Over my years of blogging, there are many occasions when I have written about the importance of the day/date, or in other words, ‘on this day in history‘. Some entries have been about events, some about people and some about a mixture of the two, as well as a lot more. Today is my paternal grandfather’s birthday. However, I never had the pleasure of meeting him as he died when my father was very young. That made me think…. Would there be events in every family history which could be catalogued on each day of the year?
Some events may be from births, baptisms, marriages, burials or deaths. Others may be from newspaper articles which connect to a particular occurrence – an award your ancestor was presented with, a crime they witnessed, an event which took place in the local community …. so many stories to be told.
That’s what I love about having the “genie-gene” – I love dates and names and places, but more than that, I love the stories. Recently, a new record set was added to the Ancestry site and I was delighted to find new references to one of my forebears which helped to develop a better picture of his life (in both the good and the more challenging times). Genealogy is a fascinating hobby (obsession for some!) but you never know what you will find out. You have to be prepared for the positive and negative discoveries.
Would you be able to write something about your family – like a diary entry – every day for a year? I think I am going to give it a try. Perhaps I’ll write it in a diary from 1 July and post it at the end of each month online …. I am not sure at the moment. Any ideas appreciated to consider this concept further!
Challenge all genies: are you with me?
