Any ideas on how to spice it up?

[sindylin]

Perhaps not the best title....

But I am currently writing the history of my mother's family going back to 1800 and ending in 1994 when the last person of my grandad's generation died.

so far I have used info contained in/on:-

Births, marriages, deaths, census returns, wills, trade directory entries, photos of residences, graves and of the people themselves where available, maps, My mum has given me some first hadn accounts on later people. I also have a few misc items, a couple of letters I found and documents relating to the building of a house my G grandad had built in 1895.

In addition to these facts I have also added some local history (the town where most lived didn't exist until the railway came) info on domestic servants (as quite a few were) illegitimacy (quite a few were!!!) what their houses were like that kind of thing. (I've stayed away from fashions as its such an enormous subject) also I haven't bothered with national and world history otehr than the two wars.

I feel I have put some meat on the bones, but can anyone suggest some things I have forgotten that are easy-ish to get hold of that would add a bit more meat!!!

thanks
sindylin

[Jan1954]

Read this thread this thread. There are some ideas on how you could present the information so as to make it more "interesting". I use the word advisedly, as everybody's family history is interesting, but may not seem so to the writer/researcher.

Edit: Just re-read your post and you already mention maps - are they comparative ones?

[Astoria]

I would get Oates on board, that lady can write, and I bet she works for certificates.

[sindylin]

Thanks for the links, will have a look at those shortly.

With regards to the maps, I have various ones showing how the area changed that I got from the local library and I have also plotted the areas the various families moved to.

I am starting it in 1800 when the "key" figure, my g g g grandfather was born. I am then covering all of his children and their descendants ending in 1994 with the last death) Perhaps I am being a bit too ambitious here but I have traced so many now it seems daft to stop!

My GGG grandfather moved from a rural village in Sussex to an equally rural area in Surrey, he started up a business which grew at around the same time as the new town that emerged with the coming of the railway so I have been able to weave his life and times into the changes that occurred.

The area where he set up in Surrey was then named after him.

this is why I have started with him, although I do have baptisms and marriages of his ancestors going back as far as the late 1600's.

this book is mostly for fellow family members but I am planning on giving copies to the local history societies and libraries.

My husband can get it printed for me in proper book form which is lucky!

sindylin

[LittleMissP]

Any military service in the family, or have you got that covered already?

[Charles Rignall]

Hi -

I have boxes of paper I would like to turn into something coherent - I believe the answer is character, character, character. Give us every little idiosyncracy and anectdote that helps people come alive. My great great grandmother is said to have locked herself in her bedroom for a week because my great grandmother married an Irish girl ---- actually she was a perfectly nice girl whose family came from Hull --- but that kind of thing.

Charlie Rignall

[Geoffers]

because my great grandmother married an Irish girl

I'm not surprised your great-great-grandmother was surprised.

[Feen]

I'm not surprised your great-great-grandmother was surprised.

well there's a bit of family history that doesn't need spicing up.

Charles, lucky you having "boxes of paper" - I wish I did! Mum used to talk about moving house in the 50s and throwing lots of stuff out

Sindylin, have you checked out the local newspapers? I'm sure you will have and I don't want to sound like I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs or anything, but you didn't specifically mention them so..... Small ads could be worth looking at too; they can be quite illuminating but a heck of a job over such a long period, if the paper hasn't been digitised

[MartinM]

Have you thought of looking at lifestyles; The way our ancestors shopped, dressed, ate (recipes etc) How they spent their time at work and at home, early holidays etc?

These are areas I am working on with my lot, in order to make their lives more than just facts and figures.

Good luck

Martin

[Oates]

Personally I think finding out about professions is one of the most interesting bits, and that was my focus when I made a family history booket for my grandma. Also, making parts of it into stories adds life. Perhaps typical day in the life type things would be good (either found or written by you) and writing about the quality of life.

I would get Oates on board, that lady can write, and I bet she works for certificates.

Thanks Astoria