On 6 Feb 2011 at 23:23, Josephine Jeremiah wrote: > On Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:18:56 -0000, Roy Stockdill > <roy.stockdill@btinternet.com> wrote: > > > Newspapers and broadcasting media publish the names of hundreds of > > living people every day. If they didn't, the media wouldn't exist! > > What I find interesting is that a search can be made for surname or > place in local newspapers. > > I often mention Bristol's Evening Post and Bath Chronicle in posts, > but there are a number of other local newspapers, which I browse > online such as: > > Bridgwater Mercury > http://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/ > > Shepton Mallet Journal > http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/shepton > > Chard and Ilminster News > http://www.chardandilminsternews.co.uk/ > > It's surprising what can turn up in local newspapers such as these. > I completely agree. Newspapers - modern ones as well as the older local papers - are a brilliant and often under-valued source for family history. One of my talks is about "Researching from Newspapers" and I include in it the following observation..... "Old newspapers are a marvellous source for family history because they didn't just deal with the great and the good and the rich and famous, but the ordinary people. If your ancestor was in business or trade, was prominent in a church, club, trade organisation or union, did something unusual, was involved in an accident, appeared in court, got married, murdered or died in some unfortunate and violent way or committed a serious crime, and a myriad other situations, he or she is likely to have appeared in a newspaper report somewhere. "Indeed, if your ancestor had his or her 15 minutes of fame, to quote Andy Warhol, then it may well have been recorded somewhere." If the listowner will forgive me for a modest spot of advertising (!) I am happy to give this talk to family history societies and groups within a reasonable reachable distance from Hertfordshire. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE