During the past year, I have been enrolled in an online course through the University of Tasmania for a Diploma of Family History. There are currently eight units on offer and I have successfully completed five units to date, as I write, on the 22nd of August 2016. Every unit covers a different aspect of family history research, all of which have opened my eyes to how to become a more successful family research ‘detective’.

Whilst completing the latest unit, ‘Place, Image, Object’, I realised how important it is when taking on the role of family historian to record all the details, to the best of your ability, about the places your family has lived and the journeys they have taken during their lives. It is essential to scan and record the details of family photos and also to document and photograph any objects that have been passed on from generation to generation.

It is the responsibility of the current owner of family keepsakes to ensure that future generations know who the objects once belonged to. Photos fade with age and memories are forgotten. Details become distorted. It is the responsibility of the family historian of each generation to preserve anything they can about not only their ancestors but also about themselves, which may provide answers to the questions of the children who are yet to be born.

In short, when taking on the role of family historian, one must also anticipate the questions which may be asked by future generations.

With the documenting of such information in mind, I have decided to record stories of places, images and objects that are an important aspect of my extended Mottershead family history. Each time I write a new story, which relates to a place, an image or an object, I will add a link to the story on this page.

With this comprehensive information available to them, my descendants need not be left wondering.

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Object Biography – Pfaff 30 Sewing Machine