Bringing Ancestors to Life: for younger readers

Chapter 14: "Your Story Matters" series

Our Devon Ancestors - Image by Ideogram 3.0, July 2025

In this post, I am sharing my process in developing ancestral stories with AI assistance. Plus, I have some tips for creating these stories to suit a younger generation of readers. For these, I have developed some cartoon-styled imagery to illustrate.

A Journey from Records to Living Stories

Have you ever stared at a census record and wondered what it would be like to sit across from your ancestor and just... talk? To hear their voice, understand their daily struggles, feel their hopes and fears? That's exactly what happened to me when I discovered Andrew Pillage Allery's story in a local Devon newspaper - a 35-year-old man whose life ended tragically in a dockyard accident in the 1800s.

Suddenly, he wasn't just a name on a death certificate. He was someone's son, someone's hope, someone who woke up that morning not knowing it would be his last.

I tried to imagine what it would be like for his wife and child, as well as his parents, to lose their loved one in such tragic circumstances.

The Challenge We All Face

As genealogists, we're incredible at gathering facts. We can trace lineages, decode handwriting, and piece together timelines. But when it comes to sharing these discoveries with our younger family members - those 16-26 year olds who should be hearing these stories - we often hit a wall. How do we transform dates and documents into something that feels alive?

I used to worry that using AI would somehow diminish my voice as a storyteller. Would my writing disappear? Would it stop sounding like me? But I've discovered something beautiful: AI doesn't replace our voice - it amplifies it. It helps us ask the right questions and imagine the answers our ancestors might have given.

My Four-Element Framework

The breakthrough came when I realised that effective AI collaboration needs four simple elements in every prompt:

Role: Who is the AI helping you become? ("You are a historical consultant specialising in 19th-century Devon life")

Purpose: What are you trying to achieve? ("Help me understand what daily life was like for a chandler in Plymouth")

Details: What specific information do you need? ("Focus on the tools, suppliers, and customer interactions")

Context: Where and when does this fit? ("In 1850s Devon, during the height of maritime trade")

Bringing Devon Ancestors to Life: The Research Process

When I explored Samuel Allery and Alice Pillage's story, I didn't just want to know they were chandlers and innkeepers. I wanted to understand how Samuel's hands felt measuring out candles and rope for ship captains preparing for months at sea. How Alice's voice sounded as she offered weary travellers that final drink before their journey home.

Here's how I approach this transformation:

Step 1: Create AI Locality Guides. I ask AI to become my guide to specific places and times: "Paint me a picture of Dartmouth’s waterfront in 1840. What sounds would Samuel have heard? What smells filled the air around his chandlery?"

Step 2: Historical Context Deep-Dive. "What major events between 1790-1900 would have impacted a Devon chandler's business? How did the Napoleonic Wars affect maritime trade in Plymouth?"

Step 3: The Interview Technique. This is where the magic happens. I create a conversation with my ancestor: "Samuel, tell me about your busiest day. What did a ship captain usually need from your shop? How did you decide what to stock?"

The AI helps Samuel answer in his voice, grounded in historical reality but filled with human emotion.

I used this strategy for creating the chapters in the story of Our Devon Ancestors. Four so far! There is more to come!

Samuel Allery: Chandler - Image by Ideogram 3.0, July 2025

Visual Storytelling with Ideogram 3.0

Creating illustrations that capture both historical accuracy and youthful appeal became my next challenge. I discovered that Ideogram 3.0 responds beautifully to specific style references.

Basic Prompt: "A Devon chandler in his shop, 1840s, cartoon style"

Enhanced Prompt: "A friendly Devon chandler arranging candles and rope in his waterfront shop, 1840s Plymouth, cartoon style reminiscent of Rupert Bear annuals, warm lighting, historical accuracy"

Advanced Prompt: "Samuel Allery, a kindly 19th-century Devon chandler with weathered hands, organising ship supplies in his Plymouth shop, customers waiting, cartoon style reminiscent of Rupert Bear annuals, warm golden light streaming through windows, showing the connection between his work and maritime adventures" (Note: the image above was generated from this prompt.)

The key is building complexity gradually, always anchoring your visual in that warm, accessible cartoon style that invites rather than intimidates.

Transforming Tragedy into Connection

When I encountered Andrew's dockyard accident, I wondered how to handle such a difficult discovery respectfully. The answer came through focusing on his life, not just his death. What dreams did he carry? What made him laugh? How did his work contribute to his community?

Through AI-assisted interviews, Andrew told me about the pride he felt in his father's business, his hopes for maritime innovation, and his daily interactions with sailors and merchants. His tragic end became part of a fuller story - one that honours both his life and his loss.

Getting Started: Your Next Steps

The beauty of this approach is that it works with any ancestor, any period, and any location. Whether your great-grandmother was a Scottish weaver, a Welsh miner, or an Australian pioneer, the framework remains the same:

1. Gather your primary documents - census records, newspapers, anything that provides a factual foundation

2. Create your AI locality guide - understand the world your ancestor inhabited

3. Develop your interview questions - what would you want to know?

4. Let AI help your ancestor speak - but keep your voice as the storyteller

5. Illustrate their world - bring their environment to life visually

Your Story Matters

Every family has these everyday heroes waiting to be discovered. The tailor who clothed travellers for their journeys. The innkeeper provided comfort to the weary. The chandler who equipped ships for distant shores. These weren't just occupations - they were connections in the great web of human experience.

Your younger family members are hungry for these connections. They want to know where they come from, what struggles their ancestors overcame, and what dreams they carried. They just need these stories told in a way that feels alive, relevant, and real.

A Call to Adventure

I challenge you to choose one ancestor - just one - and try this approach. Pick someone whose life intrigues you, whose story feels incomplete. Spend an afternoon having an AI-assisted conversation with them. Ask about their daily routine, their hopes, and their challenges. Let them tell you their story in their voice.

Then create a simple illustration of their world. Don't worry about artistic perfection - focus on capturing the warmth and humanity of their experience.

Share that story with a young person in your family. Watch their eyes light up when they realise these weren't just names on a chart - they were real people with real stories, people whose choices and courage ultimately led to them.

Your ancestors' stories matter. Your family's legacy deserves to be told. And that young person in your life? They're waiting to discover the heroes in their bloodline.

What story will you bring to life first?