Thursday 11 November 2021

Genealogy Day

On Monday I posted about my ancestor Pieter who lived with his wife on a small boat where they also raised several children. Several of you commented on the fact that I knew so much about how they lived, but despite finding where his children were born, I did not find all the other information in files. 

Because last Saturday I made my way (bike and train) to Leeuwarden. The provincial archives and the historical centre had organised a Day for Genealogists. I may be an amateur, but I felt it would be nice to go, especially when I found out what their main subject would be: shipping.

There were all sorts of stands there. About how to start your research and how to log it on your computer, about clubs and foundations that searched far and wide, about shipping in general and skûtsjes (a flat bottomed boat) in particular and several families. 

I talked to one person for about half an hour which was very interesting and he has since sent me more information about a brother of an ancestor. Most of the dry details I had, some of the personal details I did not, as it came from letters between family members that I did not have in my tree.

There were also several presentations that day. I visited one as that one would be the most relevant to me. Yes, the information he gave fitted boats and ships from the late 19th century and my research showed early 19th century, but in general the information he gave would and could be transferred to my ancestor, with a few adjustments.

After all that I went on a guided tour through the town. I lived in that town from the age of 3 until I was 12 and basically did not know anything, so it was nice to get some more information now. And despite the painful knee, it was worth it. I will show you photos from that tomorrow.

9 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    What an excellent hobby this is; not just for the fun of being an archival detective, but because it takes you places and connects you with others of similar interest. YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that was one of the best things about the day: meeting others with similar interests. Even if I didn't really talk to many people, the ones I did talk to were helpful.

      Delete
  2. There is a local Genealogy chapter here, but it all seems very county related and my genealogy has nothing to do with this county.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It sounds like you had a very educational day learning about genealogy. We can't wait to see pictures of the city you visited too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dad is very interested in genealogy too. He can trace his ancestors (mostly Finnish and Cornish) pretty far back.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That sounds like a great idea to gather all that information on one place.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Genealogy is time consuming and addictive, but a great life experience!
    I was advised not to start it. The reason for that- my family's descendants had all the crucial archives at their disposal; if they did nothing with it- they're not worthy my effort. Well I did embark on a genealogical quest. I did it for myself, to satisfy my curiosity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But what if they missed something or not everything was present? What if they did not think it interesting, yet you do? I do it for myself, but I know several of my aunts are quite interested in what I do as well.

      Delete
  7. Sounds like a perfect day filled with all kinds of information. I'm glad you went.

    ReplyDelete

Any weighty (and not so weighty) comments are welcome!