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The thrill of going back to your roots
WHO do you think you are?
Are you of noble stock? Are you a pauper?
These are the types of questions that drive family tree researcher Kevan Adams' insatiable appetite for genealogy.
"I find it really exciting – it's a thrill every time I am asked to do a family tree," he says.
"It's fascinating to see the lifestyle changes people have gone through over generations. My family were all farmers but at the turn of the 19th century it started to change, some became shop owners and set up small businesses.
"And then when it comes to my generation it's different again – I was one of the first in our family to go to university."
Despite the modern notion that one's family tree can be discovered at the click of a mouse, Kevan's work is far more hands-on.
"My research often takes me to graveyards and churches, that's what I do. It's such an immense thing – it's a big undertaking. A family tree is tangible – it's something we can touch and feel.
"It also increases the sense of family and belonging which I think has been lost in recent years. And it allows people to look at how historical events – such as the Industrial Revolution, the World Wars, and the introduction of policy such as the Poor Law Act of 1834 – have impacted on their family history."
Kevan's passion for genealogy is such that he has put together a genealogy education package and is planning to push it in schools.
"It would be great to get this in primary schools and the early years of secondary education.
"Genealogy incorporates so many subjects. Just taking children around a graveyard covers maths – the grid patterns of a cemetery – and English because the poems and messages on the gravestones point to a particular era, so you can see how language has evolved. It brings history alive.
"If you took children to a World War One cemetery the history would have so much more meaning after they had studied the family tree of a child who had relatives in the war."
And it does more than bring history to life, as Kevan explains. "It teaches children about values, commitment and conduct. You need to take your time when researching a family tree."
Genealogy has become increasingly popular since the advent of the BBC series Who Do you Think You Are? There are thousands of people contacting sites such as Ancestry.co.uk more than three million of us tracing our family trees via the National Archives.
But it's not as easy as people think.
"Researching your family tree isn't a quick job done at the computer," says Kevan. "You need all the right documents such as birth, death and marriage certificates, and these take time to collate because you are waiting for items to arrive in the post."
Kevan has consulted teachers and parents in Sheffield about his plans to try and introduce his genealogy learning package into schools and – he says – the response has been positive.
"Parents have said what a good idea it is – not only does it help the children learn but it also means the children can teach the parents about their family history."
Kevan is now an associate lecturer in the methodology of genealogy at Sheffield Hallam University. "It's absolutely fascinating," he says. "I even get excited talking about it," he says.
Its branches reach far into history, often entwining major historical events and the odd family secret. Kevan Adams talks to Rachael Clegg about the joys of genealogy and his plans to introduce family tree research into Sheffield's schools
Digging: Kevan Adams wants to bring genealogy into the classroom. Picture: Steve Parkin
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