Discover Family History day

Saturday was the final day of a four day event organised by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Family History Society of Cheshire taking place in Astbury, Cheshire.

It was a drop-in workshop aimed at anyone already researching their family history or even those who are just thinking of starting.

I was one of two genealogists attending whilst others from the local history societies introduced beginners to the established websites such as Ancestry and Findyourpast.

It is thought-provoking to realise that many beginners subscribe to these sites fully expecting their whole family history to just fall out of the ether into their laps – and if grandfather Bert is not readily found, many are inclined to simply give up.

As anyone not new to genealogy knows, it takes a lot of effort and not a little knowledge to tease out information and make sense of it.

So, I met with several people, all with very interesting questions or matters they wanted resolved. I have to admit that it was unusual, not to mention nerve-wracking, to be tested so publicly but happily, virtually everyone I met went away with their problems resolved to their satisfaction.

Good day, enjoyed it – I’ll be back next year!