Emma Explores at Projectkin

Thank you to Bill Moore, Linda Teather, and all of you following along with this recording. Your thoughtful engagement in Emma Cox’s presentation today, the lively conversation that followed (and your comments below), are what make this such a special program. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see.These free programs are made possible by the generous support of our Patrons. Learn more, Projectkin.org/about & join us!With memories of RootsTech still fresh, our discussion before the recording began once again touched on the Relatives at RootsTech program, large relative counts, and the incredible value of learning from others attending. Remember, the program will remain active through the end of April. If you’re interested in collaborating with others in our community, join us at Relative Finder, which uses the same database mechanisms as the “Famous Relatives” pages. and adds to the value with a view of multiple relatives shared. Please visit the site and search Groups for “Projectkin.” You will have to request access, though it’s generally granted within 24 hours. If not, drop me a message.Emma’s presentation today walked us through her discoveries related to these individuals. Those related to Emma are listed by their relationships, such as (1C3R) for first cousin, three times removed:* James Forsyth (1827-1910) - painter, sculptor, furniture designer, gilder, and wood carver, and his son:* Rae Dudley Forsyth (1907-1979) - painter* John Dudley Forsyth (1874-1920) - stained glass artist, and his wife:* Gwendoline Elsie Upcott Gill - stained glass artist* John Anster Fitzgerald (1819-1906) – fairy painter (1C5R), and his daughter:* Florence Harriet Fitzgerald (1857-1927) - painter (2C4R)* Darsie Napier Japp MC (1883-1973) - painter (1C3R)* Gilbert Acheson Cattley (1892-1978) - painter of horses and illustrator of “Quacky Duck” (1C3R)In the context of Quacky Duck, Emma makes reference to “Pumpie the Elephant,” which was a topic of a 2020 blog post of hers on her blog at EmmaCox.co.uk. In each of these programs, Emma generously shares both her slides and the resources she used to compile the presentation. You’ll find these a useful resource in your own research:Resources mentionedIn addition, Emma shared links and sites that can be useful as a guide to finding artists and other creatives in your family. These and other links are included in the PDF document but I’m calling the high level links out here to make them easier to find and explore. Here are a few of the sites and example links:* Wikipedia.org* Find-a-Grave* Google Searches* ArtUK: artuk.org/discover/artists/forsyth-james-18271910 and artuk.org/discover/artists/japp-darsie-18831973* Invaluable.com* Tate Museum: tate.org.uk/art/artists/john-anster-fitzgerald-185* Individual blogs: byronsmuse.wordpress.com/2020/03/12/john-anster-fitzgerald-fairies-and-victorian-escapism* Arts Biogs (subscription site, 24hrs £5, mth £10) * artbiogs.co.uk/1/artists/fitzgerald-florence-harriet* artbiogs.co.uk/1/artists/forsyth-john-dudley* Visit Stained Glass visitstainedglass.uk/artist-page/forsyth-j-dudley* Exploring London exploring-london.com/tag/john-dudley-forsyth* Art History Research arthistoryresearch.net* Christie’s Auctioneers christies.com/en/lot/lot-1332476* Company of Glass Sellers glasssellers-archives.co.uk* London City Directories (via Ancestry subscription) ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/61265* Freedom of the City of London (via Ancestry subscription) ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/2052 Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to Jennifer Jones, Linda Teather, Ann Rockley, Jennifer Jones, Bill Butcher, Dr. Mary M. Marshall and all of you following along with this recording. Your thoughtful engagement in Emma Cox’s presentation today, the lively conversation that followed (and your comments below), are what make this such a special program. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see.These free programs are made possible by the generous support of our Patrons. Learn more, Projectkin.org/about & join us!Before our recording started, we had a lively discussion about the upcoming RootsTech conference and the related Relatives at RootsTech feature, as well as the ongoing comparison tool for the FamilySearch family tree at RelativeFinder.org, where Projectkin has created a private group. Just look for it under Groups and request access. On the topic of RootsTech, take a moment to explore our GeneaBloggers partnership to produce a fun way to join the conference together, whether you’re on-site or online. Learn more atIn each of these programs, Emma generously shares both her slides and the resources she used to compile the presentation. You’ll find these a useful resource in your own research:Because these notes can be so useful when searched from the web, I’ll detail each of the individuals whose stories she explored. Whishaw family in New ZealandShe started with the eleven siblings of the Whishaw family from New Zealand and their heartbreaking loss of three family members of the four who served in WWI. These are links to the resources she mentioned:Mabel Helen Whishaw 1883-1918Recognized in the WWI Army Roll of Honour as a registered nurse.* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu* livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7189468* findagrave.com/memorial/66921529/mabel-helen-whishawHarry Whishaw 1885-1916He saw action in Gallipoli with the Wellington Infantry Battalion, Egypt, and Western Europe. Was killed in action near Armentieres, France, on 3 July 1916, aged 31.* findagrave.com/memorial/15291614/harry_guthrie-whishaw* nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/harry-guthrie-whishawHarry Guthrie Whishaw 1885-1916Trooper, served in the New Zealand Mounted Machine Gun Squadron. Died at the 27th General Hospital, Cairo, on October 17, of malarial pneumonia.* findagrave.com/memorial/245739692/bernard-guthrie-whishawJames Henley Whishaw 1881-1959Served in the WWI Military reserve in 1916, survived the war.* findagrave.com/memorial/236496368/james_henley-whishawJapp family: Emigrated from England, Served for CanadaFrank Bradshaw Japp 1896-1918 (2C2R)Canadian Infantry (West Ontario Regiment) and served in the 47th Battalion. Died of shrapnel wounds on 5 May 1918.* ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1973* veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/567105England: Father of the Royal Air ForceHugh Montague Trenchard – Father of the RAF (4c3R)Air Marshal, Knight Commander, DSO, suffered wounds in the Boer War, learned to fly by 1912, moving on to head the Royal Flying Corps, and by 1918 was appointed chief of the Air Staff of the newly formed Royal Air Force. Highly decorated and made a Viscount. Lived through WWII, passing in 1956, and was buried at Westminster Abbey in a public ceremony. * en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Trenchard,_1st_Viscount_Trenchard* search-armed-forces-memorial-roll-of-honour.service.gov.uk* ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/39/?srsltid=AfmBOopVPnd_YMKBdfczoFsAFN4Y5EXWpVOTZYESAspDuutGrcbIrNZIVideos on British Pathé* britishpathe.com/search/?searchQuery=hugh+trenchard* Wedding 1920: cutt.ly/3tmSgwzW* Memorial: cutt.ly/stmSh0aE* westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/hugh-trenchardRequesting Military Service Records / other sourcesIn addition, Emma shared important bits of advice and terrific resources for military service records in general: * Can take up to a year or so, some is available online* Sensitive information may be redacted (hidden / blacked out)* gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service gives full instructions* TNA records nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/our-role/plans-policies-performance-and-projects/our-projects/ministry-of-defence-service-records* National Army nam.ac.uk/collections/how-research-former-soldier* IWM iwm.org.uk/research/tracing-your-family-history/tracing-your-army-history/where-to-find-army-service-records* Army Personnel Centre army.mod.uk/army-careers/careers/army-personnel-centre* CWGC cwgc.org/find-records/how-to-find-war-records-ww2Emma also made reference to the work of Graham Brady:* Graham Bandy (professional genealogist) livingmilitaryhistory.comFurther research: In addition to the sites mentioned above, these are other sites Emma has used for this research* Find A Grave * Ancestry* New Zealand Birth Index, New Zealand Death Index, New Zealand Cemetery Records, New Zealand* Electoral Rolls and New Zealand Registers of Medical Practitioners and Nurses 1873, 1882-1933* Wairarapa Heritage Site wairarapanz.com/see-and-do/family-war* Auckland Museum aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C16713* Genealogyinvestigations.co.nz/blog/archives/05-2021* Armed Forces Roll of Honour search-armed-forces-memorial-roll-of-honour.service.gov.uk* Web: Canada, Virtual War Memorial Index, 1900-2014 ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/70775* Canada, CEF Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919 ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1952* Canada, World War I CEF Attestation Papers, 1914-1918 ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1086* Google SearchesRecommending Reading & CourseworkBooks by Simon Fowler. Available via Amazon* Tracing your First World War ancestors* Tracing your Second World War ancestors * Tracing your Army ancestors* Tracing your Naval ancestorsSimon Fowler is running a course on Pharos Tutors starting in June 2026.* pharostutors.com/your-military-ancestorsWhile I often talk about Emma’s other publication and her Journeys into Genealogy podcast, this time, there are two very relevant podcast interviews you may want to explore: * Interview with Orders and Medals Research Society emmacox.libsyn.com/orders-and-medals-research-society* Interview with Graham Bandy emmacox.libsyn.com/researching-military-history-with-graham-bandy-of-living-military-historyAbout Emma ExploresAll of our programs are recorded and shared in the Emma Explores section of the Projectkin Substack, the Projectkin YouTube channel, and major Podcasting platforms like Apple and Spotify, and an RSS Feed for platforms like Feedly.About Emma CoxIf you don’t already know Emma, you can find her here on Substack in two publications, first the one she uses to share research on her own family:You won’t want to miss her second publication about the Journeys Into Genealogy podcast. It adds value to the ongoing podcast with references and a transcript:I hope all of this is helpful, and I look forward to seeing you next month. Remember to register to get your free Zoom link to join us. See all past recordings at Projectkin.org/emma-explores. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to Jennifer Jones, Linda Teather, Bill Moore, Ann Rockley and so many of you for joining us and engaging in the conversation so actively today during Emma Cox’s live presentation and in your comments below. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see.Subscribe to Projectkin and get these recordings delivered straight to your inbox.👇 Learn more Projectkin.org/about.Today’s episode had Emma experimenting with a new format that had all audience members joining in on the conversation. In each of these programs, Emma generously shares both her slides and the resources she used to compile the presentation.To get us started, Emma began with Caroline Edith Rumpf, or was she Catherine, or any of four other combinations? And what about dates: Did she lie? Were they unsure?From there, we explored with references from past episodes and mysteries. To help you in scanning through the video, these links may be helpful* Gateway ancestors: For those gateway ancestors that unlock a series of other connections. * Consider first arrivals in the new world, or a connection to Royalty, see “Fame, Gateway Ancestors and links to Royalty.”* Naming Patterns:* Patterns that repeat, see “Rosalina and Gylby - Unusual Names and Naming patterns,” and extraordinary families.* This initiated the “85-Grandchildren Challenge.” In her research, Emma discovered a relation, Sir Robert Wigram (1743-1830), who, through two different wives, fathered 23 children. That was pretty remarkable. But then there was James Blatch Cox (1801-74), whose 9 children produced 85 grandchildren (one son had 18 children). See “James Blatch Cox and his Cornish family and wider diaspora”! * ⮕ Have an ancestor with more than 85 grandchildren? 👇 Let us know in the comments! * Full-text Search Results on FamilySearch:* Digging into Full-text Search as introduced by FamilySearch in 2025 and now available in Ancestry, and expanded on by FamilySearch as Simple Search. In “Philipps and Fonblanque Letters,” Emma shared how this flexible search approach revealed extraordinary connections in letters reprinted in a Family History. About Emma ExploresAll of our programs are recorded and shared in the Emma Explores section of the Projectkin Substack, the Projectkin YouTube channel, and major Podcasting platforms like Apple and Spotify and an RSS Feed for platforms like Feedly.About Emma CoxIf you don’t already know Emma, you can find her here on Substack in two publications, first the one she uses to share research on her own family:You won’t want to miss her second publication about the Journeys Into Genealogy podcast. It adds value to the ongoing podcast with references and a transcript:I hope all of this is helpful, and I look forward to seeing next month. Remember to register to get your free Zoom link to join us. See all past recordings at Projectkin.org/emma-explores. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to Linda Teather, Bill Moore, Crystal Lorimor, Kristin Rapinac, Sue Tolbert, and so many of you joining us and engaging in the conversation so actively today during Emma Cox’s live presentation and online in the comments below. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see. It’s been an extraordinary year for us here at Projectkin and in this fantastic series.Subscribe and get these recordings delivered straight to your inbox.👇 Learn more Projectkin.org/about.After our conversations on Kathy’s Corner about correspondences and postcards, it was fitting that today’s program for Emma Explores would center on signatures. Signatures are one of those elements you rarely pay much attention to during the process of family history research. This presentation reminds us to look closely not only to validate the documented person or event, but also to see who else was involved. As you’ll see in the presentation, Emma shares creative ideas for creating customized artifacts, such as mugs and teatowels, to engage loved ones and family members in your ancestors’ stories. Inspiration, just in time for holiday gift-giving. (Or… milestone birthdays, celebrations, and other events.) When you think of these kinds of objects as a gateway to family history, simple pieces could be a good investment. Our discussion included several audience members sharing their own stories about signatures and family members’ handwriting. Feel free to share more in the comments and links to your own posts, notes, or external articles relevant to handwriting and family members’ signatures. In each of these programs, Emma generously shares both her slides and the resources she used to compile the presentation.Project Ideas & Tips* Organizing signature files into folders on a drive helps you associate relevant context with each file. Try to reference or mirror that organization in your paper files. * Create a family tree or other listing of your “My Eight” or “My Sixteen” grandparents or great-grandparents. * Create an assembly of different implementations of common names, like a surname or shared given names.* Use these collections of signatures to customize common objects as gifts, for example:* Tea towels* Mugs* CoastersResources* Canva.com offers many features to free account holders. Paid accounts give you a full range of functions. Tip: You can use Canva to create your design, then select your printers based on price, shipping economies, or to take advantage of local vendors. * Wikipedia and Wikimedia for images and research sources.* Family wills (E. W. Cox’s was from the London Metropolitan Archives).* Visits to and downloads from local and national archives.* Snagit software on Windows or Preview (standard with MacOS) for screen grabs.* Printster.co.uk for creating coasters, for example, for local delivery in the UK. Save on both shipping and duties by considering printing or fabrication sources near the destination for your delivery. Journeys into GenealogyMany of you will already know Emma for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast, where she interviews guests worldwide. As Substack publishers and readers, you can explore her full catalog and get previews of different episodes by subscribing to her publication:I know Emma - Journeys into Genealogy joins me in hoping you can make it for our program and the Substack live preview next month. You can see all recordings in this series on Projectkin.org/emma-explores. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Jennifer Jones, Bill Moore and so many of you for joining us and engaging in the conversation so actively today during Emma Cox’s live presentation and online in the comments below. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see. As a bonus, it’s also great fun. Subscribe and get these recordings delivered straight to your inbox.👇 Learn more Projectkin.org/about.In today’s talk, Emma gives us a front-seat view of a family empire during the 19th century, a period of extraordinary growth in the global publishing industry. By the time his first newspaper, the “Somerset County Gazette,” was published in 1836, printing technology had benefited from the Industrial Revolution. Edward William Cox’s first publication, tailored to the “Nobility, Gentry and inhabitants of Somerset,” also coincided perfectly with a reduction in the stamp tax on newspapers. The result was a burst of new publications. Emma’s talk takes us through this creative entrepreneur’s success in this period, with his many publications from the “Law Times” and the “County Courts Chronicle” to “The Field.” Each of these publications revealed his entrepreneurial knack for recognizing markets and opportunities for advertising revenue.Emma then takes us through her family tree to explore how family members were involved in the businesses and how the businesses' inheritances flowed into future businesses. In each of these programs, Emma generously shares both her slides and the resources she used to compile the presentation.Resources You’ll find these links in the slides above, but since links in PDF can be troublesome, they’re reproduced below:* 31 Dec 1836: His first newspaper was the “Somerset CountyGazette” published in Taunton, Bridgwater and Wells.* The Law Times also led to The CriticPublications by descendants and relations* Crockford’s Clerical Directory published by Horace Cox* 1868, a weekly paper, Exchange & Mart, was printed by Horace Cox (still published today)* L Upcott Gill, a late 19th / early 20th century publisher, producing predominantly nature works, including* Seaside Watering Places – The Isle of Man* The Speaking ParrotsUsed in this presentation:* Wikipedia.org* Family wills (E W Cox’s from the London Metropolitan Archives)* Dictionary of National Biography & entry for William Edward Cox* British Newspaper Archive * JSTOR.org – articles on E W Cox* Stella and Rose Rare Books stellabooks.com/publisher/l-upcott-gill* Scoop for biographies of journalists (£5 for a day subscription)Journeys into GenealogyMany of you will already know Emma for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast, where she interviews guests worldwide. As Substack publishers and readers, you can explore her full catalog and get previews of different episodes by subscribing to her publication:I know Emma - Journeys into Genealogy joins me in hoping you can make it for our program and the Substack live preview next month. You can see all recordings in this series on Projectkin.org/emma-explores. You’re more than welcome to share this recording with others who may be interested in joining us in future events and the discussions at Projectkin.orgFinally, with the American Thanksgiving holiday coming up next week, we’ll skip the week for programming and follow it on Sunday, November 30th in the Atlantic-friendly hours with a preview of Kathy’s Corner. Kathy Stone will share a little of the very special Kathy’s Corner program she has planned for December 4 with a series of guests talking about postcards in their family story. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Linda Teather, Bill Moore, Diane Burley, and so many of you for joining us and engaging in the conversation so actively today during Emma Cox’s live presentation. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see. As a bonus, it’s also great fun. Subscribe and get these recordings delivered straight to your inbox.👇 Learn more Projectkin.org/about.Today’s episode sent us back down a warren of rabbit holes as Emma explored her extraordinary family with revelations uncovered from an experiment with FamilySearch’s new full-text search features. This came about following Emma’s interview with Lucy Reynoldson from FamilySearch for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast. Here’s a preview: Today, Emma’s story focused on her Fonblanque family, which has Huguenot roots in France. As she explains at the top of the program, she discovered a treasure trove of letters, family trees, and more buried in the body of a related family history book. Below you’ll find the slides Emma so generously makes a practice of sharing.Below are the resources and references mentioned in the presentation and during our discussion.Resources Many of you will already know Emma for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast, where she interviews guests worldwide. As Substack publishers and readers, you can explore her full catalog and get previews of different episodes by subscribing to her publication:I know Emma - Journeys into Genealogy joins me in hoping you can make it for our program and the Substack live preview next month. You can see all recordings in this series on Projectkin.org/emma-explores. You’re more than welcome to share this recording with others who may be interested in joining us in future events and the discussions at Projectkin.orgFinally, I hope you’ll consider joining me on Sunday as Kathy Stone welcomes Lori Olson White as her guest in a special Kathy’s Corner preview. This is all a lead up to Thursday’s Kathy’s Corner event where she’s invited Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective to talk about metadata in digital images. You’ll find these and all upcoming programs at Projectkin.org/events. 👋 Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Linda Teather, Marian Beaman and so many of you for joining us today during Emma Cox’s live presentation. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see. As a bonus, it’s also great fun. Subscribe and get these recordings delivered straight to your inbox.👇 Learn more Projectkin.org/about.Today’s episode was a fun romp through one incredible family line. Emma’s thoughtful examination of roots and shoots of the line yield unexpected connections that take us from a dashing young Formula 1 driver to the Queen Mother. Emma's generously provided the slides to her talk including even richer resources than are linked below. The slides include a dazzling array of links anyone can use. I pull out the most significant ones you can follow along with the video:Resources * Wikipedia. Emma gave the example of the page for Sir. John Mosley, but in our discussion we talked about * How anyone can actually create or edit a wikipedia page once they’ve created an account. * How valuable it can be to explore the resources listed on any Wikipedia page. * en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Mosley,_1st_Baroneten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolleston_Hall* History of Parliament. A useful resource if you know or think you have someone with a role in the British parliament.* historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/wigram-robert-i-1744-1830* Historic Shipping. For family members who might have had interests in shipping or to explore transport history.* historic-shipping.co.uk/robwigram/The%20Wigram%20Family.html* After a sidebar on the Queen Mother we discovered connections to Formula 1 drivers, Wedgwood, Charles Darwin, the rise of fascism in Germany and with respect to tools, the Internet Archive* archive.org/details/registerofwigram00wigr/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater&q=ElyAnd Belper Derbyshire Genealogy for background into the Arkwright family who invented the spinning jenny:* Awkwright Family Descendants report (pdf.) Many of you will already know Emma for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast, where she interviews guests worldwide. As Substack publishers and readers, you can explore her full catalog and get previews of different episodes by subscribing to her publication:I know Emma - Journeys into Genealogy joins me in hoping you can make it for our program and the Substack live preview next month. You can see all upcoming episodes at Projectkin.org/events. See you then. 👋 Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you David Shaw, Bill Moore, Kathy Stone, Linda Teather, Karen Harrison and so many others for joining us today during Emma Cox’s live presentation. Your generous ❤️s, restacks, and shares have helped turn this publication into the supportive community we all want to see. Truly, thank you!Learn more at Projectkin.org/about.You won’t want to miss today’s episode, as Emma explains how to sort through and interpret wills, the role of probate, and sources in the UK. Our discussion also includes American and Canadian perspectives. Resources: These resources are listed in Emma’s slides, which makes it handy to scroll through them. In the recording, you’ll hear Emma’s guidance on each resource. Tip: You can use the “Transcript” button above to search the transcript and get to the specific spot in the video where she talks about each resource. National Archives (UK)* www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/wills-or-administrations-before-1858* www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/famous-wills-1552-1854Ancestry* National Probate Calendar www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1904/?redirectFor=db.aspx* Ancestry Wills and Probate www.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/clp_wills/?srsltid=AfmBOophk9gljgUYCPfnhxr6m3azo1qOF0Sf4fhiaBphC6oGeA7Setri* Court, Land, Wills & Financialwww.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/36/?srsltid=AfmBOoohGBmRmLIf9W4WWD8fprcOcd0fYYKib33JkfqLh3oJHq_HHo2e* UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1610FindMyPast* Where to find family wills – Find My Pastwww.findmypast.co.uk/discover/birth-marriage-death-and-parish-records/wills-and-probateProbate Search (UK)* Find family wills: General Register Officeprobatesearch.service.gov.ukTranscription Tips* Transcript Freeware: www.jacobboerema.nl/en/Freeware.htm (Windows application download.)* Courses: * www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/reading-old-documents* webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230801144244/* https:/www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography/* Society of Genealogists Presentations* Palaeography Part 1: How to Create Abstracts from Old Documents: www.sog.org.uk/education/learning-hub/guides-tips/palaeography-part-1* Secretary Hand: www.sog.org.uk/education/learning-hub/guides-tips/palaeography-part-2* Family Tree Magazine* 6 Tips from Family Tree Magazine: www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/read-old-handwriting-paleography* AI: * www.transkribus.orgRecommended Reading* “The Wills of Our Ancestors” – A Guide for Family & Local Historians by Stuart A Raymond.Kindle edition: amzn.to/3GIW99a* “Probate Jurisdictions: Where to Look for Wills” by Jeremy Gibson and Stuart RaymondFamilyhistorybooksonline.com/probate-jurisdictions-where-to-look-for-wills-by-jeremy-gibson-stuart-raymond-170* “Examples of handwriting 1550-1650” by W.S.B. Buckwww.goodreads.com/book/show/20997444-examples-of-handwriting-1550-1650* “Wills before 1858” by Eve McLaughlingoodreads.com/book/show/3867060-wills-before-1858* “Reading old handwriting” by Eve McLaughlingoodreads.com/book/show/161233332-reading-old-handwriting* “Wills and Other Probate Records” by Karen Granum and Nigel TaylorPublished by the UK National Archives. May need to view in a library.* “Words from Wills and Other Probate Records” by Stuart A Raymondgoodreads.com/book/show/21290046-words-from-wills-and-other-probate-records-1500-1800Many of you will already know Emma for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast, where she interviews guests worldwide. As Substack publishers and readers, you can explore her full catalog and get previews of different episodes by subscribing to her publication: I know Emma - Journeys into Genealogy joins me in hoping you can join us for our program and the Substack live preview next month. You can see all upcoming episodes and when they are scheduled in our events calendar listing. See you then. 👋 Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

As with each of her Emma Explores programs, professional genealogist Emma Cox regaled us today with stories from her family tree. This time, she focused on the Upcott family and their involvement in the Wool industry in Devon. Is Projectkin new to you? Subscribe for free and get these posts directly in your inbox.As in each of these episodes, Emma - Journeys into Genealogy generously shares her slides, notes, and tips. In fact, among the resources she used to collect the material for today’s program was a book she picked up in a Devon museum while on holiday, “Tiverton Cloth – The Story of the Town’s Woollen Trade 1475-1815” by Peter Maunder. Delightfully, many of her ancestors are mentioned in the book, which reminds all of us of the benefits of a tight focus in research. These are the slides from her talk:Included among the tools Emma mentioned was this remarkable map in the collection of the US Library of Congress. You can explore the full map here or in the link below.These were some of the other tools Emma mentioned:* Port Books – show what was traded in and out of a particular location. * Nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-trade-records-port-books-1565-1799* Nehemiah Upcott's family tree.* Devon Family History Society — devonfhs.org.uk, and a reminder to consider joining the FHS of any UK region you’re interested in.* Historic Cullompton — historiccullompton.co.uk/the-cloth-trade.* Heritage Gateway (Hobhorse mill) — heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV21346&resourceID=104.* GENUKI — genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/Probate/DevonWills/Wills1661.A sidebar here to reference Emma’s delightful interview with Brian Randell of GENUKI for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast. * TNA 1661 Will discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D895785.* South West Heritage Trust devon-cat.swheritage.org.uk.You’ll know Emma for her two Substack publications: My Family History, where she shares stories from her tree, and the acclaimed podcast:Have you just discovered the Projectkin Community Forum and this wonderful genealogy community on Substack? Welcome, it’s a delight to have you. I look forward to seeing you at future free Projectkin events. You’ll find many more programs like these in our events calendar: Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

We’re delighted to welcome Emma - Journeys into Genealogy back to Projectkin for this monthly series. You’ll know Emma for her two Substack publications, one, named My Family History where she shares stories from her tree, and the other is the acclaimed podcast:For Projectkin, Emma dove into two particular names in her family tree, Rosalinda and Gylby. They are both unusual names, yet they criss-cross her tree, revealing pedigree collapse and unexpected connections. I hope you enjoy her story. For our reference, Emma has kindly shared the slides from her talk:As tools, Emma referenced not only Getty Images and a private tree on Ancestry, but also: * The ad-supported site, Free BMD (for Births, Marriages, and Deaths for the UK from 1836 to 1999) at FreeBMD.org.uk * Newspapers.com* British Newspapers Archive at BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk* UnitHistories.com for military information about Gylby’s nephewIf you enjoyed this program, please take a moment to thank Emma with a ❤️ and share this post with friends.If you’ve just discovered the Projectkin Community Forum and this wonderful genealogy community on Substack, welcome! It’s a delight to have you. I look forward to seeing you at future free Projectkin events. You’ll find many more programs like these in our events calendar:Are you thinking about genealogy and family history? Join us at Projectkin.org/about. We’re hooked on stories. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

What fun to welcome our special guest, Emma - Journeys into Genealogy , back to Projectkin’s Emma Explores series. In today’s program, the extended family of James Blatch Cox of Falmouth, England, provided a framework for storytelling about the home life, business enterprises, and historical context of 19th-century Britain, Canada, and the United States. We learned about James Blatch Cox’s varied career and how he and his wife, Harriet Newberry, went on to have nine children and a breathtaking 85 grandchildren! In the slides, you’ll see a number of references Emma shared as sources for her research, including: * Grace’s Guide: gracesguide.co.uk/Cox_and_Co* British Newspaper Archive: britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk* Info from distant cousins who compiled Ancestry trees* Local newspaper falmouthpacket.co.uk* Wikitree for stories wikitree.com/wiki/Cox-34433In our conversation, we also talked about tools for such things as exploring maps in various forms. Among the sites we mentioned were:* Two interviews of Emma’s for her Journeys into Genealogy podcast: * “Maps, the Ordnance Survey, digitisation and more” Emma’s interview with Chris Fleet from the National Library of Scotland: Chris Fleet* “Londonist with Matt Brown,” Emma’s interview with Matt Brown the explorer behind the Londonist publication.* The interface from OldMapsOnline.com (This came up in regard to time sliding between maps.)* Using Google Maps with layers to capture places where your ancestors might have lived (and the caution to be sure to clean place names to their analogs on modern maps.) If you enjoyed this program, please take a moment to thank Emma with a ❤️ below and subscribe to her podcast, Journeys into Genealogy. You can also explore Emma’s personal publication, My Family History, which features more stories about Emma’s family.If you’ve just discovered the Projectkin Community Forum and this wonderful genealogy community on Substack, welcome! It’s a delight to have you. I hope to see you at future events. You’ll find many more programs like these in our events calendar:If you're curious about genealogy and family history, there’s much more to explore. Learn more and join us at Projectkin.org/about. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Emma Cox’s story today explored her 2nd great-grandaunt, Florence Gertrude Sparagnapane (1864–1949), and her place in the social history of the UK in the early 20th century. Florence was an actress who went by the name of Florence Kingsley. She married fellow actor Robert de Fonblanque. In the fall of 1912, at age 43, she leveraged her reputation and standing to organize and lead the March, Edinburgh to London for Women’s Suffrage. You can explore the slides and links referenced in Emma’s presentation below:The party of as many as 300 women (local groups joined and left the group along the way) made the nearly 400-mile trek in just over a month, traveling an average of 15 to 30 miles per day. For those outside Britain, here’s a modern Google Maps preview of the trail as it followed along today’s A1 highway.Resources For further context and details, you can explore some of these links:* Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Gertrude_de_Fonblanque* Women’s Library Collections, LSE Library (London School of Economics) lse.ac.uk/library/collection-highlights/the-womens-library* Book: “The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928” by Elizabeth Crawford* Mapping Women’s Suffrage map.mappingwomenssuffrage.org.uk/neatline/fullscreen/all map.mappingwomenssuffrage.org.uk/items/show/312* Google Arts & Culture artsandculture.google.com/story/women-s-suffrage-pilgrimage-lse-library/8wWBZ7Ey--82Jw?hl=en* Suffrage Resources suffrageresources.org.uk (site for school kids)* Oxford Dictionary of National Biography oxforddnb.com (access via a library)* British Newspaper Archive britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk* Patent Office: gov.uk/search-for-patentNote: Though this is generally a monthly series, we will NOT have a program at the regular time next month in celebration of Easter Week. Good Friday, 18 April is a Bank Holiday in the UK. If you enjoyed this program, please take a moment to thank Emma with a ❤️ below and subscribe to her podcast, Journeys into Genealogy or My Family History, which features more stories about Emma’s family. Do you have Suffragettes in your family tree? Tell their stories. As always, you’re welcome to share today’s program with your friends and family.If you’ve just discovered the Projectkin Community Forum and this wonderful Genealogy community on Substack, welcome! It’s a delight to have you. You’ll find many more programs like these in our events calendar:Was this post forwarded to you? Curious about genealogy and family history, there’s much more to share. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

As Emma - Journeys into Genealogy shares in her presentation, her third great-grandfather, Andrew Handyside, 1805-1887, was born in Scotland. He benefited from learning his trade by working for his uncle’s engineering works in St. Petersburg, Russia, before coming to Derby, England. In Derby, he first acquired an interest in an iron foundry before turning it into Andrew Handyside & Company, Limited, and growing it internationally.Today, installations include massive architectural iron construction like St. Pancras Station in London to collectible cast iron fountains, urns, and postal boxes. As Emma asks, have you found any artifacts built by the company in your area? Drop her a note! Emma graciously included the slides from her talk today. You’ll find it loaded with valuable tips and linked references.Andrew Handyside Resources:For further context and details, you can explore some of these links:* Wikipedia * Science Museum* National Gallery of Scotland * Derby Photos (list of lots of his constructions)* Vintagemachinery.org* Pro Quest (may require institutional login)* Google Searches brought up lots of auction items* Grace’s Guide * Derbyshire Archaeological Society* Derby Museum and Art Gallery* Friends of Friar Gate Bridge * Derbyphotos.co.ukIf you enjoyed this program, take a moment to thank Emma with a ❤️ below and subscribe to her substack for Journeys into Genealogy. Feel free to share the program with your friends and family.If you’ve just discovered the Projectkin Community Forum, and this wonderful Family History community on Substack, welcome. It’s a delight to have you. You’ll find many more programs like these atWas this post forwarded to you? Curious about genealogy and family history there’s much more to share. When you’re ready, subscribe to receive all of our event recordings in your inbox for free. More Projectkin.org/about Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

Names seem to be one of the first ways family members learn about their history. Sometime after settling on grandparents' pet names, they ask questions about surnames and relationships soon after. Today’s episode focuses very specifically on the names in Emma’s family tree as a thread to pull us through some incredible resources you might never have known about. She’s kindly offered her slides here as a reference.As with each episode, Emma thoughtfully included several unexpected tips. Among them were:* Learn about some traditional naming patterns for middle names and how to use them in your research:* family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/how-to-use-naming-patterns-to-find-your-ancestors* familytreemagazine.com/names/researching-ancestors-middle-names* Exploring clusters of names and how to use physical maps to find pairings using examples of Sweetapple and Blatch in Wiltshire:* forebears.io/surnames/sweetapple* namecensus.com/last-names/blatch-surname-popularityExamples of individuals & their stories:* George Alan Rodney Wright-Nooth, Emma’s 3rd cousin, twice removed, who was captured as a Japanese POW during WWII:* His obituary: Telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1404415/George-Wright-Nooth.html* Awards and medals www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80008215 (not visible in all locations)* George Wright-Nooth’s brother Peter’s remembrance: www.cnac.org/emilscott/wrightnooth01.htm* A book George Wright-Nooth wrote about his experiences as a prisoner of War, now on Google Books, UK: Prisoner of the Turnip Heads: The Fall of Hong Kong and the Imprisonment by the Japanese* Europeans in East Africa, a database of people of European origin who lived and worked in East Africa referencing him. europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=2982* Major William Reginald James Alston-Roberts-West who was killed in action in 1940. The father-in-law of Emma’s fourth cousin. * Memorial in a church in Preston on Stour:iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/19356* As a Grenadier Guard, his photo is available for purchase on their site: images.grengds.com/1945-officer-memorial-album-1/maj-w-r-j-alston-roberts-west-14750835.htmlUseful ReferencesEmma’s assortment of helpful sites for this kind of research:* Find a grave* Family Tree Maker (or other desktop family history software) for reports* The London Gazette (or other local newspaper)* Old family wills* Europeans in West Africa* Newspaper obituaries* Imperial War Museum oral histories (UK)* Grenadier Guards & Photographs of individuals (example above) * Companies House for living people associated with companies in the UK. (In the US, such details are called annual information statements and are available from the Secretary of State for each state. A great many corporations are in Delaware.) * Useful free Windows software called “Transcript” for transcribing wills * To find the distribution of surnames and learn about their origins (ad-supported):* Forebears.io* Namecensus.com (works with familiar names in English)If you enjoyed this program, take a moment to thank Emma with a ❤️ below. Feel free to share the program with your friends and family.If you’ve just discovered this program and want to learn more, visit us at Projectkin.org. You can see our full calendar of free events at Was this post forwarded to you? Get our free recordings delivered to your inbox as soon as they’re available by subscribing 👇. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s episode, Emma Cox dove into her family legacy to explore stories woven through our shared Anglophone history. Stories associated with The Most Reverand William Markham, archbishop of York, took us from Westminster Abbey plaques to tombs without bones. As with these programs, Emma’s insights help us all learn how to separate fact from fiction and use her stories to help us in our research. Emma’s graciously shared her slides as PDF files. Note the many underlined text references on each slide. These are active links to external resources such as the Church of England Database, the History of Parliament Online, and the Napoleon Series for its military database and other useful resources.In her discussion, Emma also mentioned a recent Journeys Into Genealogy podcast episode, “The Prize Papers with Anne Ramon,” which discussed English naval ships and the privateers they battled in the Atlantic. For more tips, view all past episodes of Emma Explores here. Then, join us for our first program of the new calendar year, Emma Explores, on January 16th.All of Projectkin's programs are listed on the Projectkin Events Calendar.Subscribe and become a member! You’ll receive this and all Projectkin articles and recordings delivered directly to your inbox. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

This month, Emma kicked off the program with her discoveries at the West Surrey Family History Society Fair. There, she spoke with several of the specialists in their “help desk” stalls, including Graham Bandy, who helped her identify a long-cherished photo. You can read more about that in her recent post for Emma’s Substack “A Genealogy Fair and a Mystery Solved.” What a terrific reminder of the extraordinary resources available to you among local historical societies, antiquarians, and collectors. Today’s episode focused on a theme Emma has wanted to explore to discover the actors and other thespians in her family tree. She’s kindly offered her slides here as a reference. As with each episode, Emma thoughtfully included several unexpected tips. Among them were:* Keep an eye out for stage names that are distinct from birth names. Regulations may require the connection to be printed in a newspaper.* Wikipedia.org: Most series (such as movies or television) will have Wikipedia pages listing who was in each episode. If such a series page doesn’t exist, you can create one yourself. * eBay: Anyone who was an actor or in theatre may have advertising or newspaper writeups treasured by collectors. Don’t overlook collectors’ sites like eBay. Search by title, topic, author — even address. * Hathi Trust: A tremendous resource for digitized books, pamphlets, and documents.* Abebooks.com or abebooks.co.uk, a reseller of out-of-print, rare books, fine art, and collectibles.* Google searches (use “” around groups of words, “-” or “+” for exclusions or inclusions, for example.) And while searching, look for…1) Theaters, production companies, and more2) Photos – search from photos using images.google.com or lens* Use Google alerts for search terms you are always on the hunt for.For more tips, view all past episodes of Emma Explores here, and join us for our Emma Explores program on December 19th. That will be the last program of the calendar year. All of Projectkin's programs are listed on the Projectkin Events Calendar. Join us, won’t you? You’ll receive this and all Projectkin articles and recordings delivered directly to your inbox. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

One of the wonders our “Emma Explores” programs is how Emma’s articulation of her research journeys can be so inspiring to our own. In today’s program, Emma described the writers, journalists, and a diplomat in her family and how she could explore her ancestors’ lives through their work as accessible from the modern web. Here are the slides she sharedThe fabulous tips Emma suggested in her presentation quickly fueled the discussion at the end. Among them were:* Carefully explore the objects, trunks, and other physical materials you’ve inherited to identify related search topics. * Don’t discount Wikipedia.org you can author your a page or edit those others have written.* British Newspaper Archive* eBay: Search by title, topic, author — even address. You never know what you’ll find. (See Emma’s recent Podcast on postcards.* Abebooks.com or abebooks.co.uk, a reseller of out-of-print, rare books, fine art, and collectibles.* Other online booksellers* History of Parliament online: historyofparliamentonline.org — where Emma found a profile for her ancestor who had briefly been a member of parliament. Do the same for any government member in your country.* Google searches (use “” around groups of words, “-” or “+” for exclusions or inclusions, for example.) And while searching, look for…1) Occupations – where they worked2) Publications – add photos if possible3) Find old covers of magazines/newspapers4) Covers of books found online (plus extracts of you want)* Google alerts for search terms you are always on the hunt for.Emma graciously offered tips and help on searches in Britain, primarily England. Our delightful discussion extended past the recording. Join us for our next event on November 21. Learn more and register. All of our programs are listed on the Projectkin Events Calendar. Please join us as a subscribing member to receive these posts by email as soon as the recording is available. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

As a professional genealogist, Emma explores archives, churchyards, and online to compile histories, charts, tours, and books for clients. When collecting material for clients or engaging experts in discussions on her podcast, Journeys into Genealogy, and substack of the same name.Today’s exploration focused on patterns in a family tree, whether from location, industry, physical characteristics, or illnesses. Today’s pattern focuses on places. Emma introduces us to Scots terminology and some remarkable resources available to anyone on the web.The discussion that followed Emma’s talk today included an outpouring of shared references and experiences. Among the links are: Exploring Montrose, Scotland* National Library of Scotland Maps Section: maps.nls.uk* Demo of NLS maps website showing side by side view 1897 and today* National Records of Scotland: nrscotland.gov.uk* Catalogues & Indexes* GENUKI: A virtual reference library of genealogical information of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland * genuki.org.uk/big/sct/sct_cmap* Scotlands people: scotlandspeople.gov.uk* Kirk Session records: Kirk sessions are local church courts held by the Church of Scotland since 1560* Scottish Archive Network: catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk* Scan Catalog Overview showing Montrose: Search for records where any field contains any of the words montrose Exploring Kildrummy, Scotland* Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy on Family Search* BHO — British History Online* Topographical dictionary of the Kildrummy area on British-History.ac.uk Research Tools & Websites* NLS Roy transcription project to learn more about Scottish geography maps.nls.uk/roy* Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society (ANESFHS)* ANESFHS.org.uk (Very helpful people)* A Pharos course by Chris Paton on researching Scottish ancestors (lots ofsources mentioned) pharostutors.com/scottish-research-online* British Newspaper Archive britishnewspaperarchive.co.ukAdditional resources from the discussion that followed: It was a delight to see so many Projectkin members and contributors in our discussion today. Previous contributions from participating Projectkin members:* Karen Ray * Anna Scheutz* Jude Rhodes* Kathy Stone: Kathy is responsible for our ongoing series, Kathy’s Corner. Join us next week on August 22nd for our next episode. Register here. Here’s the most recent episode from last month:Finally, don’t miss next week’s Open House as the inaugural Roundtable discussion for the new Mission: Genealogy. This is the new genealogy community just starting here on Substack. Learn more about the program: And I hope you can join us next week. (Of course, it’s free.)Thank you so much for being a part of the Projectkin Community Forum. If Projectkin is new to you, please join us. You’ll receive all programs and resources free of charge in your inbox.Feel free to keep the conversation going by adding comments below and sharing your stories in Notes. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

As a professional genealogist, Emma explores archives, churchyards, and online to compile histories, charts, tours, and books for clients. When collecting material for clients or engaging experts in discussions on her podcast, Journeys into Genealogy, and substack of the same name.As we explore family history, we generally expect to research our ancestors based on their names and what we’ve learned about the dates and locations of important moments in their lives. Sometimes, however, it’s not so straightforward.An Ongoing Mystery and a Brick WallAs Emma describes in this episode, one of her ancestors changed her given name, family, and married names several times during her lifetime. Emma shared her own journey as she followed Caroline Rumpf through her baptism, marriages, and homes as captured in census and church records. You can explore and download her slides here:Emma’s discussion of Caroline’s changing name triggered an interesting discussion of how immigration records and other clerical errors also changed names in former British colonies in the Americas and Australia. It also revealed how records might be hiding behind institutional name changes. In the discussion that followed, Emma mentioned the British Newspaper Archive, Australian Trove, and her recent interview for her podcast with Ruth Graham of the Society of Australian Genealogists:The lessons and tools Emma shared with us can be applied to your family research, too. Learn more about Emma at:* EmmaCox.co.uk* JourneysIntoGenealogy.co.uk* JourneysIntoGenealogy.substack.comOur next program in the series will be on August 15; you can register for that event or any in the series here:Emma Explores, like all programs from Projectkin are accessible to all members and the family history community for free. To learn more about coming events, please visit: To get these recordings directly in your mailbox each month, plus articles, resources, recipes, and more, join us as a member. Subscribing as a member is easy—and free, just drop us your email address. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe

As a professional genealogist, Emma explores archives, churchyards, and online to compile histories, charts, tours, and books for clients. When collecting material for clients or engaging experts in discussions on her podcast, Journeys into Genealogy, and substack of the same name. In this wonderful series, Emma takes us behind the scenes as she shares the joy of discoveries and in her family history from her home in Kent, England. Today’s episode focused on “gateway” ancestors Emma discovered in her own line and how they opened up connections to royal ancestors. The lessons and tools she’s shared with us can be applied to your family research, too. More about Emma at: * EmmaCox.co.uk* JourneysIntoGenealogy.co.uk* JourneysIntoGenealogy.substack.com Emma has also generously shared her slides with us: Our next program in the series will be on July 18; you can register for that event or any in the series here: Emma included an extensive list of tools she used in her research. Among them: * FamilySearch.org (free)* Relatives at RootsTech (only available during RootsTech.)* RelativeFinder.org (login with a free FamilySearch login)* ThePeerage.com (free)* Internet Archive (Archive.org, free, books and web property archives)* BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk (fee, and through FindMyPast)* Newspapers.com — (Fee-based, though now part of Ancestry.com but often available through public libraries for free.)* Trove.nla.gov.au (free)* Google Alerts (free)* HathiTrust.org (free, high-resolution book scans)The slides aren’t immediately available but will be added as a PDF to this post by 5 PM Pacific time on June 21st. You’re very welcome to share this recording with others if you think they might be interested.I was delighted to see Jude Rhodes of Stories of Our Generations in the audience today. Like Emma, she’s a professional genealogist as well, working in Yorkshire England. Jude will be our guest in a special Project Recipe event in August. Learn more and register here. This recording is automatically sent to all Projectkin members for free as part of our Substack newsletter. It is one of the programs we offer each month. To learn more, visit Projectkin.org or Just drop your email address here now. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe