A second guest post by my erudite friend Bryan Cook
A poignant modern Irish folk song by Phil
Coulter, the “Town I Loved So Well” reminds me of how vital it is for us “golden years” genealogists to document our
memories of our lives in the towns and villages of our youth.
I have gained wonderful insights with which
to leaf out my family tree from, for example, Frank Atkinson’s “Life and
Tradition in Northumberland and Durham” (1977, ISBN 0-460-04243-2); from the
audio records of Northumberland County in which my great grandfather and great
uncles recount on tape (now available as MP3’s), in broad “Geordie” from their old age homes, their life and times
in Newbiggin-by-Sea; a
It often took a number of Google searches
to even know of the existence of such sources followed by an online hunt for
sellers as they are generally out-of-print.
I have begun a little historical writing of
my own experiences but am woefully lacking in dedication.That is why I applaud those authors in
Anglo-Celtic Roots (the Journal of British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa) who have taken up this challenge. A
fine example in recent issues is the series by Charles Morton documenting in
considerable detail his life in Manchester through the Blitz of WWII and the
Depression Years.
1 comment:
Never knew Bryan had writing and poetry amongst his many other skills!
Post a Comment