Birmingham: Heroes and Ghosts

Heroes and Ghosts

Speaker: Michael H Hallett

Heroes & Ghosts is the story of Michael’s grandfather Harold Blackburn, a pioneer aviator before World War I and war hero. After the war, scandal struck the family and plunged it into shame for three generations. Along the way, his story was lost, his memorabilia buried for decades.

This  presentation brings the story of his amazing career to light through the recognition of unconscious shame affecting multiple generations. Shame affects the way memories are carried in a family, both in terms of what is remembered — or allowed to be remembered — and in terms of what mementos survive. Researching such events requires a softer approach than conventional, data-driven genealogy. While telling this story Michael share tips and techniques that are useful for all genealogists.