Hi, welcome to the website.

As a former serviceman of some twenty-four years, being involved in training and course design, and since working in civvy street, I have developed an interest in a number of subjects. Being involved with people in the forces and since in a volunteering role has led to me being passionate about helping people.

It was some time ago that I realized that the web was the place to be to enable me to share my knowledge and interests with others. Having done some research I formed a company ESA Enterprises Ltd so I could have all my interests and eventually my websites grouped under one company. However this has long since been dissolved, as I became aware that I needed a brand name.

Having advanced somewhat since I launched that site,  have now my own Brand, Learning and Wealth.  It does have its own motto:  “Be Happy, Healthy and Wealthy”.

This site is part of that group, this subject is my real passion, however delayed launching this site as I felt that I was not good enough, or in fact knew enough.  But as you read each weeks post I will let you be the judge of that.

Passion or Obsession

For a number of years it was called my obsession. One day when my son called, he asked where I was, my wife replied “Upstairs playing with the dead”.

Having had a number of conversations with people all over the country and abroad regarding my research into my family, and that of my wife’s, I have finally decided to launch a website.

Visiting the home of my Mum just before she relocated, or down sized, she asked if I would have a look at a box of books under the bed, and take what I wanted. Being in a hurry, I just picked up the box, put it in the car and said that I would sort it out when we got back home.

Whilst I was unpacking the children started to look at the books, which were now on the table, one of them asked what all the writing was in this particular book, I had a look and my eyes filled up, it was the Family Bible.

Why was I upset, because Dad had asked me years previously if I knew where the Family Bible was, my reply was that whilst I had seen a large book, possibly a Bible on the spare bed at my Grandparents, was not aware of one. He said that he wanted to add the births of his grandchildren.

It was with some pride that I have done this, also adding the deaths of those family members that are no longer with us, and now the marriages of his grandchildren. Now as time marches on the births of my own grandchildren.

So, many years after his death, there it was, it had been under the bed in the spare bedroom all the time, hence the tears.

The Journey For Me Begins

This was around thirty-five years ago, after reading all the entries which dated back to the 1700’s, my interest in the history of my family had begun.

In the coming months I hope to not only show you how to trace your family history, how to record it, where to search for it, but much more.  Each blog or post will hopefully have a top tip to aid you in your research.

Over twenty years ago I started a book called like an acorn a family grows. This has long been abandoned, researching as I do not one, but eight major family trees, these are of both my wife and my families. Some of these already contain over two hundred pages, so hopefully it will become apparent why I have each family in a separate book.

Best Intentions

My intention was to publish a blog a week, however this has not happened due to my other websites requiring my time.  Hopefully I will be posting more regularly to give the site a better feel, and you the reader a good basic insight into starting to trace your family history.

I have deliberately left that last paragraph in.  Things have changed again, a post will now appear every Wednesday starting on the 16th December 2020.  I intend to make a real effort with this website to help all who visit a chance to enjoy as I do, your families history.

Apologies my Internet connection has been down since the 7th December and was only restored last night (14th January).  As I would like to add my post each Wednesday, the first one will now appear next week, on Wednesday 20th January 2021.

It would be more formal if I used the title of the photograph at the beginning of the previous section,  and called it by its correct name of Genealogy.

Whilst this site is being established please do call back on a regular basis, I so hope that you enjoy this site and that tracing your family history gives you as much pleasure as it gives to me.

It is my hope that as the site develops that those of you who are already researching your tree will not only find some items of interest, but that we could eventually develop a forum, either here or on one or more of the social media sites, or even a membership site or a newsletter.

If you have any questions or comments I will be more than happy to answer them.

Enjoy your journey into your families past.

Stuart