We watch our fair share of movies and television. We often find ourselves watching period pieces like Downton Abbey, maybe a Jane Austen or Charles Dickens story. Our tastes are not limited to England. We like shows and movies from all over the world, though again they’re often from periods past. Lately, in my leisure reading, I tend to read similar story types.
Before I began formal university studies in genealogy and family history research I took degrees in anthropology and history. I studied and wrote about culture. I taught the same at the college level for several years. Now we travel a lot. Actually I’m writing this post on my phone right now as I sit in a room in Orlando, Florida. But as we travel around our country, the US, as well as the other parts of the world we’re lucky enough to see, we frequently seek local experiences with cultural elements such as restaurants, drinks, language exposure, local sports and festivals, local industry and technology, and other cultural immersion opportunities.
These same aspects of life and living are the flavor of our existence, and of course, they were for our ancestors, too. Our historical narratives include the types of information that flesh out life. These are stories of your family, narratives. Historical context is key to presenting the world in which your ancestors lived. We fill in the knowns and perhaps some of the unknowns that often drove, but also guided, the lives of people, your ancestors, pretty juch wherever and whenever they lived.
Family history narratives go well beyond typical genealogical reporting and charts. They are a form of creative non-fiction. We use all the tools in the genealogical toolbox including but not limited to:
- Genealogical records like births marriage and death certificates, burials and baptisms, civil and ecclesiastical records.
- Verified family stories
- Maps
- Photos both family and historical
- Local history and how people were affected by regional, national, and world history
- Historical weather data
- Local arts and music
- Gazeteers
- Newspapers
- Directories
Histories
Local history is found in many places. Here we have books specifically about the areas where my paternal ancestors are from. Two such books are
The larger area, the county, is covered in A History of Somerset by Robert Dunning. Town history is found in Radstock & Midsomer Norton Through Time by Lorna Boyd. radstock-midsomer-norton.jpg This is a book that includes photos and explanations. Some of the photos are then and now comparisons.
Maps
Different kinds of maps provide all sorts of valuable information. We use many different maps and map tools. Family Search has an interactive map with several overlay options as can be seen in the image at the top of this article. The Genealogist has Map Explorer. It is an incredibly useful tool with layers showing data from Ordnance Surveys and other datasets.
Photos
Photos can be found in several places including most of the online genealogy services like ancestry.com. One collection UK, City, Town and Village Photos, 1857-2015, contains "photographs of almost every city, town and village in Great Britain, with some coverage of other countries including Ireland."
Maps, photos, histories are relatively common for many areas around the globe. It is not unlikely that there is coverage of the place where your ancestors lived.
Our family history narratives capture the life and times of your ancestor in a creative work of non-fiction that is enjoyable to read and share. Your ancestor’s narrative might read something like an historical novel, maybe even Austen.
Let us know if we can help you
If you need any help finding your ancestors or writing your narrative, just let us know.
