"So long as the office of historiographer is carried on, so long as books continue to exist, then though men may die and enter darkness and empty silence, their deeds remain shinning like the stars of the Milky Way" (Attributed to Liu Chih-Chi 661-721AD)

Years ago peoples lived in settled communities and communities knew each other individually and their deeds.

Families used to keep a record of each generation in their family bible. Nobility used to have displayed their ancestors in the form of a family tree.

The Romans used to honour their past generations and know and quote their past deeds. Special places were made in their houses for remembrance of them

The recording, whether through the written word or spoken seems to me to be gone, (somewhere).

England, in the last few hundred years, has suffered severe disruption to its communities. First through the Bills passed in Parliament which affected work, in turn the role of the village and forced peoples into tight rows of tenement buildings in cities. Even amongst those, what came to be slums, the community spirit rose till the slums were demolished forcing apart again those newly established communities.

An great example, although on a small scale, of, community, happened during World War 1 when groups of "pals" volunteered together and fought and died together.

Back to the historiographer do not confuse this man with the title of Historian.

"Civilisation is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, shouting and doing things historians usually record, while on the banks, unnoticed people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilisation is the story of what happened on the banks. Historians…ignore the banks of the river. (Attributed to Will Durant)

The stories that the Historiographer tell are no longer told. How many of you, of a more senior generation, can say that during the course of your childhood your parents, grandparents sat with you, walked with you and related tales from the past allowing you to recall those memories in later life to, in turn, relate to your children and grandchildren. Children should be seen and not heard. Where did that come from?

The historiographer has now returned in the form of the Family Historian.

The journey of family historian starts into the past with gathering anecdotal stories from the older (and sometimes younger) generation and documenting those stories linking names and dates gathering statistics storing the evidence in "books".

The Family Historian then becomes a Local History buff, becoming conversant with history but not just reading one book on say the Agricultural Labourer but visiting the areas where he worked and lived and died with his family. Moving along the banks.

Sometimes those elusive past generations moved to another country to try and secure an easier and more prosperous life whether monetarily, better quality or escape persecution. We, the family historian follow after them.

I will bring this interlude to a close with a quote:

"…Take time to absorb and enjoy the lovely world in which you live and come to know its inhabitants with affectionate amusement. You would do well to budget your time as follows: one half in work, taking care of personal belongings etc; one-fourth in social pastimes with…both young and old; one-fourth as an interested, pleased observer of life. (Attributed to William B. Terhune)

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