Z is for…….. Posted 30 April 2017 by Julie GoucherWe may have reached the end of the alphabet, but those of us with One-Name Studies will probably never get to the end of them! There is always something new to discover either at an archive, a library, a collection or record set digitised by the large genealogical organisations. We do have a number of members who are studying a surname with few descendants, meaning that at some point in the future the surname will die out. With the Guild’s various preservation options there is a way of ensuring that the research does survive into the future for genealogists and historians to enjoy. Do you have a surname in your genealogy that might die out? Why not leave a comment.
Y is for You and the Guild Posted 29 April 2017 by Peggy ChapmanNo matter where you are in the world, you can make 2017 the year where you become an active member in the Guild. What does an active membership mean? It doesn’t necessarily mean that you become a Committee volunteer, or attend every seminar, or write articles in the Journal. We all have different levels of time and energy available and going from passive to active status can be as small a step as reviewing the wiki to see what you are missing. You may not be following the Facebook page and decide to start. Take advantage of the knowledge base that is available to you as you progress in your study. Perhaps you would like to take on a DNA project but feel intimidated by the entire process. There are DNA experts, DNA information sources, and services to help you. Have you given some thought to how to preserve your study? An entire team of skilled and helpful volunteers can support you to set up a website through the Guild project. At the very least, take some time to review the website and I guarantee you will find information or a membership benefit of which you were not aware. It is true that if you live in Vancouver, Brisbane, or Chicago, there may not be a seminar in your region. The geography of some countries means there is not a cluster of members in a given area. As the membership grows internationally, and as technology allows the means to engage regardless of location, opportunities to participate in webinars, watch online presentations given at seminars, and ask questions on Facebook or in a forum, enhance the membership experience. Your regional representative may not live in the neighbourhood but can be a liaison on your behalf. They are easily accessed through email or perhaps there is a closed Facebook group for your area. Get the most from your membership – explore the topics that have been introduced in these posts and add to your one-name tools!
X is for…….. Posted 27 April 2017 by Julie GoucherRecord from the Surrey History Centre – marriage of Samuel Harris (Holt) to Sarah Diggins 1787 Frensham Surrey England There is something very exciting about seeing a document that one of your ancestors saw, signed and perhaps touched. The image shown here on the left is of my several times Great Grandfather marrying in Frensham, Surrey England in 1787. What is interesting to me is that it shows Samuel marrying, using the maiden name of his mother, which was Harris. Samuel was illegitimate and was the subject of a Bastardy Bond as the parish tried to chase down his father to extract money for the child’s upkeep. Samuel’s mother was rather shrewd. She baptised Samuel with the father’s surname which was Holt. She also used the surname of Holt for the Bastardy Bond. His mother subsequently married another man, but Samuel retained the surname of his mother. Following the lines downwards until I reached the birth of my Great Grandmother, who had the surname of Harris purely by fate, it was my Great Grandmother, whose knee I sat on as a little girl and the moment I saw her name on a census return, herself as a little girl I was hooked on my family history. The moral of this post is to say we need to examine everything we read in documents, because sometimes, things are not as they appear……and the link to X…? Samuel signed his marriage record with X as he could not write. The surnames of Diggins, Harris and Holt are not registered with the Guild, but one of our members does have an interest in the surname of Harris. If you search the Guild website, using the search box on the top right for the surname of Harris you can contact the Guild member who is researching the surname.
The Guild and The College of Arms Posted 27 April 2017 by Julie GoucherBadge of the York Herald. Image courtesy of the College of Arms. The Guild of One-Name Studies has been mentioned in the College of Arms April newsletter. In the newsletter, which can be read here is the announcement from the College on the appointment of Peter O’Donoghue as the Patron of the Guild. The newsletter also goes on to say that Peter has been featured in a recent episode of Who Do You Think You Are? USA and was at WDYTYA? Live earlier this month discussing the Danny Dyer episode.