🌻 Julie Goucher 🌻 (@juliegoucher)

Medieval Links A little earlier in the week, I held the first tutorial of the latest Introduction to One-Name Studies course. The topic of researching in the Middles Ages came up and we shared a number of links: Medieval Genealogy - site does give a security flag, but it is perfectly safe, I used it last night! Medieval Soldiers Database…

Medieval Links #genealogy #history #familyhistory #medieval

29.01.2026 02:19 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Robert Burns and Burns Night (2) Having written the earlier post about Burns Night (Burns Night Part 1), I realised that I had not explored the surname more fully. I don't have time to create a significant post, but did want to share a few things with you, as I was quite surprised. I headed to Forebears.io and looked at the distribution of the surname BURNS for 1881 - direct link to the data…

Robert Burns and Burns Night (2)
#scotland #RobertBurns #history

25.01.2026 13:14 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Robert Burns and Burns Night (3) This post concludes the mini series of Robert Burns and Burns Night - Part 1 and Part 2 I couldn't write about Burns Night, or a Scottish surname without writing about Clans and Tartans, even if it is in a limited way. Upon searching the site, Clans.com for the surname BURNS, it revealed 11 such tartans. Each tartan subsequently identified three different pallets - Reproduction, Modern and Ancient.

Robert Burns and Burns Night (3)

This post concludes the mini series of Robert Burns and Burns Night - Part 1 and Part 2 I couldn't write about Burns Night, or a Scottish surname without writing about Clans and Tartans, even if it is in a limited way. Upon searching the site, Clans.com for the…

25.01.2026 13:11 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Robert Burns and Burns Night (1) This is a rather long post, which I have split into three parts. Across the globe, thousands of people with Scottish Heritage celebrate the birth of the Scottish Poet Robbie Burns on 25 January. The first Burns supper was hosted by the Burns Club on 29 January 1802 which was thought to be the poet's birthday, however, a search of the Ayr parish records revealed that he was born on 25 January.

Robert Burns and Burns Night (1) #scotland #RobertBurns #history

25.01.2026 13:11 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Fabulous Virtual Family History Show – Hosted by East Surrey FHS The Guild of One-Name Studies will be at the virtual stand at this event hosted by East Surrey FHS. If you are curious about One-Name Studies, or surname research, please drop by and see us. FREE to attend, but you do need to register, to do so visit the East Surrey FHS

Fabulous Virtual Family History Show – Hosted by East Surrey FHS #genealogy #familyhistory #surnames #onlineevents #virtualevents

23.01.2026 08:40 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Introduction to One-Name Studies Course (901) Remarkably, researching surnames is seen as a very niche topic, despite the vast majority of people having one (FN1). Our individual family histories are littered with surnames. Hopefully all different ones, though if your ancestors like my maternal line, they lived within the same 30 mile radius for 300 years, crossing the borders of Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. As a consequence I have multiple occurrences of the same surname, nearly all of which do connect, even if a generation back, or individuals to the side of my direct ancestors.

Introduction to One-Name Studies Course (901) # genealogy #familyhistory #Surnames @GuildOneName @pharostutors

19.01.2026 14:34 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 22) – Variants The topic of variants and deviants is addressed in detail during the Introduction to One-Name Studies course. Essentially we have likely all come across variants and deviants to our surnames, even if we have not called them that. Variants For the purposes of my own One-Name Studies I have registered two variants for ORLANDO, these are ORLANDE and ORLANDA. For my BUTCHER study I registered just one, BUTCHERS.

(Advent 22) - Variants
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

06.01.2026 08:29 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Happy New Year – 2026! Purchased for my Guildford & District Collection, this was sent from Frederick Wait whilst he was serving from the Front in 1916. So, Who was Fred?….. A search of the Marriages for a B Turner in Guildford 1916+ to a Fred revealed one such entry. The marriage of Bertha A Turner to Frederick W Wait in the September Quarter of 1917 at Guildford.

Happy New Year – 2026!

Purchased for my Guildford & District Collection, this was sent from Frederick Wait whilst he was serving from the Front in 1916. So, Who was Fred?….. A search of the Marriages for a B Turner in Guildford 1916+ to a Fred revealed one such entry. The marriage of Bertha A…

01.01.2026 08:34 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Festivities of the Season However you spend the season, I hope you enjoy it whatever you are doing. Perhaps with friends, family and perhaps a little genealogy too.

Festivities of the Season

However you spend the season, I hope you enjoy it whatever you are doing. Perhaps with friends, family and perhaps a little genealogy too.

24.12.2025 18:03 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 13) – Migration Migration is the reason that a true one-name study is global. There have been peaks of migration, from the United Kingdom and various countries in Europe over time. The reasons for that migration varies depending on the starting point for the migration. Having made the decision to migrate there are a number of factors to consider, here some are listed from the…

(Advent 13) - Migration
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

22.12.2025 17:47 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 12) – Learning and Reading The way we each learn is different, I prefer to write notes, so for me I am likely to recall something if I wrote it down having read it or heard it. There is a plethora of genealogical and historical learning offerings out there, so much so it is easy to feel overwhelmed by it all. If I am undertaking research, say planning a book, article, course, I tend to make notes as I read.

(Advent 12) - Learning and Reading
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors #onlinelearning

18.12.2025 08:17 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 11) – Keeping Track Keeping track of our research, successes, next steps and research ideas is really important. Without it, and I speak for myself here, when I say, if it is not written down then all bets are off if I will remember or not. I maintain a research log. Over the years this has existed in various forms, but all forms record the same information.

(Advent 11) - Keeping Track #genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

18.12.2025 06:29 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 10) – Journey Family history is akin to going on journey. When we start we do not necessarily know where we are going, we don't know what we might see on the journey, nor the destination. We use our starting point and move forward, doing rough arithmetic to estimate the year of birth for the next generation back. We work through the census hoping that the first names are different and therefore it is easier to establish who is who.

(Advent 10) - Journey
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

15.12.2025 19:15 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 9) – Individualistic I am always amazed at the number of genealogists who are surprised or curious about the concept of One-Name studies. Broadly speaking, we all have a surname. It might be one we were given at birth, one that was "given" to us, through adoption, one that came to us via marriage, or perhaps, if we are being individualistic, and have a surname that is a…

(Advent 9) - Individualistic
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

12.12.2025 22:17 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 8) – Help at Hand The Genealogical community, both on and offline is in the main a friendly one, where sharing knowledge and ideas for research is given freely and frequently. The internet has shrunk the world to the size of a matchbox, with interactions using social media platforms, or online provisions such as those operated by archives, record societies, local history groups and many, many other formats.

(Advent 8) - Help at Hand
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

10.12.2025 20:03 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 7) – Gathering Data Any One-Name and surname research project will involve the collection of material, what I refer to as raw data. Regardless of where your surname originated from or where you reside, to undertake a One-Name Study and register this with the Guild the study should be global and there is no pressure on how soon you go global. So what follows below, in no particular order, are

(Advent 7) - Gathering Data
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

10.12.2025 19:06 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 6) – Family Trees Family Trees, Pedigree, or lineage - are they the same, different or simply different things to different people? A family tree is something that I produce when I am researching. It is a rough drawing of who sits where in the family group, on occasions, the group has overlaps, siblings marry siblings, strengthening the relationship or connection with two families.

(Advent 6) - Family Trees #genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

08.12.2025 14:16 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 5) – Evidence Regardless of what research you are undertaking, every separate fact contained within a document should be individually recorded into a database, and subsequently, every fact should be supported by evidence. The evidence documented with the citation, which subsequently can be seen/obtained from..... Let me provide an example: Below is an extract from the Practicalities of a One-Name Studies course which I wrote and tutor for Pharos Tutors and Teaching.

(Advent 5) - Evidence
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

07.12.2025 02:24 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 4) – Distribution of Surnames Surname distribution maps add a new and different dimension to a One-Name study. A surname may well have it’s origins in one Country, and a map can provide an interesting insight to how migration can influence the geographic spread of a surname. Going a step further, historical events can influence migration which in turn can be identified using a distribution map.

(Advent 4) - Distribution of Surnames
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

04.12.2025 18:05 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 3) – Choosing a Surname There are always more questions than answers, and always a burning obsession to find out more, even if the odds are against a successful search. Therefore it is no surprise that researchers choose their surnames of interest for a variety of reasons. There are a variety of reasons for researching a surname, here are just a few: Researching as a link to the past …

(Advent 3) - Choosing a Surname
#genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

03.12.2025 19:01 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 2) – Back up Data…. On the first of every month I do a series of things, all of which keep me organised and undertaking what I call my office housekeeping. Back-up computer files. Downloads from talks, other genealogists etc, these are moved to my cloud storage, into the appropriate filing system. Photographs and screen captures (mainly book covers) saved in cloud storage. Back-up my genealogical database files.

(Advent 2) Back up of Data.... #genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

03.12.2025 03:57 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

(Advent 1) – Aims of a One-Name Study One of the questions that is asked, of students on the Introduction to One-Name Studies course is about Organisation. The way we keep our study may differ from that of our own family history research. As I responded to a question from a student, I simply commented that it was important to look at the aims of your study. What followed, was that my fingers travelled across the keyboard at a fairly rapid rate and before I knew where I was I had written a very lengthy post.

Aims of a One-Name Study
(Advent 1) - Aims of a One-Name Study #genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

01.12.2025 19:47 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Q & A – About Surnames A few weeks ago I received the following Question. Julie, I have been reading your site for quite a while. Would you be able to share some posts about One-Name Studies? Thanks, M I did answer M a few weeks ago and said that I would pull together a few posts. At the end of last week I was in the car, on the way down the M1, which is a long way from my native Surrey.

Q & A - About Surnames #genealogy, #familyhistory #surnames #OneNameStudies @GuildOneName @PharosTutors

01.12.2025 19:22 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Desk Ramblings (33) It has been some time since I wrote here, let alone write a Desk Ramblings. I needed to take a step back and remove one stress factor. That said, I don't view writing here as a stress. It has simply been a casualty of me getting overwhelmed. I am feeling much better, there are still issues for me to deal with, but the worse is behind me.

Desk Ramblings (33) #genealogy #familyhistory

02.11.2025 14:14 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

📅 This Thursday!
🔍 Getting the Most from a One-Name Study
with @juliegoucher.bsky.social
🕑 17 July | 2–3pm | Online
Learn how surname studies can power your family history research.
🎟️ Book: portal.sog.org.uk/Ev...
#Genealogy #OneNameStudy #FamilyHistory #SoGEvents

14.07.2025 11:05 👍 1 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0

July 2025 Round up Happy July everyone! I have another busy month with tutoring and presenting. I have three talks with the Society of Genealogists: 5 July 2025 - Genealogical Research on the Isle of Man - Information and book HERE 12 July 2025 - My Ancestor was an Alien - Information and book HERE 17 July 2025 - Getting the Most from a One-Name…

July 2025 Round up #genealogy #familyhistory talks with the @sogorg.bsky.social‬ #surnames #migration #isleofman

02.07.2025 14:07 👍 1 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

🇮🇲 Celebrate #TynwaldDay with a talk on Manx family history!
🗓️ Sat 5 July, 14:00 (UK time)
📍 Online via Zoom
🎙️ @juliegoucher.bsky.social explores records, migration & Manx research tips.

🔗 Book: portal.sog.org.uk/Ev...
#Genealogy #IsleOfMan #ManxHistory

01.07.2025 15:35 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

My Ancestor was an ‘Alien’ | SoG

We explore who was an alien, and what it meant, and the change over time. There is some focus on post WW1 & WW2 and there is focus on the pitfalls of this research.
#GenHour
The synopsis is at portal.sog.org.uk/Event/view/3... but if there are any questions drop me a note!

01.07.2025 21:48 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 2 📌 0

📚 Librarian or archivist supporting family historians?
Join our online short course: Genealogy for Librarians & Archivists with @elsesoggenealogist.bsky.social.
🗓️ 7–10 July 2025
💻 2 online sessions (recorded)
🏛️ Optional London library tour
💬 Q\&A session
🎟️ Book: portal.sog.org.uk/Ev...

27.06.2025 10:09 👍 1 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0

H is for History Our Genealogical pursuits are underpinned with the history relevant to the country where our ancestors hailed from, and also by wider current affairs. Our people, much like us today did not live in isolation. They, as we are, were affected by social, economic, political and religious facts. Impacted by decisions made by politicians, either those in office, or those that were part of a previous government.

H is for History #AZChallenge #Genealogy #FamilyHistory

22.04.2025 15:49 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

🌻 Julie Goucher 🌻

Latest posts by 🌻 Julie Goucher 🌻 @juliegoucher