Putting Flesh on Bones

[Anig]

After you've looked in the two easiest places for basic family info (bmd and census), which other sites would you recommend for fleshing out families and their stories?  So far, mine seem to be a pretty unspectacular bunch and beyond the census and bmd records I'm unsure where to turn for potentially interesting snippets.  Recommendations and opinions greatly appreciated!

[PaulStaffs]

Aside from the net, living family is obviously the best place to flesh out your story. I've managed to contact several distant relatives via this forum and other places and they've added a wealth of interest to my tree. I've also determined to gather as much as I can from living rellies before it's too late - sounds a bit grim but 'once it's gone it's gone'!

Good luck and happy hunting!

[little meg]

Newspapers are a good source, they have really put flesh on bones for me.


Margaret

[family_tree_owl]

Hi

Margaret is right..

Does mean a bit of work using the old reel-reel machines at local library, etc...

1930-50s produced some notable local paper articles on weddings and funerals...

see 2 examples - one 1860s!

They might be 'ordinary folk' (as are mine) but every bit as magnificent as....

Dave

[gazania]

As well as newspapers I have found great background information from the church parish chest records, school records, local histories held in the nearest local library.  Also the records of the nearest genealogical society, history society and museum have been helpful even if a relative is not named.  Often the people associated with these societies have an interest and local knowledge about events which may have touched your relatives.

For example my g grandfather's saddler business suffered from a great flood and I found lots of photos and flood stories.  He also died from dengue fever ( break bone fever) and I have researched this epidemic.  Other relatives died in the Great flu epidemic of 1919 and so on. Happy hunting, Gazania.

[Vasquez109]

Would the records office hold local newspapers and such things? As my grandfather was highly decorated in WW2 and im hoping there might have been something in our local papers.

[Greensleeves]

Hi Anig
If you google the area and relevant names, you may well find all sorts of websites set up by people researching their relatives, and which may yield valuable information for you too.  I have found some brilliant sites for the Suffolk area which have given me a wealth of information.  There are also sites such as A2A (Access to Archives) which gives you (as the name says) access to historical archives for all over the country.  Various county record offices, too, have online records which you can search.  And then there are the 'family name' websites which, again, can give you some useful leads to follow.
Happy hunting!
Greensleeves

[jc26red]

in answer to Vasquez109, local newspapers are usually kept at the nearest large library.
Many libraries also have online search subscriptions i.e. The Times online, or the gale 19c newspapers.
I would check The Times online out for your grandfather, I'm sure if he was highly decorated it would be mentioned there! and do a google books, I recently told someone to try it and they found their grandfathers WW2 bravery awards within minutes where he couldn't find mention anywhere else!

I'm another fan of google books for adding flesh, though it does depend on the family. If they are just your average worker who never got themselves in the press, try googling the village/town to see what history and social background you can find.

[Vasquez109]

What exactly is google books? Never heard of it.