As a family historian, I know the deep sense of purpose that comes from uncovering the stories of our ancestors , but what happens when we have no direct descendants to pass our family history on to, or those we do have are not interested? This is a challenge faced by many, but there are still meaningful ways to share your family’s unique story.
Donate to Archives and Local Studies Libraries
One of the most impactful ways to share your family history is by donating relevant historical documents, photographs, and artifacts to local archives or libraries. (Each organisation has different criteria for what it will accept, so ask them what they would welcome.) Institutions have the expertise and resources to preserve and catalogue your materials, making them available to the public for years to come. When preparing your donation, provide as much context and information as possible – much like I did in my book ‘Who Do I Think You Were?®’ A Victorian’s Inheritance – to help your local archive or library understand the significance of what you are offering.
Create an Online Family History Repository
Establishing an online presence for your family’s story can be a powerful way to share it with a wider audience. Consider building a dedicated website or blog to host your family’s narratives, photographs, and genealogical data. Utilise user-friendly platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress to create an engaging and visually appealing site, much like the one I maintain at www.helenparkerdrabble.com. Encourage distant relatives or interested parties to contribute their own family stories and materials, fostering a collaborative and dynamic online repository.
Publish a Book or E-Book
For those with a more traditional approach, compiling your family’s history into a self-published print book or e-book can be a rewarding way to share your family history. As a proud member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, I’ve found this to be a valuable way to share my work and connect with the wider genealogy community.
You can take advantage of printing and distribution platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing or IngramSpark to share your book digitally or use their print on demand services. (There’s no need for you to pay for a print run yourself. As the author, you can order as many author copies as you wish at a decent cost.)
You may not know that by law, one copy of every UK publication (including e-books) must be sent to the British Library within one month of publication. This enables your book to be preserved for generations to come.
By distributing digital copies to libraries, genealogical societies, and online platforms, you can ensure your family’s narrative reaches a broader audience of researchers and social history enthusiasts.
Collaborate with Genealogical Organisations
Reach out to local and national genealogical societies, such as the National Genealogical Society, or family history societies, to explore opportunities for collaboration. These groups may be interested in featuring your family’s story in their newsletters, journals, or online databases, helping you to connect your history with a network of family historians.
Share with Online Communities
Online communities can be a valuable resource for sharing and preserving your family’s legacy. Take part in forums or Facebook groups dedicated to genealogy or the place where your ancestors lived and introduce your family’s story to these engaged audiences. Not only can you receive valuable feedback and guidance, but you may also uncover new information or connections to your family’s past – as I have through my own online presence. (At the moment, I am asking people to share their stories of children’s treatment and the psychological consequences of bovine tuberculosis in Sheffield 1930s-1950s.)
I encourage you to explore these options and share your family’s stories. Especially those little shared experiences that are passing out of memory.
An example of this is the account I am writing about my father:
Against All Odds
In 1937, aged two and a half, Harry Drabble’s life took a devastating turn when he was diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis and taken from his parents’ care. For nearly ten years of his youth, he was mostly confined to bed in The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children, Sheffield with some spells at home. Harry experienced sensory deprivation, trauma, and emotional neglect in the hospital he referred to as ‘Rivelin’.
This heart-wrenching narrative follows Harry’s journey from winning a baby competition to becoming one of hundreds of thousands of British children who contracted an avoidable physical disability after drinking unpasteurised cow’s milk. It also explores the physical and emotional impact of bovine tuberculosis and its slow, isolating and harsh treatment, which ended with Harry reinventing himself against all the odds.
If you would like to know when this book is published you can join the waitlist here: https://helenparkerdrabble.com/coming-soon/
#Genealogy #FamilyHistory