family history | Karen Inkster Vance

Abraham Fiset: From Dieppe to New France

François-Abraham Fiset was nineteen years old when he sailed from his Normandy homeland to the fledgling colony of New France in 1653.

From Shetland Sailor to Vancouver Island Coal Miner

Gilbert Inkster left Shetland to sail in the merchant service, then jumped ship on Vancouver Island in 1888. Read more about his journey

Remembering D-Day, 80 years later

While visiting my parents this week we watched several news documentaries about the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the landing of the...

Pickling food and preserving traditions

Pickled beets, tomato jam, zucchini pickle, and pickled onions... preserving the traditions of my grandmothers.

Special services in the little kirk

The first time I visited my great-grandfather’s birthplace of North Roe, I walked into the little Methodist church, still standing after...

This is not a pipe

I suppose it could be considered strange to have a vintage tobacco pipe resting on my shelf. It’s a relic, an heirloom that I got from my...

A walk to Roermill

Remembering a journey with my friend, Magnus, to Roermill, North Roe, where my Shetland ancestors worked and walked.

In honour of my female ancestors

On International Women’s Day, I’d like to honour a few of the women in my family tree, the mother, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and...

Peerie Peter's Bible

It’s Robbie Burns day, so to commemorate I thought I'd share the following story. My great-grandfather, Peter Inkster (1879-1958) of...

Before Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I was looking through my grannie's recipes (Kathleen Hattie Inkster, 1914-1984) and found this blank invoice form from the 1940s for Dr....

Writing the Past Anthology 2023

For the past few years I've participated in a family history writing group through the Surrey Family Search Centre. Once a month we get...

Revisiting the Haa of Skelberry

See that house peaking over the hill in the first photo? My great-grandfather, Peter Inkster was born there, at the Haa of Skelberry, in...

Another day of research

The sun spilled out over the voe as we drove along the banks this morning. It was so radiant that we had to stop and take a photo… this...

A day at Fethaland

Today we travelled back to a time when the men had to fish to the landlord during the summer months. Three miles north of North Roe,...

"Daring chances must be taken"

Remembrance Day always holds a special place in my heart as I ponder the sacrifices that so many men and women made as they said goodbye...