Discovering your whakapapa trail by Finn Lloyd

DISCOVERING YOUR WHAKAPAPA TRAIL

FINN LLOYD journeys into his ancestry with modern tools.

I have always loved looking into my past, and the people whom were a part of it.

Lockdowns have let me discover times past and revealed so much to me. From the original Women’s Suffrage petition to the Charge of the Light Brigade, and down to the name of the ship my forebears emigrated on, and addresses in towns I’ve never been to, some dedicated days’ worth of research revealed this to me.

And so many people don’t, won’t, or are afraid to find out about their ancestry. Nothing has had such an effect as viewing the highs and lows of my family, and others that they can discover this too.

There are many resources available for people to use, such as government archives, private websites, or tales passed down through the family.

All of these are excellent sources of information about genealogy, though we must always be aware there is always misinformation, mistaken truth, and accidental matches online, and that word of mouth can change. These can be compiled by hand, or some websites or online tools allow one to compile this information automatically. One of the beauties of online websites is that they recognize matches in your information with others and will ask you if this information matches yours. This allows for not only matches you had no clue about but matches that could bring you closer to family. These resources and tools are there to assist you in your journey, and many are free to use.

Military records are easy to find, and usually, a google search (to some degree of specificity) will show you photos, articles, or death records of a person. In addition, there are many research institutions that can help you in your journey, such as archives, historical societies, libraries and sometimes RSA’s. My experience with using both online and manual heritage sites has been invaluable. This case can demonstrate this.

Mr. John Doe and his wife Jane, both of Ireland and my 4th Great-Grandparents, are excellent examples of the ease with which one can find their past. By using conventional methods – even a rudimentary google search – I found out that Jane was a suffragist and signed her name on page 95 of the petition, 24th from the bottom.

I also discovered her husband, John, was one of the noble six hundred in the cavalry charge known today as the Charge of the Light Brigade. He was wounded 18 times and was taken prisoner by the enemy Russians for a month before being traded back in a prisoner exchange. I found out far more than that, however, this information shows how much detail can be picked up when one puts in the effort.

More websites which I found extremely useful include Past Papers, State Library of NSW, findagrave, Ancestry.com, and NZhistory. It is also useful to remember that if the person was living in another country, use a search engine with that location, as it will narrow down the search results to said area. By using these tools, and applying some effort, you can discover more about oneself using your past.

The people who make up the rich tapestry that is ancestry will never simply disappear, rather they wait, beckoning you to come forth and find them. For some, discovering one’s own ancestry is a matter of pride, for others it is done to convey a sense of belonging and even more it is to discover for their own reasons.

Whatever your mission might be, I implore you to take the time to know about your family and join the people that already have, making connections and finding your family’s roots. One can always explore the past.