I live in the county of Devon, almost on the pointy bit at the bottom of England. I was born in Barnstaple, Devon and grew up in Okehampton, Devon. I obtained a BSc(Hons) in Mining Geology from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London and an MA degree in Police & Criminal Justice Studies from Exeter University.

 

I have been researching my family history since 1991 and try to fit a bit in daily. My daughter refers to it as working on the "boring old family tree!" I have tried to interest my children in the project, as I don't want it to die with me, but there are no takers so far, so it looks like it will. 

 

I still like to research the old-fashioned way, by going to local records offices and digging out the original documents. Still, as online sites put more original documents online, as opposed to transcripts, the need to travel halfway across the country to find a baptism has diminished somewhat.

 

I base my research on primary sources and hope that I have made the right deductions based on those sources. I am always open to challenges regarding anything I have come up with, so if you don't agree with something I've written, please let me know! It is always good to re-examine work I may have done many years ago, particularly when I was still learning the ropes. Click here to see how I go about it. 

 

My favourite genealogical activity is visiting old churches and graveyards and searching for memorials for my extended family. This brings my family history to life and makes it part of the wider historical context.