RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Quinn on Monday 19 December 05 18:16 GMT (UK)
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I started looking for family 12 years ago. At the time, I honestly believed that my sister, brother and I were actually the last of the family line, just like our dad had always told us.
When I found my first living cousin, my kids went off on me - how could I be talking to a total stranger on the internet? Didn't I always tell them no?
Then, the day I sat down and made the first phone call to Ireland, my daughter swore I was nuts - calling a total stranger on the other side of the world!
Now, no one in my family cares. Well, my brother does - he's the only one who wants copies of my information. But he's not overly excited. My kids don't care to look at any pictures of family that come in, they don't want to hear about anything connected with the family.
My husband does not want to go to Ireland with me "to meet a bunch of total strangers." It's a waste of good money to fly 6,000 miles to talk to people I've never met.
So I do it for me, and me alone. After a lifetime of believing I was totally alone in the world, except for my brother and sister (and their families), I discovered I DO have family out there! And they at least care enough about me finding them that they can't wait for me to "come home." Every phone call ends in tears with them telling me "come home, dear. Come home. You've family waiting here for you."
It's enough for me that I've found them. It's enough for me that at least this group cares. And maybe someday later on, my children will finally care about their roots. Their father's side is documented and researched back to 1200. I want to be able to give them my side, too.
Patty
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Hi Patty
If you want to meet the relatives you have found then you should.
My own father thought he was practically on his own with only two half brothers, one to his father and one to his mother. One was in Oz and the other at the opposite end of the country (UK).
I discovered earlier this year he had a living cousin less than 100 miles away. I promised myself I would go and visit him. He died last month. I am now b****y annoyed with myself for not getting round to visiting him.
There is no guarantee you will like the relatives you have found but you may regret never finding out.
:-\
Regards
Andy
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:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Aaah Patty, your post sounded so sad. I'm so sorry that your family aren't interested but one day they will be and then you can take the up most pleasure in pretending that you don't remember much. My husband is not interested at all but then again I would rather boil my own head than go and fly model aircraft with him. I don't mean to sound flippant as this obviously means a great deal to you and understandably so.
Anyway, I for one will be very interested and will pick your brains endlessly when I start my probably fruitless search for Stacey Quinn who emigrated to the US in the 60s ;)
Keep your chin up Patty :D
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Andy and Wheeldon - answering you both at once.
I'm excited to meet them. One is a cantankerous old woman who treats me wonderfully. Other family members tell me she is only nice to me (this is the one who keeps telling me to come home.) When my sister tried to call her, this cousin rudely informed her she had called during tea and the vicar was visiting - she would just have to call back. Needless to say, my sister never called again. But I talk to her quite often and she's a dear.
I'm most excited to meet the one who lives in Omagh. She seems to be the one who is most like me.
As for my husband not caring - his reasoning is: if he's going to fly 6,000 miles, then it's going to be to see the old castle ruins and what the country has to offer, NOT meet a bunch of people. Sorry dear hubby, but one of the homes I will be going to just happens to sit very near the ruins of an ancient castle. His loss.
And the cousin in Dublin? Well, one of the things we are planning is to spend the day wandering around Dublin itself, looking at the wonderful old buildings. His loss again.
Another cousin spends much of her summer entertaining in pubs. Of course, I want to go to a traditional pub to see her perform and absorb the atmosphere. His loss once again.
I'm excited to go. And I think my revenge will be when the family realizes what a time I had, and that they could have had a good time too, if they would have only went with me.
If my family doesn't care about their ancestry, then they just don't. At least I finally know who I am and where I come from. And I'm proud of my heritage, proud enough not to keep quiet about it.
I don't know where my records will go if my kids don't want them. I'll probably leave the order that they be donated to the local history center. OR, turned over to the LDS repository - I've heard they will take family records that no one wants.
Patty
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My husband doesn't really understand the fascination with dead relatives either but he can be persuaded to incorporate something he wants to do, with something I want to do. So, he wants to go to Belgium to see a Grand Prix and he can do so, but we are eating the chocolates and visiting the war graves first!
He'd like to go to Ireland to drink real Guinness and hear real Irish music in a real Irish pub. So he can, so long as we are looking for my Meehans at the same time.
You've got to be cunning with husbands!
Wotty
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Can relate to all of you, my family which includes hubby and daughter who is aged 22, think im nuts and havent a clue what to do with all my family files when I go...............I tell them to have 2 coffins one for me and one for all my dead people as they call them!.............who knows one day they may get the bug!
Happy Christmas everyone! were off to France for festive fun........Anyone searching Dordogne!!!!!!!! :)
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I couldn't have cared less when I was 20 or 30 myself. I didn't know them, and I didn't care; they weren't part of my life; we had nothing in particular in common. So, if you keep your info long enough, I firmly believe that eventually someone will get interested, hopefully in your lifetime. I mean, who knew, when filling out their census report in 1841, that a gggrandchild would read it and CARE enormously about the details? - beyond their imaginings, I'm sure.
If nothing else, connecting with these long lost rellies gives you a unique window into the lives of people who live somewhere other than what you're familiar with. What a wonderful opportunity to expand your horizons. If others don't want to share it, oh well, too bad.
My hubby is quite willing to go wherever and meet whomever. He is a dear. His own family history has been thoroughly researched, but they can only go back about 125 years because of circumstances, so he's quite happy to ride on my coattails and is in awe of what I've unearthed so far.
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Part of the reason maybe that many today have lost the extended family in there lives.
What might seem strange to them now, once wouldn't have 30 years ago.
We all used to meet up, uncles, aunts, cousins.
People would take time to travel to see their families etc, and it would often be a fun thing to do.
People have gotten out of the habit.
So it is not hard to see why these days they are persieved as strangers.
Much the same applies with neighbours, ask em to name the people in the street they won't know or be interested, but ask em to name the characters in a soap and they'll name the lot, and look foreward to seeing them.
Though for my family it doesn't yet apply, we get together often, I was at my brothers a week ago, with me I had my wife, daughter and grandaughter.
In turn they met my brother, his wife his children and some of there children.
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You know, you're right! My husband came from a large extended family, and for the most part they all lived within 20 miles of each other. When I first started dating him, it was a normal thing for me to be taken along to a Sunday get together, which could be as many as 60 people in someone's kitchen. As the older members died off, the get togethers died off.
On my side of the family, I can honestly say there was never a family reunion, a get together, and seldom a visit to relatives for the holidays. Granted, even back then, there weren't a lot of relatives. Just my immediate family, my aunt's family and my very elderly grandmother. Once grandma passed away, we never seemed to gather again. (not that it was fun anyway, my mom didn't like my dad's family, and even dad didn't care for them.)
But, now that I think about it, my children have really never met anyone in their dad's family. They are introduced at various funerals, and that's the only time they see them at all. Even my husband calls them "the funeral relatives."
That could be a VERY good reason my kids don't care about their history. It's nothing more than a bunch of strangers on a piece of paper.
Patty
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Quinn,
Guess I am lucky in that all my children want copies of my research, but then one lives in NZ, one in US and the other still in UK, so I feel that it is that they feel the need to keep in touch with their Roots.
What a wonderful experience for you though, especially the elderly relation, and her memories. And just think, with none of your own family with you,so no distractions.
You might think of taking a small tape recorder with you as you'll learn so much that you'll never remember it all.
Have a great time
Springbok
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It seems to me that it's precisely the children who only see "funeral relatives" who will at some later date wake up one day and wonder who on earth those people were who came to the funerals, but by then they will be gone. I do understand children not being interested; it's a life-stage thing.
It isn't just in the last 30-odd years, though, that people stopped knowing who their relatives are. My current job would be an awful lot easier if that were the case in my family. My mum had 5 first cousins, all born in the 1910s and 1920s; she had only ever heard of one of them up until this past summer, and had no clue that he was even living, not having seen or heard of him since about 1935; unfortunately the others had all since died. I am now emailing with some of her second cousins; she had absolutely no clue that she had some great-uncles, let alone second cousins. In some families, the lack of connectedness goes back a fair ways.
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My daughter (20) showed a bit of interest until i found i had prostitutes, witches in the 1500's and several criminals in my family tree. My husband is supportive but
also cannot understand the fascination of spending hours researching for people who have been dead 300 years, no bearing on the fact that im doing his family tree as well Maybe my grand kids will be interested and they wont have to go through all of this to find out where they came from. I live across the world from where my people were born and i doubt that i will ever have the funds to go to Scotland and do any research so if you have the opportunity to meet family go for it. I was luck that I had an aunt who did send my some old documents and photos as a starting point. Maybe hubby will show an interest if i can connect the Grants in my tree to the whisky!!! Wishing you all a wonderful christmas and a new year full of new relatives. Izabel
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sadly its not close relatives who actually care, but the very very distant cousins you find by chance on sites like rootschat.
I have been sent pictures by these "cousins" and cried with joy when i received them, never having thought I would know what my great great grandparents would look like.
my 24 year old daughter crushed me the other day when she said to me that having seen all the "shotgun weddings" in our tree and" base born" over the last 300 years, she would be surprised if even half our ancestors were actually related and that I was wasting my time.
sad thing is she could be not that far away from the truth :(
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None of my immediate family seem remotely interested in my research, apart from my Mum - but it is my Dad's family I have been researching!
I get so excited when I find a lost ancestor but no one else seems to especially my husband - he runs marathons but I would much rather sit at the computer looking for Wanklyns ;D
I had no interest in my Mum's family - no happy childhood memories of my Grandparents etc - but now my Nan has reached the age of 92 and can remember everything I have started to have a little look. Her sister in law passed away this week and Nan is now the only one left of her generation, and this has made me think quite a bit about asking her more before it is too late.
This site is harmful for your health though - I am supposed to be getting ready for Christmas, but just felt the urge to log on :D
Sue B
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What many family history buffs forget is that their research is only a hobby, an interest, a pastime, an obsession. In the grand scheme of things, does it actually matter much, is it important to anyone? I think the answer can only be not much, except to the person doing the research. Like all hobbies, it's difficult for the hobbyist to see why anyone wouldn't be fascinated by what's falling out of the family tree, but if you stand back and look at the matter objectively, it's only one tree in a forest.
Regards
Malcolm Bull
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I'm a youngin' and I am very interested in my family's history. I think that's because my parent moved away from all their relations. So I grew up wit no real cousins (we would have the odd visits once every few years). Saying that none of my siblings are remotely interested and there are six of them.
My parents like to know what I find out, but they tend to get lost in all the names.
My children 6 & 8 are so far interested as I don't shut up about it.
I think that it will be one of my six nephews and nieces in New Zealand that will become the bearer of the family tree, and when they do half their family will be done for the.
Patty, you go and enjoy your trip, you'll only regret it if you don't go.
Sharon
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I've bored my own family rigid by telling them what I think is interesting stuff about their ancestors. I've also done a lot of research into my husband's family and while his brothers and sisters and cousins are interested in their family history, they only really want to know the authorised version. If I start telling them about new people or contradicting their long-held myths their eyes glaze over too!
I'm inclined to agree with Malcolm. There is a note on a local website (which is full of interesting lists etc) saying: 'Please don't ask me any questions. Genealogy is YOUR hobby, not mine.' !
Have a great time in Ireland, Patty.
Ros
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Touche' Malcom. Touche'. You actually put it in perfect perspective with your post. It is only a hobby for us, and for those who don't share this hobby, I'm sure we seem quite strange to spend our lives looking up dead people.
I guess I just have to realize, I don't share my husband's obsession with football, and he gets quite upset that I don't understand what's going on, nor do I really care.
And I don't share my son's obsession with World of Warcraft, which he plays 24/7. And I definitely don't share much in common with my daughter - she's a shopaholic, can spend hours in the store trying on clothes, looking at pretties, etc. Me? In the store, get what I need, out as fast as I can get through the checkout.
So, I just need to realize, this is my little world where I can live in happiness and I shouldn't really worry about the rest of the family. When they want to know, they'll ask. Right??
Patty
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Yes, that's a reality check. Thank goodness for Rootschat, where we can talk to other addicts!
I have one brother who is fairly interested, but very busy. He did help me set up my webpage so I could put stuff on it - I wouldn't have had a clue how to do it!
The other brother has minimal interest, but his wife more so. I have started to do her family history too, and she is really interested in that! They do give me a little bit of money towards buying certificates, etc.
Guess I am lucky to have this amount of interest! ;D ;D ;D
Hope that one day, some of my nieces and nephews will become interested.
MarieC
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I saw that SOG is planning a workshop around a topic very similar to this, but I don't have it handy.
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You know, you're right! My husband came from a large extended family, and for the most part they all lived within 20 miles of each other. When I first started dating him, it was a normal thing for me to be taken along to a Sunday get together, which could be as many as 60 people in someone's kitchen. As the older members died off, the get togethers died off.
On my side of the family, I can honestly say there was never a family reunion, a get together, and seldom a visit to relatives for the holidays. Granted, even back then, there weren't a lot of relatives. Just my immediate family, my aunt's family and my very elderly grandmother. Once grandma passed away, we never seemed to gather again. (not that it was fun anyway, my mom didn't like my dad's family, and even dad didn't care for them.)
But, now that I think about it, my children have really never met anyone in their dad's family. They are introduced at various funerals, and that's the only time they see them at all. Even my husband calls them "the funeral relatives."
That could be a VERY good reason my kids don't care about their history. It's nothing more than a bunch of strangers on a piece of paper.
Patty
Patty,
I am a mixture of several nationalities. My maternal Grandmother was Norwegian and my Dad's parents came from England. His parents moved to Ireland in the early 1900s. Dad was educated at Galway Grammar School. His parents returned to England with his sister and he started his working career in Belfast in the mid to late 1920s. Sometime in the 1950s a business friend offered him a senior position in a business in London. Dad turned it down and told his friend the quality of life in Ireland was so good he did not want to make the move. The same situation exists today. The quality of life in Ireland is brilliant. Both my sisters live in England. Ireland is my home and there is no way I would leave the place. Your children will miss the experience of a lifetime if they do not accompany you on your trip to Ireland. The people are so warm and friendly. They are exceptionally hospitable and in no time at all your children will be wondering why they did not want to come in the first place and put up such resistance to your suggestion. I hope you do make that visit and hope you have a really great time meeting all your distant relatives. Gee that reads a bit like a commercial for Bord Fáilte (The Irish Tourist Board) lol.
All the Best, Christopher
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Patty,
Not all of my family are interested in their ancestors either (my teenagers eyes positively glaze over at the mention of them) however, I don't let this put me off. It's my hobby and my de-stresser which I'm happy to share if anyone's interested. What a wonderful opportunity you have to "go home" and meet your family, one that you can't pass up on. So, I hope that you do go and have a great time getting to know everyone. You can bet that all your Rootschat friends will be dying to find out how you get on :) :) :) and I'm sure that the rest of your family will be interested too once they discover what they've missed ! :)
Elaine
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Christopher,
I found a 'cousin twice removed' on RC last year, and he moved to Southern Ireland, and says he would never come back to UK, as life was so different over there. He loves it.
I also have a friend in France who is moving to Ireland next year ... so hopefully I will be invited over, it's somewhere I've always wanted to go ;)
Patty,
Nobody in my family was remotely interested in my research and finds (except my daughter). My Dad would have loved it, but I expect he now knows more than I do, and he gives me nudges in the right direction from time to time when I get stuck...
I made three of my nephews a ring binder with a summary of Dad's side of the family last year, and I didn't get one thank you, so I guess they weren't interested either.
When my sister-in-law came to stay in October I asked about her family, and she said she had been given information on her Father's side, and said her Great grandfather was Spanish, but knew nothing about her Mother's side (who sadly died the day after she gave birth to my sis-in-law), but she knew her Grandparents were called Alice and Washington Birch. I thought it was an unusual name so we looked at the 1901 and found him with his parents, Elizabeth and Abel Birch. Abel we discovered was born in Missouri. Up until that moment my sis-in-law wasn't very interested. Suddenly things changed, and we then followed the family back to Missouri 1840...
Then I chased Elizabeth back to Arkendale Yorkshire, and we are off for a few days in Spring to take a look round the area.
She is now very keen, and I have done her and my niece a ring binder each of all I have discovered, together with a wonderful photograph of Washinton and Alice Birch kindly restored for me by Rootschatters.
Before Christmas I was relating our discoveries to her son, who sat there with the 'glazed look.' Who ever invented that expression was right, the eyes do actually glaze over,
However, at least I have two new converts, and I get a lot of pleasure in making new finds for them.
I know I can leave my huge box full of files to my daughter, but goodness knows what will happen to it when she joins the ancestors.
I really must get round to getting all the information into some sort of book form, as that might be a better way of sparking some interest in future generations.
Enjoy your trip to Ireland Patty, I envy you your new found cousins and country.
Su
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Su,
Don't wait to be invited. Get over here, buy your own ticket. Bring your car or pushbike lol. Bring a tent, stop in a hostel, a B & B or a hotel. Ireland is an ongoing party and great fun. Every one loves it. Come by plane during the summer months. look down once the plane is crossing Ireland and you can practically see it is Forty Shades of Green lol. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5023
I am having problems finding the right tune so you will have to bear with me please. In the meantime there is good music and some great views here. Tell your Children if they manage to get as far as Ballynahinch in Co. Down I will buy them a pint of Guinness apiece. Just walk into the Primrose Bar and Restaurant, ask for Christopher. They should point you to the newsagents right across the street so cross the street, go into the newsagent and ask for Christopher. They should point you to my doorbell next door. It is easier finding me than it is finding one of Liverpool Annie's Leprechauns lol. http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,114695.0.html
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Christopher -
Am finally getting caught up with all my replies. When I get to Ireland (And I WILL get to Ireland!!) I'll be looking for you!
I think that is going to be part of the fun of going home. Not only meeting the relatives, but also getting to meet some of the people I've been corresponding with!
Watch for me!
Patty
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Hiya Patty,
You use a great expression here "It's nothing more than a bunch of strangers on a piece of paper." It's a brilliant observation. One thing puzzles me though ... if that is the case why are more and more people becoming interested in genealogy? There's a lot more to it than that ... I went on a guided tour of Belfast recently. There were four of us... the guide, a friend of mine who travelled from Co. Kildare for the day and a young man from Canada. He was interested in the places his ancestors may have been as well as those pieces of paper. The past, present and future history of the country in which your ancestors were reared counts just as much as those names on the pieces of paper. I mention my friend as she thought there were one or two questions the guy asked which the guide was not able to answer .. she felt the guy wanted slightly more than dry factual information about the area .. a bit of humorous detail would have helped.
Su, would you get a move on with that book of yours. I have two sitting beside me .. they are full of great local information .. I wish I'd written a book .. maybe I will. The two I have are one about a Dublin locality "Around the Banks" of Pimlico" by Máirin Johnston and one about a small market town in Co. Down "The Ins, Outs and Whereabouts of Castlewellan" by Patsy Mullen .. There are great photographs in both books as well as great verbal pictures of all the local characters.
Chris
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Just go for it Quinn!
You have people who you have never met who are your family and they WANT to meet you. They will welcome you with open arms and never let you go again. If hubby wants to go then that's great but if he doesn't then you will still have a brilliant time I'm sure
Get saving for that ticket!!
My husband had no family but his siblings and their children when I first started. His parents died when he was little (4 / 9 yrs) Once I started it took me a few years but I found 1st cousins still living and just in Northumberland. Once they were found we had to have a meeting with them and they came to us (more room with the B & B). Now we have found 2nd, 3rd and even 4th cousins. He's now told me to stop as he has too many to keep track of lol
I have found new cousins on my side as well so meetings with them have been done.
The worst part for me was when I found there wasn't anyone in the family really interested in what I was doing. Hubby and kids class it as my hobby and that's it.
Now after 10 years of hard searching and plenty of mysteries solved I have members asking me about it whenever they see me. the best part is that it is my nephews and nieces who are asking - they want to know where they come from and who they "belong" to - their words not mine.
Now they expect me to have found someone new when they next see me. Photos of GGG Grandparents have been handed out and have pride of place in their homes next to those of their children
Now is the time that my heart swells with pride for the hard work I have put into this "hobby"
Carol
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Plenty of good work done there Carol. What about a book ???
It sounds as though you could tell quite a story having found so many relations.
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I'm a youngin' and I am very interested in my family's history. I think that's because my parent moved away from all their relations. So I grew up wit no real cousins (we would have the odd visits once every few years).
Same here. My mum was an only child, although she kept in touch with cousins so I have some second cousins I see every now and then. I have cousins on my dad's side but don't often see them. Cousins lived elsewhere and the youngest cousin I have is 8 years older than me. We moved away from where grandparents lived so I only saw them every few months. 5 of my great grandparents though were from families of about 10 children so I must have tons of 3rd cousins.
Andrew
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Patty
The thing about going without someone who doesn't share your interest is you will be able to linger as long as you like and not be thinking you have to go because they will be bored by now. Enjoy !!
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Hiya guys, I hope Patty is OK. She has not posted since December.
We are all posting to her now. I wonder why no messages were sent for several months.
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Hi Christopher :)
Im totally with you about going there, My old mum was from Dublin, and a couple of years before she passed away, one Sunday morning my elder brother came round to break the news that her (baby) brother had passed away, in Dublin. she was not in good health but after she recovered from the first shock, she demanded we go there now, She had a morbid fear of flying so when I told her the Quickest way to get there was to fly, she just said do it, we managed to book a flight the same night and was In dublin the next morning, ( I will always remember my mums arms grabbing the armrests as we took off ), I have not been to dublin since I was in short pants, but they still remembered me, they welcomed us with open arms, after the funeral, I went out on my own for a fag, All these old ladies in black dresses kept coming up to me, OH.. how youve grown, or I used to change your nappies, or your Evas son are you,
Needless to say we now keep in close contact,
Best wishes.
Pete :)
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I can relate to this. I can see the glassy eyes as I try to tell my sons something I have found - or the sniggers about "Mum's hobby'. But I don't care, I am enjoying myself and if they don't want to follow up on my findings, then it is their lack of interest - not mine.
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I started my research 'too late' as many have, When all your grandparents generation have passed on and most of your parents generation also.
My father died when I was 2 and my mother remarried. I knew nothing of my roots. When my mum passed on, I decided I wanted to know who I am, so I started what was to become at times an obsession.
I now have my paternal line back to 1545 and I am still digging. I have found 18 cousins I never knew existed. Met an aunt who I never knew existed, and dozens of second and third etc cousins***.
Been to some interesing villages and towns in England, Scotland and Ireland.
All this [I think] keeps me from going insane in this ever crazier world.
My immediate family smile at me indulgently when I get excited about finding more distant cousins., adding to my extended family of 6000+.
I am glad I started this hobby 20 years ago this week.
***What is the most distant cousin anybody has traced?.
Tom G
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Yes TomGaunt, I am in the same category. I had a Great-grandmother who scared the ...... out of me. This is what comes of having been born when your parents were 45 and 42 - that a lot of their own parents, siblings etc. had died, so therefore you didn't get the stories passed down to you and missed out on a lot of the intrigue etc of those bygone days. My sister, who is 15 years older than me tells me some things, but I think her view is prejudiced at times and really don't know what to believe so my research really comes from dates of BMD's and what has been written on the Western Australian side of things of their remembrances of their parents etc.
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My husband and sons think I have completely lost my marbles researching my origins. They cannot understand why I should want to spend hours trawling through records for dead people. I cannot understand why they want to see grown men kick a bag of wind around the field. It is 'horses for courses' as they say. When I started this research I was on my own, now lots of people we know have asked for my help and I think my family are beginning to realise I am not a 'strange person' after all.
Cathy ;D
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I'm researching both my tree and that of my DH.
He gets just as excited as I do with new finds etc and he's my chief gravestone finder! Honestly this man can scan a graveyard and spot all possible stones far quicker than I can!
My Mum's still very interested with every little snippet I find out about 'her lot', my dad however couldn't care less. Not bad for a man who professes to know nowt about his roots and clearly doesn't want to either ::)
MIL is fascinated with the things I'm discovering. Then again she has a habit of 'remembering' snippets of info AFTER I've worked things out for myself lol
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You guys are inspiring me to go to Ireland and try to find some people! I have been concentrating on England, but I have Irish ancestors as well, who left there in about the 1830s or so. SWANICK. Do you suppose they'd be interested in seeing me? The name is an extremely uncommon one in Ireland, to judge by Griffith's evaluations (I think there were only about 7 or so of them at that time, and all living fairly close together, in Co. Mayo area), so I assume that if I found anyone by that name in Ireland now, they would be related, but I have found it rather daunting to figure out how to trace them exactly. Any thoughts?
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Hi Loo :)
YES GO :) :), you will love it,
Pete :) :)
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Thanks for the encouragement, Pete.
I just looked up the current phone book for Ireland online, and there still aren't very many of them listed (12 phone listings), AND 11 of them are still in the same area!!! I figure that since we are talking about so few households, they must all be related to me somehow, but lord knows how! Do you think that these people would have some sort of family memory that some of them left for Canada and the US back in the 1830s to 1850s? (I haven't yet figured out when they came exactly, although I think I can narrow that down by checking to see when the area that they migrated to was settled. I feel reasonably confident that it was the 1830s.)
Probably I should try this on a different thread sometime, to track down the genealogical connections.
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hi, i have just found a lot of my family in australia and cannot wait for next year when i can go and meet them, don,t care if family don,t approve, i,m excited about it
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I think I've been quite lucky with my hunting for the family past as we're all so close that there would often be the young bunch chatting with the oldies about the past. Quite a few stories have been passed through time and from this I was able to build up quite a picture before I started.
Because a lot of it was all stories passed down the line some parts have become distorted so its given me immense pleasure to be able to fix some of the stories and put them right like where certain family members were years ago and why they were there.
I was inspired to start searching as a school friend I'm still in contact with told me he was researching his tree. Since then I got hooked. We had a story of my grandfather losing 7 of his siblings after he arrived home from Flanders during WWI. To this day we have no idea if they survived the war as apparently Birmingham was bombed quite badly. Part of my quest was to try and find any living rellies, to finish his hunting for him (even if I am almost a century late) but seem to have gone the other direction instead to around 1750.
hahaha I got sidetracked :)
Yeah, as a result of me digging out information and goodies from the past I've found I've been phoning a couple relatives I haven't spoken to for about 20 years because they're the last remaining of the Harris bloodline (as far as we know) from London but almost everyone is interested in receiving updates from me now and then.
It fascinates me how I've traced various parts of the tree to absolutely massive families consisting often 2 or 3 brothers/sisters living in the same road each having about 9 children and now I'm finding it difficult (if not impossible) to locate or even think of family members still alive.
If it hadn't been for my mum I wouldn't know the Harris' around London so I plan to visit them.
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I'm somewhat shocked that there is no trace of so many of your great-aunts/uncles. Do you think that they simply were killed in the bombing, and nobody reported them missing at the time? Anyone else hear of anything like this?
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Hi, most of my family are loving what I find out especially my mum (assistant to me when searching at recordoffices and graveyards), my dad (second assistant at graveyards) also my living grandparents and my mum's brother and sister and also my greataunt in Australia who I met for the first time last September have all shown interest in what I am doing in the past. The only one who isn't so crazed is my sister (even though she does a great job scanning all my photos for me that I send on to my contacts), she didn't even act that impressed when I told her about the link that I had found to William the conqueror ::), Maybe one day...!
Anna
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Hi Loo and all,
Its pretty horrifying to be shown death on that scale during the war isn't it?
I grew up in Australia after 2nd world war and haven't known that destruction of the family.
Been reading Anne Perry books on 1st ww and terrible losses of young Europeans on both sides in the trenches. Makes family search seem even more relevant.
I'd love to find my kerrisk family back in Ireland and go and visit them. Sounds magic to me.
seven :)