EFHA members have found these resources useful in discovering more about their ancestors or for finding new ones. However, these links, documents, stories etc have also been important in increasing our skills as researchers and we hope you will find that they also help you as you increase your own research skills.
They have another function, too. Knowing the name of an ancestor doesn’t bring us as close to that person as if we know about their life and the circumstances in which they lived. We need to find whether they were rich, poor or in-between, how they survived the everyday hazards of life before modern medicine, for instance, and what daily life would have been like for someone living in their circumstances.
We plan to add to these pages so would welcome any ideas from you and suggestions for other resources that you have found useful. So far, we have listed them as:
External Links
These are a series of pages containing links we think you would find handy. They range from purely local, small-scale sites to the National Archive, run by government. Because of the dynamic nature of the web, there is no guarantee that these links will always work. Should any fail, please contact the Webmaster and let him know! We would also value knowing about other sites that you have found useful – again, the Webmaster! They are grouped into:
- Background History – to provide context to the lives of your ancestors
- Library Links – to institutions large and small
- Trade Directories – where to find them online and free, where available
- Military Links for your military ancestors
- People – some famous people and people who led interesting lives
- Societies who may be able to help you with your research
- Others:
- Reference sites – from maps to Latin!
- Subscription sites, such as Ancestry.com
- Free or Partially Free sites
- Sites Offering Links to even more sites!
DNA
So far, we have two articles about DNA and how it helps with the search for ancestors.
- DNA Testing tells us what DNA is, what it tells us and how to choose a testing company
- Can DNA Tests Help You? is an Article by the Family History Federation and is a really useful help before you decide what to do
Twissle Times Articles
These are articles which have appeared in the TT over the last few years and have been adapted for the web.
- …and in Flew Enza! is about the deadly pandemic, the influenza outbreak of 1918-1919
- Whisky Spinners were the distillers of illicit alcohol who seem to have flourished in 19th century Lancashire, until brought down by the Revenue!
- The Skull, a story of violence, civil war and a pub in Lancashire
- Louisa Entwistle, Suffragette, the story of an ordinary working girl prepared to risk imprisonment for the vote
- Slavery is about an Entwistle involved in this barbarism in the Caribbean
- Harriet the Entwisle Duchess – interesting goings-on in Georgian England
- Sough Tunnel to Entwistle – the achievement and human cost of building the great British railway system. And Michael Portillo!
People, Events and Developments
Articles about people who made a name for themselves, significant events and important changes.
- The Foxhole Entwistles from near Bury
- Hugh Robert Entwistle and the “Bellerophon”, one of Nelson’s ships with an additional claim to fame – she carried Napoleon!
- 19th C – Rapid Change – a collection of histories of 19th century people
Book Reviews
Some of the Reviews are about people, others about the area of Lancashire where the name Entwistle originated. If you know of any good books you think we should include, please contact the Webmaster or, write a review yourself and let us publish it on the site.