Are you a Genealogist or Family Historian?

[chiddicks]

Are you a Genealogist or Family Historian or something completely different and does it really matter? Maybe yes if you are a professional researcher. Love to know your thoughts.


https://chiddicksfamilytree.com/2021/07/17/are-you-a-genealogist-or-family-historian/

[coombs]

I am both. Hard to say I am either a FH historian or a genealogist.

I once hired a researcher myself, and ditched her when she gave me a list of random instances of names I was looking for instead of just an ancestor I asked for, and charged me for them. She never found what I was actually looking for.

[chiddicks]

I am both. Hard to say I am either a FH historian or a genealogist.

I once hired a researcher myself, and ditched her when she gave me a list of random instances of names I was looking for instead of just an ancestor I asked for, and charged me for them. She never found what I was actually looking for.

It’s always a difficult one, I know plenty of brilliant amateurs who can give most of the professionals a good run for their money. Like everything, do your research, look at reviews, ask for quotes upfront, check recognised qualifications etc.

With regards the name we use, it probably doesn’t matter too much unless your a professional

[antonymark]

I think most of us here would say that we are both.

Back when I started all of this I did a five week course at the local library. The tutor there said that genealogy was the "nuts and bolts" of how we all fitted together with births, marriages and deaths, whilst "family history" looked at the wider picture of the lives of our forebears. How and where they lived, loved and died and the events in the world they lived in.

Tony.

[Kiltpin]

I think most of us here would say that we are both.

Back when I started all of this I did a five week course at the local library. The tutor there said that genealogy was the "nuts and bolts" of how we all fitted together with births, marriages and deaths, whilst "family history" looked at the wider picture of the lives of our forebears. How and where they lived, loved and died and the events in the world they lived in.

Tony.

 

I agree, Tony. I think that the genealogy is just the box that the life was in. I like finding the minutiae of a person's life. All the unconsidered trifles that go to make up a person. 

Regards
Chas

[brigidmac]

I am a TIME TRAVEL DETECTIVE

Run workshops with different themes.usually around grandparents encourage participants to bring a grandparent (doesnt have to be their bio one) or a picture object belinging to a grandparent.

I Help people understand DNA results
My maternal grandparents being an adoptee and a product if a recomposed family .JONES/ SMITH remarriage.
My great aunt Harriet LEA m DALMAN  from mariae SMITH s first marriage
Lived with her sisters to a grand old age
She spent years  and salvation army services trying to find her grandson in USA ...through DNA i have traced his descendants who knew nothing about their theatrical ancestor ....my new client likened her experience lookimg for grans birth father to righting injustice of past .i feel that is part of my mission too .so always spend some time on the dead babies .childless people and adoptees or birthparents in a family

 I Specialize in helping people with adoptees in their lines.

Also Look at objects from past ;clothes toys .gadjets artwork furniture

At the moment am helping people with stamp collections .trying to combine or donate the 5,+  I've inherited

If i cant find interested relatives
I will make time capsules for this generation age 4 months 2 years 4+6 years people + children of children wirldwide who've adopted me .

Or donate to people with a genuine interest in stamps /history /learning

Or donate to a museum i have a sister and two cousins who dont have children .
My : English / Welsh/ FRENCH/ Senegalese/Algerian /
 "neices and nephews.grandchildren  " may be interested because of english provenance + glory of owning something antique .

[chiddicks]

I think most of us here would say that we are both.

Back when I started all of this I did a five week course at the local library. The tutor there said that genealogy was the "nuts and bolts" of how we all fitted together with births, marriages and deaths, whilst "family history" looked at the wider picture of the lives of our forebears. How and where they lived, loved and died and the events in the world they lived in.

Tony.

Thanks Tony and a pretty good summary from your family history tutor. I know overall that it’s not that important but it’s really interesting to see and hear the views of how we see ourselves.

[chiddicks]

I am a TIME TRAVEL DETECTIVE

Run workshops with different themes.usually around grandparents encourage participants to bring a grandparent (doesnt have to be their bio one) or a picture object belinging to a grandparent.

I Help people understand DNA results
My maternal grandparents being an adoptee and a product if a recomposed family .JONES/ SMITH remarriage.
My great aunt Harriet LEA m DALMAN  from mariae SMITH s first marriage
Lived with her sisters to a grand old age
She spent years  and salvation army services trying to find her grandson in USA ...through DNA i have traced his descendants who knew nothing about their theatrical ancestor ....my new client likened her experience lookimg for grans birth father to righting injustice of past .i feel that is part of my mission too .so always spend some time on the dead babies .childless people and adoptees or birthparents in a family

 I Specialize in helping people with adoptees in their lines.

Also Look at objects from past ;clothes toys .gadjets artwork furniture

At the moment am helping people with stamp collections .trying to combine or donate the 5,+  I've inherited

If i cant find interested relatives
I will make time capsules for this generation age 4 months 2 years 4+6 years people + children of children wirldwide who've adopted me .

Or donate to people with a genuine interest in stamps /history /learning

Or donate to a museum i have a sister and two cousins who dont have children .
My : English / Welsh/ FRENCH/ Senegalese/Algerian /
 "neices and nephews.grandchildren  " may be interested because of english provenance + glory of owning something antique .

Love the title of a Time Travel Detective that’s a new one on me and a perfect description.

I am really intrigued with all your innovative ideas of how to engage people and get people interested in the past. People definitely feel more connected with physical objects, Grandads war medals or something hand made by grandma, it’s an instant connection.

The idea of a time capsule is a wonderful way to engage with the youngsters and the next generation to encourage them to think about the past. Some great ideas!

[coombs]

It has also made me a historian on the villages and towns my ancestors lived, as it gives a picture of how they lived as well. Often in census records, the villages had houses that were not numbered and it just says "cottage" or just the schedule, then the name of the shop or pub, and it can give an idea of where your ancestral cottage was.

The amount of family names I see in ancestral churchyards and in the rolls of honour is good as well. Many may be distant cousins I never knew of before, so i do some research to see if they connect and many do, whereas some do not, it is sometimes a surname coincidence, especially with Smith, Brown, Turner or Archer etc.