2019 summary

This blog has been languishing over the past few years, due to the lack of research on the One-Name Study. That doesn’t mean nothing has been happening.  In the past year, I have still extracted index entries from several new databases, as well as dealt with a few PARRY queries, plus 12 "Newswatch" entries from other Guild Members.  So that’s some data collected.

We have a new Regional Representative for Warwickshire, who is establishing regular meetings (so already demonstrating she’s a better RR than I was ☺ ) I’ve attended the two meetings held so far, as well as the Guild Conference in March and a seminar in October. At the seminar, a member presented me with a list of Parry entries that appear in their study, with a request to see if I can add any more information. At a local meeting. another member used some PARRY entries to illustrate how he’d been able to identify unknown pieces of information in the Civil Registration Indexes, before presenting me with some ‘homework’ to solve the rest.  Those are two outstanding tasks.

And the lack of time for systematic research has been frustrating.

I’d already decided to try to spend more time on the One-Name Study during this coming year but now I have an added incentive, thanks to members who have suggested a Guild Blogging Challenge.

The aim is to write ten blog posts over three months - so basically one a week. We'll be sharing our blog posts publicly but also have a Facebook group where we can discuss the posts and encourage each other regarding our research, as well as our writing.  It’ll be a great help towards achieving a few of the ‘pillars’ in a One-Name Study, namely those of publicity, of publication, and of preservation.

Some people already have an idea of what they’re going to write about.  Others, including myself, are still working out where to start. I won’t say “I haven’t a clue”, as a few ideas are beginning to form. But, since I’m restarting research after a long break, it will be interesting to see how things develop over the coming weeks. 

A classic case of “watch this space”

Either way, I’m grateful for what I see as the Guild’s greatest resource - the members - who constantly help, encourage, inspire and motivate each other.