Lately, my time for research has been taken up with other things. Developing a writing habit has been good but time consuming. It helps to grow the narrative nonfiction story about my family that I am currently working on. But the deeper I get into the narrative, the more about that line of the family I want to find out. You would think that would lead to more research not less. But not in this case.
That's because sometimes it pays to lay the groundwork for research. Probably more often than we like to think as we go haring off after clues not pausing to find out what is available or which sources will provide the best answers. What is that advice we are given? Something to do with having a research plan?
Even before planning research, a better understanding of the subject might stand the researcher in good stead. At least that's what I tell myself as I slowly work my way through some of the NIGS (National Institute for Genealogy Studies) courses. The one I'm taking currently is English: Non-Anglican Church Records. Very appropriate as the family line which I'm currently researching and writing about was nonconformist for many generations. How many generations, I have not yet been able to ascertain.
Most of my lot were Congregationalist but some, the early line that went from Horkstow in Lincolnshire to Rhode Island via Boston, may have been Puritan at some point only to become Quakers. One of my lines, however, was proud Church of England but the family came from Ireland. A suspicion that they may not always have been C of E, or C of I if it was in Ireland, had me sign up for a March 27 presentation on the Catholic Family History site https://catholicfhs.online/ about Secular and Church of England Records which may contain information on Roman Catholics.
There are plenty of chances to learn more about all kinds of subjects. More than there are hours in the day sometimes. The other day I received notice of a new Future Learn course which fits right into the ancestor story on which I am currently working. Working Lives on Britain's Railways: Railway History and Heritage looks like it will add to my knowledge of my ancestor's working life. But could I add another course to my schedule? I was happy to see that it starts the same week that my NIGS course ends. So, I signed up. I'll get to the research on my family one of these days. Mustn't forget about my RootsTech playlist though.
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