MY GENEALOGY JOURNEY:
AN INTERVIEW WITH POLLYANNA BRISTOL-MURPHY BSc DipGen RQG AGRA Member
1. At what point did you become interested in research and family history? Was it something you have always been fascinated by?
Family history has always been important in our family. I had a paternal and maternal uncle who were both keen family historians and from a young age they were producing family histories. But it wasn’t until Ancestry.co.uk became popular c2006 that I started investigating the original records. Although I had read the pieces my uncles put together it was the excitement of discovering the source material for myself that got me hooked!
2. Was there something in your own family history or childhood that sparked your initial interest?
There was always a mystery around the ancestry of my paternal great x2 grandfather’s ancestry; a surveyor who lived in Carlisle. Several generations of my family had failed to work out where he came from although there were links to Independents/ Congregationalists in the West Country who were also allegedly smugglers. It was fascinating delving into the 18th century world of non-conformists, excise men and soap boilers. A first-hand account of one of these particular families brought the history alive and I discovered a passion for reconstructing the past.
3. What was your first step into the world of Genealogy?
After getting myself going on Ancestry.co.uk, I went to a WDYTYA conference at Earls Court and came across the IHGS stand. I realised I needed to understand these records I was busy collating, I signed up for the IHGS Correspondence Course in Genealogy. Life got in the way of giving it my full attention and it took a while to complete but I am so pleased I did. A brilliant course, it gave me a fantastic grounding from which to launch myself into professional research.
4. What steps have you taken (Degree/Courses) to reach your current professional level?
I completed the IHGS CC in 2020 and went straight on to the IHGS Diploma in Genealogy, which I completed in 2021. With the qualifications under my belt and an initial client base I applied for full AGRA and QG membership. Being a fully accredited genealogist made a big difference with the number of enquiries I received; understandable clients want to know that you have the skills to tackle their research queries.
5. Have there been any highlights? (Anything you have really gained knowledge/information from, any recommended courses/events/tutorials or even resources?)
So many highlights, it is difficult to condense them down, but I would say the IHGS online lectures, combined with the online shows like those put on by the Family History Federation and RootsTech, were key in consolidating my knowledge. Listening to the experts bring the records to life, through case studies and research techniques, was enormously helpful. David Annal, Sophie Kay and Joe Saunders, for example, excel in teaching technique, content and context respectively. You never stop learning.
6. When approached with a new challenge or project, what is the first thing you always do?
Scope the project. What period are we looking at, which key records that are going to assist me, the jurisdiction of the parish, where are the records held, have they been digitised. I always start with the online resources, using indexes and catalogues to fine tune where the key information lies. Then follow up with archive research where appropriate.
7. Have you had any fascinating or surprising discoveries you could share with us?
A client asked me to find out why her great x2 grandfather had move to France in the 1840s. It was a bit of a long shot and I really wasn’t sure that was something that I would be able to work out. During my investigations I turned to the BNA newspaper archive, initially just inputting his name, nothing came up. I then widened the search terms and used an address he was associated with and bingo I came across multiple full-page articles covering a ‘breach of promise’ case; this young man had broken his engagement and the young woman involved was exacting her revenge. There was so much detail including all the letters he had written to her. The articles, and there were many, gave an incredible insight into this man which I would never dreamed I could have ascertained. The client response was ‘Well cor blimey! My goodness me, this report is incredible’
8. Has your research led you to any particular specialisms or areas of interest?
I am based in Bath, Somerset and a lot of my work is Southwest based. I spend most of my time in the 18th and 17th century; this tends to be where people have reached brick walls and need the help of a professional archive researcher. Manorial records and chancery cases are often the key to unlocking these families when the parish registers and probate records have failed to resolve the connections.
9. If you could offer one piece of advice to a budding Genealogist, what would it be?
It is a lot of hard work but an incredibly rewarding career. Make sure you build your knowledge from a solid basis, start with a course such IHGS’s Correspondence Course, cover all the record sets. Even if they are not areas you intent on focusing, ultimately each client project can take you in many different directions, it is understanding all the records available to you and their interconnection that is key.
10. It would also be wonderful if we could share some of your recommendations, such as:
- A Favourite Blog:
Dave Annal ‘Setting the Record Straight’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nlurl81z_c
Setting The Record Straight is a new series of short, family history-themed videos presented by Dave Annal of Lifelines Research.
The idea behind Setting The Record Straight is to share some of my genealogical research experiences with you. One of my main aims is to highlight some of the problems with the databases provided by the big commercial genealogical websites. There’s a lot that’s good about them but they often fall well short of the standards which we, as paying customers, really deserve. And when they do, we need to expose their failures and shortcomings. I feel strongly about this and examples of what I call REALLY BAD DIGITISATION will be a recurring theme of these videos.
But it won’t - I promise! - be all about me getting up on my soapbox and having a moan. I also want to use these videos to look at new online releases and to share tips and suggestions to make your research smarter and more effective. And I want to spend some time exploring some of my favourite websites.
- A Recent Read:
The Restless Republic by Anna Keay.
Keay brings to life the Interregnum, an often brushed over period in British history. As a researcher I was particularly fascinated by her reconstruction of ordinary peoples lives not just focusing on the well know characters. An impressively researched history and very well written.
- A Recommended Resource:
Always look at the transcriptions produced by your local Family History Society (FHS). They are usually of good quality, far better than those produced by the genealogy sites. When I am on FMP, for instance, looking at transcriptions of parish records I will always priorities those produced by a FHS. Check out the FHS websites and consider joining as a member if you research in that area on a regular basis.
- Your Preferred Software/Platforms:
I use Microsoft: Word for the reports; Powerpoint for the construction of pedigrees; Excel for data collation and sorting; OneNote for research notes. I have used mindmaps, family tree and charting software in the past but I always come back to Microsoft. It offers me the flexibility I need.
Any Top Tip!
Create Bookmarks under subject headings in your preferred browser. Being able to locate online record sets quickly is key when you are researching professionally. Any articles I read or lectures I watch, when they recommend an online resource, I bookmark it. This is particularly useful for regional records; each county has its own heading. I can quickly scroll through and identify all the key resources I am aware of for that subject or area.
