Just a Job: Revitalizing You Family History with Occupational Research

How many hours of your life have you spent working?

Housing, income, leisure time: our occupation has the power to shape so many aspects of our existence – and that wasn’t so different for our ancestors either. Delving into occupational research can offer marvellous insights into an individual’s life story and the  choices they made. The jobs of our forebears could shape the houses they lived in, dictate the timing of daily life, and cause potentially fatal maladies. In this session, we’ll harness the power of digital resources and physical archives to expand and strengthen our family history research. We’ll also explore occupational stories from some familiar – and not-so-familiar – jobs to see how the demands and hazards of the workplace influenced workers’ lives, with examples ranging from medieval times through to the Victorian era.

Our speaker, Dr Sophie Kay, includes historical nuggets to fascinate and delight, attendees will gain valuable insights into bygone trades and an action plan for how to enrich their family history through occupational research.

Free parking.
Free entry for members, non-members are asked to make a £5 donation towards costs.