Jayne Shrimpton is a professional dress historian and ‘photo detective’, photograph consultant for TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ and her books include ‘Tracing Your Ancestors Through Family Photographs’. jayneshrimpton.co.uk
Steven Smyrl is former president of Accredited Genealogists Ireland, chairman of the Irish Genealogical Research Society and executive liaison officer for the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations. With his brother Kit, he is a director of the Irish probate research firm Massey & King
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David Frost’s interest in genealogy was sparked by the unexpected appearance of an illegitimate and distinctly dodgy family member in 1967. He’s relieved to find that every month still brings new discoveries.
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Connections across continents
Q Last year you featured some family photographs connecte to my great-uncle, Charles John Bagwell (b.1875), who emigrated to Canada in 1903. Here are other copies I have received from his descendants. I wondered if some portray the same lady, and whether she could be Charles’s sister, Lydia Elizabeth Bagwell b.1877. Also, my grandmother Florence Rose Bagwell had a photo simply named ‘Lydia’ [see photo 2]. Lydia was also Florence’s sister, so does this photograph represent her – or is it more likely to be Florence’s mother, Lydia Elizabeth (Paddon) Bagwell (1851-1893)? This Lydia wears the same butterfly brooch that my grandmother, Florence, wears in a photo taken before she left for Australia [photo 1].
Faye Kenwrick
A It is wonderful when family history research forges connections across continents, especially when new-found relatives share photographs of common ancestors. However, often there is little information attached to images that have travelled the globe – or the names and presumed identities don’t match, creating confusion amongst subjects’ descendants.
Setting aside temporarily any assumptions about names/identities that you cannot honestly verify, the way to begin resolving these queries is: