Talk 1 - Wednesday 24th of January
The first talk in the series was held on Wednesday the 24th of January. Guest speaker Nathan Dylan Goodwin, a genealogist and author of the Forensic Genealogist fiction series (and other non-fiction and fiction books) discussed how he uses real genealogy and historical facts in his fictional writing. Using his genealogical crime mystery stories as case studies, he explored the issues and problems of combining fact and fiction and the use of authentic genealogical methodology.
Nathan also shared some of the more interesting and less familiar records which he has used in the process of writing his books.
Talk 2 - Wednesday 22nd of May
The second talk in the series featured guest speaker Dr Wanda Wyporska, FRHistS, an historian, RootsTech speaker and former CEO of the Society of Genealogists.
In this talk Wanda explored the intersections of history, family history and identities. Taking her own Anglo-Polish-Caribbean heritage and training as an historian as starting points, she discussed the increasing relevance of DNA and the complexities and assumptions about the categorisation of identities, ethnicities and geographies. Wanda will talked about the relevance of genealogy to current debates on so-called contested history and reparations.
Talk 3 - Tuesday 17th of September
September's talk featured Dr Maurice Gleeson, honorary research fellow at the Institute who specialises in genetic genealogy and Dr Bart Jaski, a leading academic expert on Irish medieval genealogies.
Maurice and Bart discussed a recent research study (published in April 2024 in Peritia, the Journal of the Medieval Academy of Ireland) which considered whether the medieval genealogical record for the Uí Briúin dynasty of northwest Ireland is consistent with the evolving genetic genealogy record.
They talked about the study, its methodology and outcomes, and the challenges & opportunities of inter-disciplinary research in this field, highlighting the importance of cross-fertilisation between genetic genealogists and medieval historians to advance this field of research.
Talk 4 - Wednesday the 23rd of October.
In this talk, Dr Tejpal Ralmill and Professor Gavin Rand introduced the ‘Punjab Registers’ – a unique collection of archival records which reveal the scale of India’s ‘contribution’ to the First World War. Housed in the Lahore Museum, the Punjab Registers detail the names, biographies and service histories of some 320,000 recruits from colonial Punjab.
As part of a project undertaken by the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA) and the University of Greenwich, the Registers have been digitised and transcribed. The digitised Registers – all of which will be available online in due course – provide a unique resource for academic historians, as well as for genealogists and family historians, particularly those from the global Punjabi diaspora.
Tej and Gavin discussed their work on the Registers to date and the next steps for their project, as well as reflecting on what the Registers tell us about the complex, and sometimes controversial, legacies of empire in the twenty-first century.
