Hi everyone!
It's time to get to know another one of our wonderful WikiTreers. This week's member is Jemima Winder.
Jemima became a Wiki Genealogist in February of 2021. She is a new Team Leader in the England Project.
When and how did you get interested in family history?
My sister bought DNA tests for the family a couple of Christmases ago which coincided with me wanting to find out who all the old photos in my mum's house were of.
What is your genealogical research focus?
I've only been going just over a year so still trying to map out my own ancestors.
Are you are interested in certain surnames or locations?
My ancestors mostly come from Yorkshire so I am learning lots about that county as well as whaling and smuggling.
How long have you been on WikiTree? Why did you start getting involved?
Just over a year. I needed somewhere to record all my research findings and didn't want to pay a fortune. As soon as I stumbled on WikiTree I knew it was for me.
What do you spend the most time doing on WikiTree?
I love making connections - it's addictive and so satisfying. I am also happy to disappear down rabbit holes. In fact, I've discovered that getting lost on WikiTree is the perfect painkiller - it made me totally forget about the dental surgery I'd just had!
Which project are you most involved in?
I've recently become a team leader for Worcestershire in the England Project so I hope to connect with others interested in the area to rethink what the goals should be.
Do you consider your work here to be part of your legacy?
No - I'm just a bit of a geek.
Do you have a story about how someone was helped through your participation on WikiTree?
Well, I'm a computing teacher so have started a genealogy club at my school. It helps pupils learn about social history while developing their research, collaboration, and digital literacy skills.
What could we do to inspire more people to participate in our mission?
I'd love to see more short help videos (ideally not all American) on how some of the more advanced features work. Some are still a mystery to me and as a working single mum I don't have hours to spend on the forums. I imagine a lot of people get daunted by trying to wade through so much text to find out how to do stuff.