Archive for July, 2010
Not a brick wall…a toll gate!
Posted on: July 31st, 2010 by pj
Taking a break from writing I almost absentmindedly started researching another line of my family.  I’d been reading about the genealogical value of mtDNA testing and the ‘daughters of Eve’.  Personally, although its fascinating, I’m not ready to investigate that in relation to my own genealogical research, just yet.  However, it did make me think about my mother’s line and how tracing back, mother to mother was something that hadn’t occurred to me.  Until now.
I know a lot about my maternal grandmother and I have some information about my great and even great, great grandmother.  Yesterday I found my ggg grandmother on the 1861 census.  She was living in a small village in Warwickshire her address being the ‘Toll Gate’;  occupation ‘Toll Collector’.  (more…)
The first line of a book is important.
Posted on: July 13th, 2010 by pj
Those few words are what all the 'how to write a bestseller' authors will tell you are the ones that suck the reader in, grab their attention and set the tone and style for the remaining 50,000 or so words.

I had a great opening line for this book.

"My grandfather was born in a register office"

It seemed just about perfect for the beginning of a book about family history.  What a pity it's not true.  The line that got away.  I feel like a fisherman, "No honest, it was THIS good".

(more…)