Elizabeth Mills
The start
Welcome to the first blog on this, my new website. I hope that you will find it intriguing and will come back and visit from time to time.
Starting a new business is always a challenge, but with the help of Jack of Archetype Design it has been painless. Having already undertaken ancestry research for a few clients, I have a good idea of what is required, so I hope that others will follow.
It is challenging to research Irish ancestry, so I am still getting to the bottom of that. And with every project, I learn something new - a new place to visit, a new catalogue to explore, a new way in which our ancestors managed to hide their true natures.
Several people have asked about DNA and its use in family history research. I have some personal experience, and have identified new cousins and righted a century-old wrong in the process. In this picture you can see a typical late 19th century Jamaican family. Arthur in the middle row claimed that he was not father to his wife's daughter. His wife claimed he was. And so began a century long argument, which DNA has now resolved. Arthur was wrong!
Most of the companies offering the DNA service also offer a secure means of communicating with possible relations. However that doesn't necessarily lead to finding new best friends. I find it slightly odd that anyone would go to the trouble and expense of having their DNA analysed, and then NOT respond to messages from possible cousins.
Next steps
The work that I have already done for friends, family and clients has brought me to this place. Now I need to get more experience, add to my portfolio and possibly even undertake a diploma course. There are several to choose from, including a distance learning course at Strathclyde University
I wish I lived closer to Canterbury because the course offered by the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies looks fascinating