Genealogy research: finding passenger lists for McCarthy immigrantsTracing a McCarthy immigrant can feel like following a thread through fog. The surname appears in Irish parish registers, Australian certificates, newspapers,…When a Tidwell Photograph Seems to Hold a GhostA family photograph can preserve much more than a face. It may hold a particular room, a season, a style of dress, or the quiet arrangement of people who…Home Exchange in Germany: Life in a Black Forest HouseA home exchange in Germany can offer an Australian traveller something a hotel rarely provides: the rhythm of an ordinary household. In the Black Forest, that…Loni’s How-To: Interviewing Elderly Relatives for Family StoriesFamily stories often live in ordinary details: the name of a street, the smell of a kitchen, a train journey taken in wartime, or the reason a family left one…The Brighton Family And The Library’s BeginningsThe story of a local library is usually told through council minutes, opening-day photographs and newspaper reports. A family, however, often appears in less…Remembering John Telford South Through Family RecordsThe obituary of John Telford South, 1888–1965, is more than a notice of death. It is a compact family record, preserving the name, dates, and historical…Loni’s Quilt, Sewn With MemoryA quilt can hold a family story in a form that survives ordinary conversation. Its squares may come from worn shirts, curtains, aprons, or children’s clothing,…Reading Difficult Handwriting in the 1850 Mortality ScheduleThe 1850 Mortality Schedule is one of the most revealing records available to family historians, yet its handwritten entries can be difficult to read. The…The Barn That Stood for 150 YearsA barn can hold time in a way that a house rarely does. Its boards weather in public, its doors open toward changing fields, and its roof gathers the marks of…The Tidwell Family’s Secret Recipe For Sorghum MolassesIn family history, a recipe can preserve more than the flavor of a meal. It can record a season of work, the crops grown near a home, the tools kept in an…