Where did our ancestors come from?

Popular local speaker Ted Udall joined the March meeting of the Frome Family History Group to talk about where our ancestors came from.

Ted has researched his own family extensively and used this research to illustrate how and why people moved about.

Ted suggested first checking your family name on one of the several websites that map surnames or check a reference book such as Homes of Family Names in Great Britain by HB Guppy. This will give you an idea of where the name is most prevalent and provide clues to what caused people to migrate to other areas.

Occupation was the most common cause of people moving to another area. Agricultural workers moved around to find work; servants often went from their home village or town recommended by an employer to a friend or relation. Whole industries such as glove making, chair making, and mining could see large numbers of people moving to wherever that industry had the most work on offer.

It is worth checking military records for an ancestor who proves to be illusive. The whole family may have moved to one of the port towns or military barracks. Thinking laterally may prove beneficial, perhaps one of your ancestors had criminal tendencies, or maybe they were in a lunatic asylum or sanatorium. Ted also advises checking indexes for appropriate non- fiction books to see if the name you are looking for appears. The Times Digital Archive, Crockfords Clerical Directory or other professional and trade directories may also prove useful.

The audience thanked Ted Udall for a very informative evening one that gave all of us food for thought. Hopefully we will be able to invite Ted along again in the future.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday April 25th when Sue Bucklow will talk to us about the Singers of Frome, one of the biggest employers in Frome with products scattered worldwide. Our regular family history advice sessions are on the first Saturday in the month. Everyone welcome but please book a space with the library staff.