#otd my great grandfather Samuel Campbell Shedden was born, in West Calder, Midlothian, #Scotland. The second born of Thomas Shedden and Helen Shedden (nee Russell), Sam left Scotland in 1912 to be a teacher in Waimangaroa #nz. Happy birthday Sam, you will be remembered! #familyhistory #genealogy

#genhour excited to share that The Family Archives is going international! My husband, kids and I are taking up an opportunity to move from #nz to #Leeds #uk for a year. Looking forward to some on-the-ground research. Who should I connect with in #familyhistory and #Genealogy while I'm over there?

#ancestryhour help me brainstorm witty comebacks for when I tell people about my family history business and they say, "Oh I prefer to focus on the future." I need to condense: "But understanding where you come from makes you the most clear and present version of yourself FOR the future." Ha!

#aotearoa #nz #Christmas in the #Summertime. Who still gets an orange (or a Terry's chocolate orange) in their stocking? Perfect day to build a Titanic sandcastle, ice berg dead ahead!

I hope someone puts the modern equivalent of "a sovereign wrapped in spotless tissue paper" in your hands! As received by my ancestor Avis Yarborough Simôn (1893-1987) from his great uncle Sir John Simôn KCB (1816-1904) at their annual Christmastime visit. #genealogy #familyhistory #archive #genhour

As quoted by my 3x great uncle Alfred Max Simôn, in his 1914 memoir entitled 'Lest we forget'. I reckon he and I would have got on great! #familyhistory #genealogy #archives #nz #ancestryhour

Little pat on the back for myself for spending some time clearing over 12,000 unread emails from my inbox. Now down to 324. (Personal account that is, work emails are immaculately maintained) 😅

“Brick wall” is such a polite term for “this ancestor simply evaporated into the ether like a Victorian cryptid” #genealogy #FamilyHistory

Found in Nanny's cookbook - Pop's program for a "progressive dinner" c1970s. A festive reminder that: a) Cookbooks are an excellent source of #genealogy info, not just for family but FANs b) We love and laugh with people even after they're gone c) drink-driving is bad! #familyhistory #archives #nz

#genhour Exciting Friday plans here = decipher 15 pages of this handwriting, to figure out if this is indeed the Will of my 5x great Scottish grandma! Wish me luck haha #genealogy #familyhistory #archives #newzealand #scotland

Love me a cute historical hall - this one is in Omiha, Waiheke Island. Featuring lots of old photos and local stories on the walls. Still a hub of community including transforming into a café on weekend mornings! #history #nz Our Story - OWRS share.google/uY5WbfwJkrv7...

Rather chuffed to have my article published in The New Zealand Genealogist magazine December issue. The theme was "Where did they live?" #genealogy #familyhistory #archives #nz #genhour #oneplacestudies

#ancestryhour is it just me, or is discovering your ancestors maidennames the best buzz? Opens the door to a whole new family history. I'm not just a McGavock, I'm a Macintosh, Simôn, Tukuwaha, Mason, Carlin, Campbell, Cavannagh. Dorée, Single, McKain. Shedden, Coveny, Thomas, Greenman. #genealogy

Nau mai te raumati! Summer in #aotearoa #nz looks like blue sky and pōhutukawa trees in bloom. Might have to move my office outside! #genealogy #familyhistory #archives

The vibes when your family book arrives in the post #genealogy #familyhistory #genhour #archives #aotearoa #nz

#ancestryhour bashing away at my favourite brick wall this week - tree branches are growing outwards and downwards, little bit of height in maternal lines and some surprises! Could it be that my 4x great grandfather literally married the girl next door?! Watch this space! #genealogy #Scotland #nz

“The arguments to exercise caution with DNA are valid, if a bit doom-laden. But there is another perspective that we need to consider, and that’s the power of DNA to reconnect those Māori who don’t know their whakapapa.” — Atakohu Middleton, who found her sister through DNA testing.

#genhour A little story about a collection of 1940s Wage Tax Stamps! Plus have made it easier to subscribe to my blog at The Family Archives, so that you get notified whenever a new one is published. Here is the link thefamilyarchives.co.nz/wage-tax-sta... #genealogy #familyhistory #archives #nz

When you are handing items on to the next gen, use photos to help tell the story of their origin! Like this Wade Whimsies Hare that my children were playing with this week. Their Grannie loved showing them this photo of her as a little girl with the very same Hare! #familyhistory #genealogy #archive

A philatelist's dream! Digitised a farm Minute Book including 1940s wage stamps (precursor to PAYE system)! Such a colourful part of our #history - watch this space for a blog post all about them! And 'yes' I did collect stamps as a child haha. #stamps #nz #philatelist #genealogy #familyarchives

#genhour having a great week here, exchanging family history info with a cousin via email. Each bringing something to the party. She has more info and records collected from Scotland, and I've been able to surprise her with two New Zealand sisters that she hadn't known our 2x great grandfathers had!

#ancestryhour celebratory happy dance over here as a 'cuzzy' (never mind the 'removed' etc) has agreed to collaborate with me on our McGavock Ulster-Scot brick wall. Including sharing copies of a bunch of records I was about to pay for! Plus two brains are better than one.

Managed a little crossover between academic research job and #familyhistory last week. We had a wānanga at Te Rau Karamu marae (Massey University #nz) where we discussed sleep in Te Ao Māori. I wasn't the only one who brought photos of tūpuna with me either! We're closer to them when we sleep.

When you are obsessed with #familyhistory, you get people such presents! For my brother's birthday, I printed him the 1911 newspaper article about our 2x great-grandfather receiving this 'suitably inscribed' pocket watch, that he has since inherited. On acid-free archival paper of course! #archives

Vibes for Tuesday. What do you love about doing #familyhistory or #genealogy or whatever it is you do?

“If a ‘knowledge-rich’ curriculum isn’t grounded in te ao Māori and the very people and things that make Aotearoa unique, who is determining the knowledge and where does it come from?” — Jessie Moss on the ideology behind education reform.

Help, the bot I fed on racism has turned out to be a racist. theconversation.com/historical-i...

#31daysofgraves day 24 unique animal. My dear grandparents' grave. You can see the Royal Airforce badge depicting an eagle - not super unique. BUT our current #nz airforce roundel is a blue circle with a red kiwi. Yes that's right. Our native nocturnal FLIGHTLESS kiwi represents the airforce 😆

#genhour another busy week at the home office! New client (referred by a previous client, always a good thing), great progress with another who phoned especially to say "whoooeee it's looking good!", finished a Pharos paper, and squeezed in some volunteering for #nzsg sorting funeral service sheets!

#31daysofgraves day 22 landscape. The view from the urupā (cemetery) at Wairewa marae is across to Wairewa roto (lake) in one direction, and to the mauka (mountain) Te Upoko o Tahumatā in the other. In Māori culture, these landmarks signify where you come from. We introduce ourselves through them.

BBC News - Four WW1 soldiers found during hospital build www.bbc.com/news/article...

Two family autograph books digitised and tucked away in their archival boxes for a client. Some of the notes were hilarious. Some should stay in the 1940s! 😅 #familyhistory #autographs #archives

This is awesome, great supersleuthing Andrea! Link to the article in comments #genealogy #familyhistory #whakapapa #aotearoa #nz

#31daysofgraves day 17, relocated. She wasn't moved far, but moved nonetheless.

Day 17 of #31DaysOfGraves - Relocated Markers in the Old West Graveyard in Prestonpans have been moved on at least two occasions. In mid 19thC its remarkable assemblage of 17th-18thC carved stones were built into boundary walls and in 1980s the Council shifted the rest to a corner to create a park.

#31daysofgraves day 15 "damaged". This ad was placed by my 3x great-grandfather in October 1889, here in #nz. Their family grave in Invercargill had been 'wantonly & cruelly damaged'. No doubt upsetting given he'd already buried two of his children at that point in time. #familyhistory #genealogy

#ancestryhour not enough hours in the week this week as I juggle client work, Pharos assignments and trying to write up an article to submit to NZ Genealogy mag. The theme for their next issue is "Where did they live?" so working on a mini #oneplace study of my ancestors farm

#31daysofgraves day 12 notable woman. My gg grandmother Maria Elizabeth Tavendale (nee Coveny), Waimangaroa, West Coast, #nz. She came here from #Liverpool as an assisted immigrant in 1878, age 19. She had 11 children, the youngest born 1900 (age 41). William died in 1901, so she raised them alone.

#31daysofgraves day 11 military. Lone Pine Memorial To The Missing, Gallipoli, Turkey. Faulkner Charles "Roy" Simôn, born in Myross Bush, Southland #NZ. Enlisted in NSW with the Australian Imperial Forces. Killed age 23 (we have a copy of the letter referenced in the article, linked below).

“We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.” — Rongopai Kira, deputy principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.

#31daysofgraves maybe this is cheating haha but I found an urn (day 10), a cross (day 23), and an obelisk (day 16) all in one photo! Taken at Glasgow Necropolis in 2009. Signs of my interest in #familyhistory have been there for some time #genealogy #archives

Papers Past rabbit-hole looking for early articles about my ancestor Archibald McGavock and his wife Sarah Caroline McGavock (nee Carlin) in Southland #NZ. They arrived from #Scotland approx. 1865 and had at least 10 children, some of whom were rather studious! #familyhistory #genealogy #archives

New office space. Ticks boxes for: light, temperature, big work table! Pity the view is of an old chicken coop but can't win 'em all. #archives #familyhistory #genealogy #nz

#OnePlaceWednesday showcase: Bluff, Southland Explore the lives & stories of residents in this community through collaborative genealogy research! 📍https://www.WikiTree.com/wiki/Space:Bluff,_Southland_One_Place_Study #OnePlaceStudy #CollaborativeGenealogy

#31daysofgraves day 7 angels. Not technically a grave but close enough! My favourite angels in St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

It is #timetraveltuesday here again at The Family Archives! This time my husband Jack, looking like his grandfather and namesake, also Jack! They never got to meet as he had sadly passed before Jack was born #genealogy #familyhistory #whakapapa #oldphotos

A new blog post from me showing some of the archiving work I have done so far! So happy I can use local #nz business Conservation Supplies who have such amazing products, and are also just great to work with! #genealogy #familyhistory #aotearoa #archives thefamilyarchives.co.nz/beautiful-ar...

#31daysofgraves Day 4 Languages Te Reo Māori feat. on the grave of Heremaia Mautai, the brother of my 4x great grandmother Tukuwaha

#ancestryhour had some luck finding out more about a 4x great aunt this week - knew she had arrived in NZ in 1878 from shipping records, now found her marriage record (her maiden name had been mangled) and death record. No children found yet so more to do.

Uptick in people using DNA for citizenship www.bbc.com/news/article... #geneticgenealogy