Medieval Family History - taking the plunge...

[Keith Sherwood]

Lesanne,
Nothing further on the medieval scene, though I did have a wonderful time today courtesy of the Essex Record Office, who organised a free tour round that splendid medieval town, Saffron Walden, looking at all the Nonconformist Chapels.
Lovely talks in situ about the Baptists, The Quakers, the Unitarians, the Salvation Army, the Methodists - even the Roman Catholic Church, though they were a bit miffed to be included under the title of "Nonconformist".
Nothing earlier than the 17thC, though, so mustn't sabotage my own thread with more diversions...
keith

[Lydart]

I've taken the plunge, spent some money, and bought the book you recommended Keith ... I've already got one line back to 1550 ... but the rest   

Still, the book will provide interesting bedtime reading ... in fact, I might go to bed soon ...

[toni*]

i do not have anything constructive to add however i wondered if you haveever been to a medeival day - re-enactment type ting,?

they show how life was back then very well indeed, but a little advice don't take your OH with you if hes not interested all they do is groan and moan

[Keith Sherwood]

Lydart,
Hope you find the money well spent...
...and Toni, last time I went to a medieval re-enactment was at Scarborough Castle a few years ago - the hand to hand fighting was quite terrifying, though noisy enough to drown out any of those moans and groans!
keith

[Lydart]

Did you get any more ideas as to how to proceed further back than 1600, Keith ?



I've been to a Roman Legion re-enactment, and to a Civil War group ... but I suspect the medieval ones are more violent and noisy !

[Keith Sherwood]

Lydart,
Can't honestly say that I got very far with my own family medieval ancestry.  The best sources would have to be the ones I mentioned in passing on reply/post 46 on this thread...
Regards, keith

[behindthefrogs]

Medieval Family History is like doing a jigsaw puzzle from a pieces belonging to many puzzles.

Firstly you have to collect as many pieces as possible which might belong to your puzzle.  When you have enogh of these you eventually find some pieces which link together.  Eventually you find a key piece which links to your family or more often someone else's.

For my Edlin family I have a card index containing hundreds of unlinked pieces of information.  I have about fifty trees containing about three generations which don't link anywhere.  However I have managed to link about six of these to other peoples families.

David

[Lydart]

That's a very good way of describing it !

[MarieC]

For my Edlin family I have a card index containing hundreds of unlinked pieces of information.  I have about fifty trees containing about three generations which don't link anywhere.  However I have managed to link about six of these to other peoples families.

David

It always intrigues me to think that, once you get back to the Middle Ages, so many of us will be related in ways we hadn't ever considered!

MarieC