Some questions to slip into the next family WhatsApp chat

Over the last fortnight, we have all become experts in working out how to use video chat with our family friends. We have shared a virtual drink, taken part in a pub quiz or just had a simple chat. But as the weeks go on, how do we keep up these great conversations? While, how about interviewing your family? Now before this takes on an unhealthy twist, of interrogating people over the amount of loo roll they use when visiting the bathroom, I am suggesting more that you ask some questions about your family history to help find out more about your family tree. This could be a great way of unlocking some interesting stories about your family that you didn't know. Recently, I found out that my dad had canoed, from Oxford, back to London after his school term had finished. There is a foundation of history in the people standing next to them - use it.

Here are some questions to get you going (these questions talk about your mum and dad, but equally could be used for grandparents, aunties, uncles etc...):

(1) Where and when were you born?

(2) What was your father's full name? Did he have a nickname?

(3) What was your mother's full name? Did he have a nickname?

(4) When and where did your parents marry?

(5) What work did your father do? Did you ever visit his workplace?

(6) Did your father/mother serve in the Army, Royal Navy or Royal Air Force?

(7) Did they receive any medals? Who has their medals?

(8) Do you have any photos of them?

(9) Did your parents ever talk about their own parents, perhaps their names, places of origins or their jobs?

(10) If family members are no longer living, when did they die and where are they buried?

(11) Do you have copies of old family documents like birth certificates, death certificates or their wills?

(12) What were the names of your brothers and sisters?

(13) Where and when were they born?

(14) Can you remember the family home when you were a child

(15) What school did you and your brothers/sister attend?

(16) Did the family attend a church, and if so which church?

(17) Do you have memories of other relatives

(18) Do you remember any family when you were young? Who was there and who was absent?

These are a selection to get yourself going. Sometimes it can be easier just to use one, and then let your interviewee talk about one area of their lives. If you think of other questions you can ask people, go for it? I have always been very inquisitive and, when I feel that I'm asking questions that are too personal, I just say you don't have to answer this but...

Finding your own history lessons

Finding your own history

As the reality of this week’s events starts to sink in, many families are facing the question one how to keep their children engaged with their studies over the new few months.  Whilst I am no teacher (although I loved playing teacher with my dolls back in the years before school, which is many moons ago), a thought came to my head for history lessons and using The British Newspaper Archive.

I’ll confess, I’m a geek when it comes to history, especially family history and I can spend hours reading about the past. And I know that kids aren’t going to want to take it to the level I sometimes do. However, getting them to engage in history might be easier if they are learning about people in their own family tree. Do they have relatives that fought in the war or royalty in their past? Perhaps relative fought in Culloden or emigrated to Australia. Family history can often open the door to understanding wider events in the world.

For myself, I was recommended The British Newspaper Archive by a dear friend as she knew how much research I was doing on my family tree and thought this might help fill in some of the blanks in my head. She wasn’t wrong. Since using the archive, I managed to find articles about my Great-Grandpa’s school days in Broughty Ferry, a wedding photograph of my Great Aunty and descriptions of what one of my Great-Grannies wore at social events. It is so interesting and it takes a simple historical date and puts more context around it.

If Family History is not your cup of tea, don't worry as that's the great thing about The British Newspaper Archive, you can research anything, be it the local football team you support or the village you grew up in. I’ve found articles about myself on the site and about my friends. 

Though not a free resource, it may be a great study aid for a home lesson during these months of uncertainty. If you want more information or a starter for ten, I would be happy to make some suggestions or pull some articles for you to get you started. 

The link to the British Newspaper Archive can be found here: https://bit.ly/2J6E1UY

What does your family tree look like?

Thinking of footsteps in your past?

Wondering what your family tree looks like?

Unsure of what should be your first move?

Then lets start a conversation 

The Battle of Jutland - finding Uncle Jake

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Family history and genealogy is a passion of mine that goes back years. I have been very fortunate that much research has been done on my father's side of family, Boxer, and having so much knowledge on who we are and where we came from is fascinating. However reading history is only half the fun. The other side is playing detective and trying to piece together family stories with family history; which is equally exciting. I have found houses that relations have lived in and schools that they have studied in; and suddenly the sense of belonging to a bigger world is overwhelming. What I am about to tell you below is a prime example of what makes researching family history so much more than reading history books.

Over the weekend, the national news has been full of stories about the 100 year anniversary of the Battle of Jutland, which took place on 31 May 1916. As the Boxer family have a long connection with the Royal Navy, there has always been something significant about this World War 1 Battle, but it is unclear of the role my Great Grandpa, Herbert Boxer, played at Jutland. However, over a cup of tea with my dad at the weekend, my dad said that he remembered family talking about an Uncle Jake who survived Jutland; but he wasn't sure as he had been told this about 50 years ago. This was a mystery that needed solving.

Once back in Edinburgh the trusted Family Tree folder came out and the hunt began. Dad knew that the relative in question was on the Boxer side rather than his mother's side. He was right. Having looked through the different branches of family, I had pin pointed the Woolhouse Family. Woolhouse is the maiden name of my Great Granny, Dorothy Boxer. My Great Granny was the youngest daughter of her generation and her older sister, Margaret Rose, had been married to two Royal Navy officers in her lifetime (she lived to be 100); Richard Hector Carter and Herbert Jackman. The Battle of Jutland was about to become very personal indeed.

Margaret Rose's first husband, Richard Hector Carter, was a paymaster in the Royal Navy and had married my Dad's Great Aunt in 1909. This is very significant for our family as my Great Grandpa was also a paymaster in the Royal Navy so the two sisters had married naval officers of similar rank within a year of each other. Without too much creative licence you can imagine that the sisters and their husbands were friends and shared the same network. Their older children were all born before the war in alternate years and there was a great family network there.

However, this was all to end abruptly as 100 years ago today Richard Hector Carter was on board HMS Defence at the Battle of Jutland, one of the 14 British ships that sunk during the battle. HMS Defence was fired upon by one German battlecruiser and four dreadnoughts as she attempted to engage a disable German light cruiser. She was struck by two salvoes from the German ships that detonated her rear magazine. The fire from that explosion spread to the ships's secondary magazine, which in turn exploded. There were no survivors.

When I read this yesterday, I was choked up as I realised that there is a family grave in the sea at Jutland and there are maybe more that I still don't know about. I once heard Simon Weston talk about the horrors of his experience in the Falklands; an account so vivid I could feel the flames. Due to this I hope that death was instant for Richard Hector and the rest of the crew as it doesn't bear thinking about what they might have suffered after being hit.

After finding all this out; I phoned my dad to tell him about this discovery and although we don't know, as yet, whether  Herbert Jackman also fought at  Jutland, there is a distinct possibility that when Dad was first told this story, he hadn't appreciated that he had two great uncles. I am a bit blown away by being able to discover all this information within a few searches and we can remember today's anniversary not just on the national level; but as an event that changed our family forever.