Category Archives: family history

What Discovery means to me.

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Amazing how fast these guest blog posts for GSQ come around. Each time I am left thinking ‘what will I write about this time’. This month’s choice is the word Discovery. When I talk about how fantastic Discovery is to my U3A genealogy students, they immediately think that I am talking about the Discovery television channel. Was that your first thought? Be honest. For me, Discovery is the amazing online catalogue of The National Archives (UK). It has so many … Continue reading

Convict Love Tokens – Inscriptions from the Heart.

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I wonder if you read the heading above and thought as I did many years ago; “what is a convict love token?” It was just over 5 years ago when I received a phone call from Paul and although I cannot recall our exact conversation, the reason he was phoning me was to ask if I might be able to find out the original owner, or rather inscriber, of a convict love token he had purchased at an auction.  At … Continue reading

An Edwardian Superstar.

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Researching Mr & Mrs W E Gardner was never dull. One moment I was in the dangerous world of intrepid World War 1 pilots and the next I was barrelling along a speedway with glamorous lady racing drivers. In early 1918, Victoria Alice Guest married Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot William Edward Gardner in Kent, England. On his arrival in Australia in 1923 to join the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) he was a widower. Who was Victoria Alice Guest … Continue reading

Advancing puzzles with the 1921 census.

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By Mia Bennett. One of the most eagerly anticipated record sets coming soon is the 1921 census of England and Wales.  Taken 100 years ago on 19 June 1921, it is due for release in early 2022 once the 100 year rule has run out.  Findmypast won the contract from The National Archives to digitise the 1921 census and have recently released an update with confirmation that they are still on target for an early 2022 release.  Read more about … Continue reading

Celebrations of Space: the Irish History and Society series

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By Jennifer Harrison. Following the wonderfully successful Irish seminar GSQ conducted in October 2020, it occurred to me that members might benefit from knowledge of a series of books currently in production in Dublin which provide wonderful contextual material for those researching individual counties.  Since 1985 Geography Publications have produced substantial volumes under the collective title of History and Society.  Each book ranging between 500 and 1000 pages examines an individual county.  By the end of 2020 with the issue … Continue reading