh on the bones • What was going on at the time? • How did they live their lives? • What were their occupations? • Did they have leisure time?
What resources are helpful? • Living relatives! • Beginning with the oldest, talk to them • Birth, marriage, death certificates (from 1837) • Census records (every 10 years from 1841 to 1911) • Parish records (pre-1837 especially) • Wills • Newspapers (British Library collection) • Local History Centres • Record Offices • Museums and Libraries • Internet
What problems arise? • Memories are not reliable • The internet often contains transcribed data which may not be accurate • Newspaper accounts may not be accurate • Even BMD certificates may be incorrect • Census records, even originals, may not be true
How can museums help? • Add background information • Banbury museum has a timeline showing how the area developed over the past several hundred years • Where an area was known for a particular trade,tools and materials may be displayed • There may be examples of typical buildings from different periods; either photos, engravings or models • Living museums such as Blists Hill at Ironbridge and Beamish in County Durham bring to life bygone days • Specialist museums such as the British Postal Museum and Archive, National Railway Museum, etc can be invaluable
FFHS Public History: Participating with the past That’s All Folks The Federation of Family History Societies is a Company Limited by Guarantee Company Number 2930189 (England & Wales) - Registered Charity Number 1038721 Registered Office: Artillery House, 15 Byrom Street, Manchester, England M3 4PF