Author: Dominic

I like to write. I like to create worlds and mould people. I possibly like the creating and the backstory more than the story-telling .... I also enjoy photography, and am still learning. I prefer 'raw' photographs - I don't feel drawn to any kind of manipulation, but that may changes. My other main passion in life is genealogy.

RootsTech 2023 – Registration is Open!

RootsTech, the world’s largest family history gathering, is back March 2–4, 2023, with an in-person event in Salt Lake City, Utah, to complement its massive online conference. Millions of virtual and in-person attendees will gather for inspiring keynote addresses, instructive classes, innovative technologies, and the opportunity to connect to their family—past, present, and future. Registration is now open for the 2023 event. The online event is free. The 3-day, in-person experience is $98. Register now at RootsTech.org.

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Of Blooms, Blarney and Bigamy …

I have had a million things to take care of in August (and September) – my MA, my counseling course, dealing with the builders for the kitchen renovations to name a few off the top of my head – so it should come as absolutely no surprise that I have, instead, been looking at a mysterious line of Holborows (i.e. neither the procrastination nor the subject should be a surprise).

They aren’t particularly close to my line (the progenitor being my 1st cousin 5 x removed), but they contain(ed) a number of questions. Some of which I have managed to answer – finally!

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The Delights of Detectoring!

One of my favourite things about researching family history is getting to the bottom of a mystery – even if the mystery comes from a find in a record that initially just makes you sit up and go “Mmm?”.

Such as it was when I came across a census entry for a family enumerated as Holbrow-Burgess. A double-barrelled Holborow?! What?! I had never come across this before. Of course, several female-line Holborow families have used it as a middle name, but was this what was happening here?

I assembled my detectoring kit in a bid to find out – and discovered more than I had bargained for …

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RootsTech2023: In-Person, Online

In case you missed it, this week FamilySearch announced that RootsTech 2023 will be making its glorious return to Salt Lake City, for the first time since 2020.

However, not only will the 3-day affair – the dates have been confirmed as 2-4 March – have in-person booths, talks and workshops galore at the Salt Lake Palace, but the digital content we have become used to over the last couple of years will also continue to be produced so even if you can’t make it, you won’t be missing out! Hybridise, baby!

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Grandfathers – An Update

With the release of the 1950 US Census recently, I have been taking another look at what records can be found that pertain to my American families. I last blogged about my grandfathers almost 10 years ago so I thought it a good opportunity to share what I’ve found since then!

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RootsTech 2022 Playlist Pick

So after a year of waiting and counting down the days, RootsTech has come and gone in a flash. How did you find it? Did you find the session(s) you wanted? Did it answer your question(s) or help you break any brickwalls? Did it allow you to connect to your family in new ways … or did you find new family members to connect with?

Here is a brief list of my Top Five sessions …

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Netherstreet Farm

This entire post started as an addendum to the end of my previous post (Miss Holborow) as I wanted to add some additional information. However, I thought that it needed its own full post. And so I started to write a bit of a potted history of Nether Street Farm to track ownership and residency over the years. Only it grew legs and … expanded somewhat.

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Will Miss Holborow Please Stand Up?

Do you ever have “Duh! How could I have not seen that?!” moments? No, me neither. Ahem. And of those moments – which I definitely don’t have – this is very much not one of those moments … if you see what I mean!

But it’s a bit of a reminder for me in terms of checking other sources when confronted with brick walls and blind alleys. And nobody needs to be ashamed to have such kicks up the metaphorical behind. It’s a good thing to flex those research muscles.

Even if the result does make you smack your forehead …

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And 2022 Is Off…!

We’re already one week into 2022. Time really does fly, doesn’t it?! Although I don’t think anyone was particularly sad to kiss goodbye to 2021. But here’s a few thoughts on the year ahead …

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Thomas Halliday Hurcombe – And The Father Isn’t …

The father of my 3 x great-grandfather, Thomas Halliday Hurcombe, has been a question mark in my research almost since Day One. However, the potential identity has often been posited. It wasn’t until last night when discussing centiMorgans with a friend (consanguineous relationships!) that I realised that the means to test this hypothesis was not only within my grasp – but the answer was in my proverbial Inbox!

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