Genealogy or the study of family lines is not a new science but the availability of online tools for research has transformed the hobby from a rather exclusive pursuit into something anybody can do in their spare time.
Using the Gov.uk site to search the General Register Office is just one of the ways that people can hunt down their long-lost ancestors – or even parents and siblings.
Where does this interest come from though? More to the point, how can you get started in Humberside?
Targaryen Family Tree
There’s no denying the fact that fiction has a role to play in creating a buzz around genealogy. For instance, if you’re a fan of HBO’s medieval series Game of Thrones or the related House of the Dragon, you’ve probably spent at least a few moments trying to work out who is related to whom – and how.
In true George R.R. Martin fashion, there’s always a question of whether the newlyweds are siblings (or aunt and nephew, as is the case with two of the protagonists). It’s a bold writing decision that at least has some relevance to the modern world. The real medieval period was rife with all sorts of familial oddities, including secret weddings, hidden children, and – worse (for the time) – divorce.
In real life or fiction, one of the best ways to sort out the fraternising of generations is with family trees. House of the Dragon features the character Rhaenyra Targaryen, who is descended from two people to sit on the Iron Throne, namely, Jaehaerys I and Viserys I. However, by looking at the Targaryen family tree, it’s evident that several other clans, like the Baratheons, are involved in keeping the group going.
So, let’s say that you want to create your family tree in and around Beverley and Hull. Where should you start? Unfortunately, genealogical services in this part of the UK seemed to have coalesced online, which does take away the joy of physical research and trawling through records. Even libraries in the East Riding of Yorkshire rely on FindMyPast and Ancestry for their family tree-making tools.
Genetic Information
Genealogical websites can be powerful tools but they come with some caveats that don’t apply to in-person studies. As an example, FindMyPast offers ‘hints’ for potential family members, based on the people and details you’ve already inputted. This is a time-saving feature but accepting the site’s findings without doing research can produce a family tree that’s filled with inaccuracies.
Of course, this is one of the great difficulties with genealogical studies of all kinds. The oral histories of families begin to erode after three generations. Considering that a generation lasts 20-30 years, this means that first-hand knowledge of family members dies out in under a century. Ultimately, unless you’re a celebrity or someone with a similar weight of fame, this is the amount of time it takes for you to be forgotten.
As a final point, genealogical websites suffer under the same devils as any other website. Back in 2020, the GEDmatch company endured a crisis that seems quite dystopian in hindsight, when the privacy settings of its 1.45m users were reset. While this might sound like one of the more innocuous pranks played by hackers, it took the locks off everybody’s stored genetic information.
Don’t be alarmed, though. Attacks of this scale and type are rare – but, arguably, there’s still no better resource for genealogy than a book or a newspaper if needed.
