Friday, 14 August 2015

I was thrilled recently received a reply to a plea on this site.  The person said that the person I was asking about was one of his 1C4Rs (!). Never heard of that so looked it up and below what I found.  So his 1C4R - is 1st cousin 4 times removed.

Common Progenitor:
The closest ancestor two people have in common is their common progenitor.
For example: you and your sister have your parents as your common progenitor.  (You also have your grandparents and great-grandparents in common, but for these purposes, we are concerned only with your closest common ancestor). 
Another example: the common progenitor of you and your first cousin is one of your grandparents.


Removed:
When we speak of a cousin being “once removed”, we are referring to the number of generations removed.
For example: Your father's first cousin is your “first cousin once removed” — You are one generation away (“removed”) from the first-cousin relationship.
Another example: Your grandfather's first cousin is your “first cousin twice removed” — You are two generations away from the first-cousin relationship.

Relationship Chart:

 0123456
0CPSGSGGS2GGS3GGS4GGS
1SBNGNGGN2GGN3GGN
2GSN1C1C1R1C2R1C3R1C4R
3GGSGN1C1R2C2C1R2C2R2C3R
42GGSGGN1C2R2C1R3C3C1R3C2R
53GGS2GGN1C3R2C2R3C1R4C4C1R
64GGS3GGN1C4R2C3R3C2R4C1R5C

  • CP = Common Progenitor
  • S = Son or Daughter
  • B = Brother or Sister
  • N = Nephew or Niece
  • C = Cousin
  • #R = Times Removed
  • GS = Grandson or Granddaughter
  • GGS = Great-grandson or Great-granddaughter


For more information, see: http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/related.htm

Friday, 17 July 2015

Were any of your ancestors criminals?  What constituted criminals in those days perhaps may not be now ....

1.9 million historic criminal records published 

online for the first time

Volume containing prisoners' records (catalogue reference HO 140/113)


See: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/1-9-million-historic-criminal-records-published-online-for-the-first-time/

Sunday, 12 July 2015

What happens when a photoshop expert breathes new life into a photo: an interesting video is on this link: https://youtu.be/vcriltNQMfI
http://www.trendzified.net/joaquin-villaverde/

I've just been sorting out a large art folder and found these paintings which I'd never seen before.  These are some of the paintings executed by my father, John WH Smale (1919 - 2006).
















Friday, 10 July 2015

Find archive footage of your postcode

As part of its current Britain on Film season, the BFI has produced an interactive ‘film map’ (see link below) that allows you to search for archive videos made in your local area. Tap in your postcode and the site brings up any films it has related to said location.
The collection ranges from 1895 to the present day and includes adverts, newsreels, government-made films, TV shows and movies, as well as the world’s earliest home movies dating back to 1902.
London is particularly well represented, though it has to be said that the search can yield fairly broad results at present — better to think in terms of larger areas like the East End or the City rather than your local launderette. The project is in its early stages but has grand ambitions to grow the current catalogue of 2,500 digitized archive films to 10,000 by 2017.
Ultimately the aim is so create a huge interactive library that will offer instant insights into the past and easy access to a rich variety of material once locked away in warehouses and dusty attics. The BFI is keen for the public to get involved too, so the collection can expand further.

http://londonist.com/2015/07/find-archive-film-footage-of-your-postcode.php?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=Londonist&utm_content=Find%20Archive%20Film%20Footage%20Of%20Your%20Postcode

Thursday, 9 July 2015

Irish Catholics can now trace their anestry back to as far as the 1740s


Irish Catholics can now trace ancestry online back to 1740s

Almost 300 years of parish registers to be made available by National Library of Ireland

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys will  launch online the entire collection of Catholic parish register microfilms with Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys will launch online the entire collection of Catholic parish register microfilms with Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
 
People of Irish Catholic ancestry will be able to trace their origins back almost 300 years online from Wednesday.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys will officially launch online the entire collection of Catholic parish register microfilms held by the National Library of Ireland (NLI).
Involved are more than 370,000 digital images of the microfilm reels on which the parish registers are recorded and which will be accessible free of charge.
These parish register records are considered the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 census. Dating from the 1740s to the 1880s, they cover 1,086 parishes throughout the island of Ireland, and consist primarily of baptismal and marriage records.
The NLI has been working to digitise the microfilms for more than three years under what is described as its most ambitious digitisation programme to date.
Ciara Kerrigan of the NLI said: “We . . . received a hugely enthusiastic response from people worldwide with an interest in Irish family history.”
Further information is available at registers.nli.ie.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/irish-catholics-can-now-trace-ancestry-online-back-to-1740s-1.2276916

Monday, 6 July 2015

Obituary of my mother, who died in January 2012

Dorothy Smale (1922 – 2012)



I am one of the many fortunate people who have had ‘the best parents in the world’.  I say parents, because no eulogy about Dorothy would be complete without mentioning Jack, her late husband, work partner and companion for over 56 years.

The eldest of three daughters, Dorothy was born at Loftsholme Farm, Howden, in the former East Riding of Yorkshire, and had a happy childhood.  When called up during the War, she trained as a State Registered Nurse, working in Leicester and London. But it was whilst working in Leeds that she met her future husband, sitting next to him on a coach trip home to Scarborough.  Jack was a fisherman from Devon who was up in Leeds collecting a new diesel engine for the family’s boat. 

The couple began married life living with the rest of the family on a converted Brixham Trawler, moored opposite Plymouth, and it was whilst living there that I was born.

When Jack damaged his back fishing they took on a tenancy at a local pub.  They decided to stay in the trade and, over the next thirty years, with Jack’s mother Bunty, owned and ran several places in the South East Cornwall area, including renovating an old boys’ school in Dobwalls and turning it into a thriving inn.

Jack and Dorothy were active in Rotary International, the Hospital Car Service, also Cancer Research and the Arthritis & Rheumatism Charity.   They enjoyed golf, gardening, music and sea fishing together.

Dorothy was a very keen member of the WI, and was a National Trust Steward at Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire.  An excellent cook, Dorothy was also fond of flower arranging and scrabble.

Fiona and Vicky were very lucky to have such a super Granma, and appreciated their Grandparents moving up to the Midlands to be near them whilst they were growing up.

Over the years, Dorothy travelled all over the world, including Australia, US, Russia, Thailand, Singapore, South Africa most of Europe - and even walked on the Great Wall of China at the age of 78.
 
Dorothy and Jack at the Highway Inn, Dobwalls, with his Mum (1960s)
Eventually, Dorothy looked after Jack for a long time before he died six years ago after which, to feel more secure, she moved with us to Paignton.  Since then, Dorothy’s health has gradually deteriorated and, after a short spell in hospital, Dorothy died last Friday at about tea time.

My mother was cheerful, determined, fun and kind to all, she was a friend as well as my mother, and she will be hugely missed by family and friends.