I subscribe to many different email lists, primarily,
but not exclusively to do with areas in which we had ancestors living. While
many posts have nothing to do with our family, there are often interesting
tidbits and advice that might assist us in designing and completing a search
for people and events. It should not be surprising that most genealogists share
similar problems in finding and interpreting information – messed up indexes,
spelling differences, confusion about parentage, etc.
Another source I use is Google Alert. Through
this service, I keep track of news about: Cornwood in Devon, where my
Shepheard ancestors came from; Plympton also in Devon, where many events
occurred in the past that affected my ancestors; and of course, Shepheard,
in order to find out where any people with my surname might be living, some of
whom may be distant relatives.
Many alerts are just current news reports about events
and people, but occasionally they have to do with historical information. This
week I was alerted to an individual who wrote about his Shepheard ancestors in
Surrey. There is no doubt we share the same spelling of our surname, so it was
interesting to see where his family lived. See Chris Shepheard’s Peeps into the Past.
The alert was about a painting he had commissioned to
show store front that had housed a business run by his grandparents. A photo of
the family standing in front of the building was used to recreate the site.
It reminded me of a water colour I had done depicting
the Shepheard ancestral home in Cornwood as it might have looked in the late 19th
century. It is a great idea to take old or new photos and have someone turn it
into a picture you can hang on your wall that shows the place where your
ancestors lived.
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Water colour of East Rooke, Cornwood Parish, Devon by Christine Pascoe
Anyway, Chris used the picture to comment on his
family members, a nice vignette that related his own connection to the past. I
know he will also treasure the painting which will continue to bring up many
more memories.
If you are looking for ways to find relatives or learn
about areas where your family members lived and worked, Google Alert is one way to find connections you might otherwise miss. Click on the link and find out how.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Be aware,
though, that any link from sources such as this, while helpful, may also take
you to sites that could have viruses. Do not open anything you do not trust. It's always a good idea to have your anti-virus software up to date as well, for any browsing
of the Internet.
