2020… I’ve never been feeling more at home.

 

In a year that’s seen my pjs wear out and my garbage bin go out more than I have. I feel it's been a mixed blessing. More time to research, chillout, explore new habits and hobbies, take on projects.

Here’s a round up of the Positives of family history journey 2020.

An elusive ancestor found.  Where did Emily Purcell come from? Still don’t know but we found her step father and step siblings  on the Barnado’s records for her children as next of kin.   Tiny steps…

A great newspaper article found. Actually I didn’t find it  as it found me. A lovely lady transcriber from Devon, UK sent me an interesting article she had just transcribed. She followed it up with the whole family saga. Another story of poverty, slums, child mortality, ill health, alcoholism and strength in adversity for children of the whole sorry tale. Mary Elizabeth Pengelly 

A Geneajourney I took. Who went anywhere? Besides researching and following up on my trips to Edinburgh and Ferniehurst Castle in 2019. I developed a few theories and I have lists of places to explore soon.

The Kerrs of Ferniehurst…finding the links to the UlsterScots

Tracking Down the Edinburgh Relatives 

An important record found.  More importantly a record that was shared and an email I followed up on at the start of Covid. This began a collaboration with other reseachers trying to piece together an untold story of 24 WWI POW tunnelers who escaped from Schweidnitz Pow camp on 17^th March 1918.  Continuous emails, photos and records in the inbox all hours of the day and night from 4 countries. I felt loved and I had a project to keep me busy.

A newly found family member shared….In cleaning up my records for my GG grandfather’s sister Elizabeth Kerr something told me to do a record search under the name of Revington (her first married name) Up popped an additional seven children not previously known about who were born (and died) by different fathers between censuses. Unfortunately, most died in early weeks or before 5 years old- victims of childhood illness, poverty and cold.   Deserted wives had it tough. Only her first and last child were to legitimate husbands. A further child was known about.  Had to share this incredible story which came about through an angel nudge to do a search. Elizabeth Lizzy Kerr Revington

 

A blog I was particularly proud of has breed. It’s become a blog of its own.  After becoming part of the POW research group I researched the Australian/ NZ POWs involved. As ANZAC Day approached I wrote a short post on each of them. Anzac Daytribute- Schweidnitz POWCamp https://schweidnitzpowcampwwi.blogspot.com/2020/10/anzac-day-2020-remembering-schweidnitz.html

 The blog was shared to spark new interest. This became an explanation to new comers to the research and project and then became the beginning of a standalone Blog called……... Now I’ve got enthusiastic writers standing in line to tell the story of their relatives, shared POW camp photos and the story of the escape.  From little things big things grow. Schweidnitz POW escapes and Escapades 

 

A new piece of technology mastered……In a year of staying at home new technology was flying at us. I’ve improved my skills at Dropbox, Zoom, Messenger, Snip tool, Excel and more.

My Heritage introduced me to a “colouriser” App and Family Search got me in with a tool for comparing faces on photos.

I became the expert on e-commerce for my Rotary group … just sayin’

I signed up to The National Archives (UK)  and uploaded lots of records for free. One sunny side of Covid.

A Geneaevent/ blogpost  I learnt something new from.  Thankyou to all those who arranged webcasts and podcasts sharing news and information on DNA, Ancestry, search techniques and Australian records. I always loved joining in and feeling the rlove from other enthusiasts.  

A DNA discovery I made.  Ancestry changed our ethnicity again in July 2020

Steve      45%                        English                         26%          Robyn                                              

                 28%                        Ireland                         24%

                 19%                       Scotland                       36%

                   8%                        Wales                              3%

                   2%                       Norway                        11%                                                                                                                                                                                     

Wait- where did that Scotland and Wales come from for Steve?  Curiouser and curiouser!

I taught a geneamate to put together his tree and begin his DNA journey. As far as I can see the only way we are connected is that one of my husband’s DNA matches put him on to me “ as you both live in Australia”

…….and I introduced my sister to Ancestry.com. 

Really, she was just checking on my findings and within minutes she said “ I see why you got addicted!”

A brickwall I demolished…. Earlier this year a person contacted me because I had “a person of interest” on my tree. Stories of bigamy, remarriage, another desertion followed after a collaborative effort of finding records in England, Scotland and Australia. Then I remembered I had her half cousins’ email addresses. It might not have ended well…. Yes there were tears and trepidation but  photos and memories have been exchanged.

I discovered a new site full of free records.  If you’ve got POW relatives from WWI you’ve got to look up the records in the International Committee of the Red Cross. Learn all about prisoner transfers, accounts, prisoner letters etc.  Grandeguerre.icrc.org  

2020 was a good time for reading…. I read books about POW escapes, prisoner exit interviews and even one about Hugenots. 

 

My favourite books were the two volumes of my blogs which my wonderful daughters had published for Mothers Day. All my researched stories in print!  Its impressive and a great read even if I do say so myself.

It was finally exciting to “meet” Suzie  a mysterious Murphy cousin from Chicago. We hooked up courtesy of a great phone plan for a couple of hours talking about all things Murphy, DNA, Covid and what an idiot Trump is. 

 

To finish off the year my POW research group had a transglobal drinks session via Messenger. Genealogy done differently. Different time zones meant we met (simultaneously)on different days of the week and different times of the day. The Southern researchers from Australia and NZ had to content ourselves with morning coffee while the others got to drink Whiskey and red wine.

Looking ahead In a year when museums, libraries and research centres were closed we didn’t do too badly. Travel was abandoned and the world slowed down and reassessed. Hopefully this year my family and extended family took time to refocus and chill out.

I missed interactions and dinners with kids and grandkids but hopefully the “houseparty games”, scavenger hunts, Messenger events, and extra phone calls have created memories.

Hopefully there are no new little people to add to the tree called “rona” ” tina”  or “iso”