Genealogist at Large

As family historians, we are detectives and all detectives have a kit to take along on the trail as they search.

We’re always hearing about DNA, especially in connection with police forensics, but what is it exactly, how does it work and how can DNA techniques be applied to genealogy?

Patron saints are heavenly advocates for nations or places, occupations and professions or people. Perhaps the most well known is St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers.

I think that it is time for family historians to have a patron saint who they can call upon in times of stress and bewilderment. But who should it be? Who would favour our particular interest?

The call came in September 2004. “If I send you a book on ‘Genealogy on the Internet’, would you research our family history?” It was my aunt speaking, my father’s younger sister. She was the only one left of the three children born to my paternal grandparents.

And so began my travels on the family history trail. It was a journey both intensely frustrating at times and incredibly rewarding at others.

And which led to the moment that I realised the importance of knowing and understanding our roots.

A Henry Emptage was married to Anne Kemp on 14 January 1787 in St John’s Church, Margate. Six months later, another Henry Emptage married Susannah le Brush in the same church on 9 July 1787. They were my 4 x great grandparents.

Even though both couples had children and raised families, many people who have published trees on the internet have linked my 4 x great grandfather Henry to Ann Kemp as well as to his wife Susannah le Brush, effectively accusing him of committing bigamy. I take rather a dim view of that!