Paul Chiddicks from "Chiddicks Tree"

My next interview is with Paul Chiddicks from "Chiddicks Tree". Let's see what he had to say!

Q1. What got you into genealogy & how long have you been researching for?

"I am 55 years old and my Dad sadly died when I was just three years old. As I got older I realised there was a “gap” in my life, something missing. So I started asking questions about my Dad and just never stopped asking questions. I have been researching for around 20 years now, but only seriously in the last ten years"

Q2. What interesting things have you discovered about your ancestors?

"Before I started I had no idea that I was descended from Italian ancestors, so that was a really interesting discovery. I have also discovered that one of my ancestors was involved in an accident where a young boy was accidentally shot with a shotgun."

Q3. Who/What are you currently focusing on in your research?

"I am filling in the gaps of some of my closer ancestors and I am currently writing a biography for all eight of my great-grandparents"

Q4. Have you come across any difficulties while researching your family? (e.g. Conflicting sources)

"There are lots of conflicts, miss transcriptions etc that can lead you up the wrong, I would always advise to look at the original entry, if you can, when there is a conflict"

Q5. What advice would you give to people wanting to start genealogy?

"​Keep asking questions! Start asking your older family members today for their memories and stories, you never know how long you will have them around. Don’t be afraid to challenge convention, Genealogy should be accessible for anybody and everybody and has to be inclusive for all"

Well there you have it. What you always have to remember and it's something that Paul had said. Challenge convention, whether your 10 years old or 20 years old, start today! Stay tuned for more. Check out Paul's website by clicking on his picture and follow him on Twitter by clicking the Twitter icon below his picture. Also a huge thank you to Paul for accepting my interview! Stay tuned for more...