After taking some time off to spend time with family, my project following Robert Carey has jumped off the rails. I have had so many other things going on that I’m taking a little break before I refocus and continue with the weeks I had left of my 12 week journey. And I’ve ended up falling down a rabbit hole after watching a presentation from at the Scottish Indexes Conference. The presentation by Jane Harris discussing a One Place Study re-ignited a passion I have for a certain area in Scotland. I have joined the society and I am organising my notes.

I have been threatening for years to write a book on a topic that ties into my family history. I borrowed books from my local library and have 23 pages in MS Word of notes that have been sitting getting dusty on my laptop. I really could have done more during lockdowns, but alas, my time was taken up elsewhere. The idea of using this particular topic as part of a One Place Study has made me quite excited. So I’ve dug out my old books again and started taking notes and working out what topics I can blog about that will be of interest to readers who may not normally take an interest in their local history.

I am not a qualified genealogist. I do have an undergraduate degree in history, but the research for that was in a completely different area and within the Early Medieval period. Being dyslexic, organising is not my strength, which might explain all my rabbit holes. I’m trying to work out a WordPress page that will cover topics of interest as well as the stories for the blog. The page hasn’t been published as I work it all out. It probably won’t surface until next year while I build content up privately.

Will it turn into a book? I’ve no idea. I really need to see how this project goes and if it is something people have enough interest in. I’ve two areas that I’ve been interested in researching, one during World War One and one from the 17th century.

When I was at university, I had an amazing dissertation advisor! I had written an essay in one of his classes and he highlighted a book I had referenced as being a book that really wasn’t academic and perhaps one not to use in future essays. It’s made me quite cautious on which books and papers I’ll reference. It’s looking at other books, much like Wikipedia, as a guide to then find the original books, papers, primary and secondary sources to form my own opinion.

It’s also knowing what maps or pictures or records I would be able to add images of. All the images I use on this WordPress are either through WordPress itself or on Canva. I wonder when I look at some blogs whether they asked for permissions first or whether they have just gone for it. I am very cautious of copywrites and getting myself into hot water.

So I’ve a lot to think about with this project idea. It is perhaps one that on the surface would seem a fairly easy one, but there is a lot of digging deep involved and perhaps a few visits to archives are on the cards.

Wish me luck! (Or if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.)