Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings

Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings PDF Author: Ruth Alexandra Symes
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473855438
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Could your ancestors write their own names or did they mark official documents with a cross? Why did great-grandfather write so cryptically on a postcard home during the First World War? Why did great-grandmother copy all the letters she wrote into letter-books? How unusual was it that great-uncle sat down and wrote a poem, or a memoir? Researching Family History Through Ancestors' Personal Writings looks at the kinds of (mainly unpublished) writing that could turn up amongst family papers from the Victorian period onwards - a time during which writing became crucial for holding families together and managing their collective affairs. With industrialization, improved education, and far more geographical mobility, British people of all classes were writing for new purposes, with new implements, in new styles, using new modes of expression and new methods of communication (e.g. telegrams and postcards). Our ancestors had an itch for scribbling from the most basic marks (initials, signatures and graffiti on objects as varied as trees, rafters and window ledges), through more emotionally charged kinds of writing such as letters and diaries, to more creative works such as poetry and even fiction. This book shows family historians how to get the most out of documents written by their ancestors and, therefore, how better to understand the people behind the words.

Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings

Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings PDF Author: Ruth Alexandra Symes
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473855438
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Get Book Here

Book Description
Could your ancestors write their own names or did they mark official documents with a cross? Why did great-grandfather write so cryptically on a postcard home during the First World War? Why did great-grandmother copy all the letters she wrote into letter-books? How unusual was it that great-uncle sat down and wrote a poem, or a memoir? Researching Family History Through Ancestors' Personal Writings looks at the kinds of (mainly unpublished) writing that could turn up amongst family papers from the Victorian period onwards - a time during which writing became crucial for holding families together and managing their collective affairs. With industrialization, improved education, and far more geographical mobility, British people of all classes were writing for new purposes, with new implements, in new styles, using new modes of expression and new methods of communication (e.g. telegrams and postcards). Our ancestors had an itch for scribbling from the most basic marks (initials, signatures and graffiti on objects as varied as trees, rafters and window ledges), through more emotionally charged kinds of writing such as letters and diaries, to more creative works such as poetry and even fiction. This book shows family historians how to get the most out of documents written by their ancestors and, therefore, how better to understand the people behind the words.

Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings

Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings PDF Author: Ruth Alexandra Symes
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781473855465
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Could your ancestors write their own names or did they mark official documents with a cross' Why did great-grandfather write so cryptically on a postcard home during the First World War' Why did great-grandmother copy all the letters she wrote into letter-books' How unusual was it that great-uncle sat down and wrote a poem, or a memoir'Researching Family History Through Ancestors' Personal Writings looks at the kinds of (mainly unpublished) writing that could turn up amongst family papers from the Victorian period onwards - a time during which writing became crucial for holding families together and managing their collective affairs.With industrialization, improved education, and far more geographical mobility, British people of all classes were writing for new purposes, with new implements, in new styles, using new modes of expression and new methods of communication (e.g. telegrams and postcards). Our ancestors had an itch for scribbling from the most basic marks (initials, signatures and graffiti on objects as varied as trees, rafters and window ledges), through more emotionally charged kinds of writing such as letters and diaries, to more creative works such as poetry and even fiction.This book shows family historians how to get the most out of documents written by their ancestors and, therefore, how better to understand the people behind the words.

Cemeteries and Graveyards

Cemeteries and Graveyards PDF Author: Celia Heritage
Publisher: Pen and Sword Family History
ISBN: 1526702398
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
This comprehensive and fascinating guide from genealogist and historian Celia Heritage will prove indispensable for both local and family historians. A wide-ranging examination of historical and archaeological findings means that the book will also appeal to anyone with an interest in death and burial. Celia throws light on changing social attitudes to death and burial from pre-historic times to the modern day, investigates the origins and evolution of cemeteries and graveyards, and discusses the many different types of graves and memorials as well as looking at how memorial designs have changed. One chapter takes an in-depth look at the origins of the parish churchyard, while another looks at graveyards associated with nonconformist churches and institutions, including workhouses, asylums, hospitals and gaols. Celia details a wide range of online and offline sources that will help locate burials and memorials, also offering vital advice regarding good research practice. There is plenty of detail about less well-known genealogy sources such as records relating to re-interment, undertakers’ and stonemasons’ records, together with better known sources such as burial registers and memorial inscriptions. Throughout, there is a wide range of hands-on case studies which bring the subject to life and put it right into the hands of the researcher. This is far more than just genealogy, and Celia portrays this fascinating subject from the view of both historian and archaeologist.

Writing Your Family History

Writing Your Family History PDF Author: Gill Blanchard
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473841186
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 182

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Book Description
“Inspirational and very useful . . . quite literally packed with valuable tips and exercises and is almost a mini-course in writing your family history.”—Bedfordshire Family History Society Gill Blanchard’s practical step-by-step guide to writing a family history is designed for anyone who wants to bring their ancestors’ stories to life. She looks at ways of overcoming the particular problems family historians face when writing a family history—how to deal with gaps in knowledge, how to describe generations of people who did the same jobs or lived in the same area, how to cover the numerous births, marriages and deaths that occur, and when to stop researching and start writing. Her book provides examples to help readers find their own writing style, deal with family stories, missing pieces of information and anomalies. It also offers advice on key aspects of composition, such as adding local and social history context and using secondary material. The focus throughout is on how to develop a story from beginning to end. Exercises are a key feature of the text. There is guidance on the various formats a family history can take and how to choose the appropriate one, with examples of format and layout. Production and publishing are also covered—books, booklets, newsletters, websites, blogs and ebooks. “If you’re toying with the idea of writing a family history-themed book, whether it be for general publication or simply for family members, read this first and then take the plunge. Who knows, it could be a bestseller!”—Family Tree Magazine

A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Italian Ancestors

A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Italian Ancestors PDF Author: Lynn Nelson
Publisher: North Light Books
ISBN: 9781558704268
Category : Italian Americans
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This practical guide takes beginners step-by-step through the research process, and includes advanced tips for more experienced researchers. You'll learn general guidelines of genealogy that ensure success; how to use major American records such as census and naturalization records, ship passenger lists and passport applications; how to use minor American records such as family letters, church and cemetery records and newspapers; how to find Italian vital records - civil documents that record births, marriages and deaths; how to read the margin notations in Italian records to learn even more about your family; how to interview relatives; and how to make the most of every piece of information you uncover. This easy-to-use reference even includes information on Italian naming traditions, how to read foreign handwriting from hundreds of years ago, ingenious tips for using an English/Italian dictionary, and a letter-writing guide you can use to request data from Italian officials - in Italian!

Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Think You Are? PDF Author: Megan Smolenyak
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101163011
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
The companion how-to guide to the hit TV series-with advice for anyone starting their own genealogical search. In the groundbreaking NBC series Who Do You Think You Are? seven celebrities-Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmitt Smith, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, and Spike Lee-went on an emotional journey to trace their family history and discover who they really are, and millions of viewers caught the genealogy bug. With the official companion guide, anyone can learn how to chart their family's unique path. Featuring step-by-step instructions from Megan Smolenyak2, one of America's top genealogical researchers, this book offers everything readers need to know to start the journey into their past, from digging through old photos, to finding the best online resources.

If You Find This Letter

If You Find This Letter PDF Author: Hannah Brencher
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476784108
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
"A ... memoir of love and faith from Hannah Brencher ... who has dedicated her life to showing total strangers that they are not alone in the world. Fresh out of college, Hannah Brencher moved to New York, expecting her life to look like a scene from Sex and the City. Instead, she found a city full of people who knew where they were going and what they were doing ... Lonely and depressed, she noticed a woman who looked like she felt the same way on the subway. Hannah did something strange--she wrote the woman a letter. She folded it, scribbled 'If you find this letter, it's for you...' on the front and left it behind. When she realized that it made her feel better, she started writing and leaving love notes all over the city ... [eventually sending 400 handwritten letters as a result of an Internet post and starting the website The World Needs More Love Letters]"--

What I Know Now

What I Know Now PDF Author: Ellyn Spragins
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0767929322
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
If you could send a letter back through time to your younger self, what would the letter say? In this moving collection, forty-one famous women write letters to the women they once were, filled with advice and insights they wish they had had when they were younger. Today show correspondent Ann Curry writes to herself as a rookie reporter in her first job, telling herself not to change so much to fit in, urging her young self, “It is time to be bold about who you really are.” Country music superstar Lee Ann Womack reflects on the stressed-out year spent recording her first album and encourages her younger self to enjoy the moment, not just the end result. And Maya Angelou, leaving home at seventeen with a newborn baby in her arms, assures herself she will succeed on her own, even if she does return home every now and then. These remarkable women are joined by Madeleine Albright, Queen Noor of Jordan, Cokie Roberts, Naomi Wolf, Eileen Fisher, Jane Kaczmarek, Olympia Dukakis, Macy Gray, and many others. Their letters contain rare glimpses into the personal lives of extraordinary women and powerful wisdom that readers will treasure. Wisdom from What I Know Now “Don’t let anybody raise you. You’ve been raised.” —Maya Angelou “Try more things. Cross more lines.” —Breena Clarke “Learn how to celebrate.” —Olympia Dukakis “You don’t have to be afraid of living alone.” —Eileen Fisher “Please yourself first . . . everything else follows.” —Macy Gray “Don’t be so quick to dismiss another human being.” —Barbara Boxer “Work should not be work.” —Mary Matalin “You can leave the work world—and come back on your own terms.” —Cokie Roberts “Laundry will wait very patiently.” —Nora Roberts “Your hair matters far, far less than you think” —Lisa Scottoline “Speak the truth but ride a fast horse.” —Kitty Kelley

Love, Bill

Love, Bill PDF Author: Jan Krulick-Belin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781480892897
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 566

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Book Description
Long before becoming a museum curator, author Jan Krulick-Belin curated memories, photographs, and mementos of her father who died when she was just six. Her mother rarely spoke about him again, until a year before her own death, when she gave Jan a box of one hundred love letters he had written her during World War II. Love, Bill chronicles the true story of Krulick-Belin's life-changing pilgrimage of the heart to find the father she thought she'd lost forever. The letters lead her on an extraordinary journey following her father's actual footsteps during the war years, leading to unexpected discoveries from Morocco to Paris to upstate New York. She learns about her parents' great love story, about the war in North Africa, and about the fate of the Jews in Morocco, Germany, and France. Love, Bill offers a testament to the enduring power of determination, love, family, and the unbreakable bond between fathers and daughters.

Trace Your Roots with DNA

Trace Your Roots with DNA PDF Author: Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
Publisher: Rodale Books
ISBN: 1609616162
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Written by two of the country's top genealogists, this is the first book to explain how new and groundbreaking genetic testing can help you research your ancestry According to American Demographics, 113 million Americans have begun to trace their roots, making genealogy the second most popular hobby in the country (after gardening). Enthusiasts clamor for new information from dozens of subscription-based websites, email newsletters, and magazines devoted to the subject. For these eager roots-seekers looking to take their searches to the next level, DNA testing is the answer. After a brief introduction to genealogy and genetics fundamentals, the authors explain the types of available testing, what kind of information the tests can provide, how to interpret the results, and how the tests work (it doesn't involve digging up your dead relatives). It's in expensive, easy to do, and the results are accurate: It's as simple as swabbing the inside of your cheek and popping a sample in the mail. Family lore has it that a branch of our family emigrated to Argentina and now I've found some people there with our name. Can testing tell us whether we're from the same family? My mother was adopted and doesn't know her ethnicity. Are there any tests available to help her learn about her heritage? I just discovered someone else with my highly unusual surname. How can we find out if we have a common ancestor? These are just a few of the types of genealogical scenarios readers can pursue. The authors reveal exactly what is possible-and what is not possible-with genetic testing. They include case studies of both famous historial mysteries and examples of ordinary folks whose exploration of genetic genealogy has enabled them to trace their roots.