Shake the tree and nuts fall out!

  Week 7 (Feb. 15-21): Unusual Source – village notice board From Amy Johnson-Crow -  Week 7's theme is "Unusual Source." Not all of our genealogy discoveries come in the "regular" sources like vital records and the census. What is a discovery that you've made using an unusual source? An online Village notice board linked to Saintfield, Ireland is the most “unusual source” that I have gathered information about my ancestors from. Well, technically speaking I didn’t get the information about them off the notice board, I posted an advert onto it a few years ago asking for any information linked to my family who had lived in the area in the 1800's and possibly any who are still living today, and I heard nothing, that was until a couple of weeks ago. VILLAGE NOTICE BOARD I had a lady message me saying she had seen my advert online on the village notice board linked to my “Lackey and Jackson” family of Saintfield, Ireland. She believed she could help me out...

From Amy Johnson Crow - Do you have a story that's been handed down in your family? Did it turn out to be true (or maybe have just a kernel of truth to it)? Maybe you have something tangible that's been handed down. For this weeks theme of “ handed down ” I have decided to go with the Lackey males profession of Boot & Shoe-making. I have 4 generations that were Boot & Shoemakers and therefore they “ handed down ” the knowledge and profession to the next generation. There maybe others in the family who were also in the trade, but at the moment I have no information on them. Before I start on my ancestors story, I thought I would share a few lines on Boot & Shoe-making. Shoe-making was one of the lowliest occupations — little better than labouring, and it was the usual employment for cripples or the infirm. Although it was highly skilled and labour-intensive, it was not very profitable. Many village cobblers’ shops competed with the local pub as a meeting place for i...