Author Topic: Who else has a website for their family history?  (Read 3839 times)

Offline m-1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 118
    • View Profile
Who else has a website for their family history?
« on: Saturday 14 January 12 17:23 GMT (UK) »
Hi all,

I've never used the common room before, so I hope this is the correct place to post!

A while back I started a family history website on WordPress which I've been working on ever since. I'm hoping it will live on for generations (not so sure this will happen).. but for now it is just used to keep my family informed of what I'm doing and also to keep track of what I've done! It has also proved just as handy as Ancestry in connecting me with cousins from around the world! I receive messages through it from people who share the same ancestry and it's something I didn't anticipate before setting it up (an added benefit if you will).

Here's the link: http://gargaro.wordpress.com/

Just wanted to get some opinions on it really, the layout, the content and accessibility. I had no blogging skills when I started and I didn't even know what WordPress was! Also I think my writing skills have improved over time too. Does anybody else have similar websites? I'd be interested to see them.

I just like to know what other people think and where I can improve. I have of course credited the users of Rootschat for helping me along the way in my acknowledgements page!! :P


Miles :)

Offline stonechat

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,682
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 14 January 12 17:58 GMT (UK) »
I have my site
http://www.cotswan.com

I don't know what Wordpress is - I use Frontpage

Bob
Douglas, Varnden, Joy(i)ce Surrey, Clarke Northants/Hunts, Pullen Worcs/Herefords, Holmes Birmingham/USA/Canada/Australia, Jackson Cheshire/Yorkshire, Lomas Cheshire, Lee Yorkshire, Cocks Lancashire, Leah Cheshire, Cook Yorkshire, Catlow Lancashire
See my website http://www.cotswan.com

Offline pinefamily

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,810
  • Big sister with baby brother
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 14 January 12 22:41 GMT (UK) »
Miles,
That is a good idea to use a blogging site as a FH site. It probably would give you more exposure  than a "proper" site, designed for the purpose.
I use tribalpages, and have found it easy to use. I have also had contact with various other researchers through my exposure on there.

Darren
I am Australian, from all the lands I come (my ancestors, at least!)

Pine/Pyne, Dowdeswell, Kempster, Sando/Sandoe/Sandow, Nancarrow, Hounslow, Youatt, Richardson, Jarmyn, Oxlade, Coad, Kelsey, Crampton, Lindner, Pittaway, and too many others to name.
Devon, Dorset, Gloucs, Cornwall, Warwickshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire, Wilts, Germany, Sweden, and of course London, to name a few.

Offline millymcb

  • Global Moderator
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • ********
  • Posts: 4,079
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 15 January 12 00:56 GMT (UK) »
I like it Miles...really easy to navigate and clear to read with some interesting content too.  I like the blog aspect of it. I might have a try at WordPress myself  :)


Milly
McBride (Monaghan, Manchester), Derbyshire (Bollington,Cheshire), Knight (Newcastle,Staffs), Smith (Chorley, Lancs & Ireland), Tipladay (Manchester & Yorkshire) ,Steadman (Madeley,Shropshire), Steele (Manchester,Glasgow), Parkinson (Wigan, Lancashire), Lovatt, Cornes & Turner (Staffs) Stott (Oldham, Lancs). All ended up Ardwick, Manchester
Census info is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline sue 1950

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 773
  • I've not edited my PROFILE yet
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #4 on: Monday 16 January 12 20:57 GMT (UK) »
Bob what a lovely website you have you should be very proud of all of that....Sue
Researching Dixon Dawson Wood Wilkinson Wackett from Lincolnshire (Caistor area) Ringrose Higgs Riddington Lord Burley from Leicester (Countesthorpe) Holmes Abbott Ringrose Motson from Beverley and Hull Leics. Fawcett Fenwick Hare Mareham Le Fen Revesby Horncastle Lincolnshire.

Offline IgorStrav

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,957
  • Arthur Pay 1915-2002 "handsome bu**er"
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #5 on: Monday 16 January 12 21:04 GMT (UK) »
Miles, that's a really good website, you should congratulate yourself.

I've just spent a happy few minutes reading about your researches, which you present in a very readable and accessible way!  :)
Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline TedDee

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 19
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #6 on: Monday 16 January 12 21:40 GMT (UK) »
Your research has quality and you should commend yourself on this.
A great idea, this could open up a world of comunication between countries which otherwise at present can be very difficult due to interpretaion for instance and authority control over records.

Well done!!!

Dee
Wren,Thomas,Lock,Burns,Hoy,Lambert,Troughton,Gomm,Munns,Collard,

Offline m-1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 118
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 18 January 12 15:36 GMT (UK) »
Hi everybody

Thank you so much for your replies and kind words, they really do mean a lot.

I've changed the layout over time to best suit what I want to get out of it. I can recommend Wordpress to others wishing to create similar style websites as it's quite easy to use and has a huge 3GB of storage. But where I believe it has the advantage over other platforms is the presentation. It has 177 themes to choose from which all make it look much more modern. (I'm starting to sound like a salesperson now!)

@Bob I really like your site, especially the pages with different occupational interests. I seem to have every tobacconist in south London in my family tree so I might have a go at compiling a list of them too! I tried to use a Google Map to pin point places in my family tree too but I wasn't sure how it would look so I didn't go ahead with it. After seeing yours I've definitely changed my mind. I made a places page too, hope you don't mind. I also like your family name write-ups on the introduction page. I tried to do this as well in a similar style but as soon as I'd write about a branch of my family, I ended up finding something else out and it would be out of date as soon as I'd published it.

@Darren I chose Wordpress after playing around with a few of the other sites such as Blogger and Tribalpages. The amount of storage won me over. I think Tribalpages has 10MB of storage and Blogger has 1GB. The design was a bonus too.

@Milly Thank you for your kind comments. I didn't think of using the blog as a separate part of the site until a few months ago when I split the pages and blog posts up, but I think it's worked quite well. Let me know if you do take up giving Wordpress a go. I look forward to reading it soon! Let me know if you want any help too :)

@Igor Thanks for reading them! When I looked back recently at some of my first blog posts, I had to go back and edit them as my writing was not so good even though it was not too long ago. I'm glad to see that my writing style has changed over the short space of time.

@Dee Thank you for your encouraging words, I think sometimes everybody needs a push and I've never had feedback on my site before so it really it appreciated. :)

Miles

Offline stonechat

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,682
    • View Profile
Re: Who else has a website for their family history?
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 18 January 12 16:53 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for the comments sue 1950 and mmiles1

When I started mine, apart from realising I had a lot a photos, it was a bit bald and too based on dates

So I have consciously tried to add some narratives and also accounts of the families of grandparents back to great great grandparents and some others.

Sometimes it is only when you try to do this you realise just how things were
E.g. in one both the parents died and the oldest son (my gt grandfather) has presumably already left home - probably learning mine management. The death of my gt gt grandfather was registered by his 15 year old son!

Writing the account really helps to ask the questions you should be asking
Douglas, Varnden, Joy(i)ce Surrey, Clarke Northants/Hunts, Pullen Worcs/Herefords, Holmes Birmingham/USA/Canada/Australia, Jackson Cheshire/Yorkshire, Lomas Cheshire, Lee Yorkshire, Cocks Lancashire, Leah Cheshire, Cook Yorkshire, Catlow Lancashire
See my website http://www.cotswan.com