RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Cambridgeshire => Topic started by: AndrewMartin on Saturday 20 November 04 14:09 GMT (UK)
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Who are you researching?
Over the years that i have been researching (since 1996) i have been researching my entire family tree as my ancestors have rarely left Cambridgeshire during the last 400 years. This has meant that data is quite easy to collect but sometimes confusing to piece it all together when surnames cross over.
I've noticed that some people only research one side of the family at a time.
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Hi
I started out 5 years ago on my maternal line just out of curiosity, but I have since discovered, like a lot of fellow researchers, that it is so addictive that I go off in all directions at the drop of a hat, and can never resist just taking a peek at that extra new line, and off I go again in that direction, so I can't ever imagine anyone, with a real interest only doing one line. It couldn't be!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you find a new name you JUST HAVE to follow it, don't you?
OR AM I JUST A SAD ADDICTED GENEALOGIST?
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You're a sad addicted genealogist....... like me - AND IM PROUD!! ;D
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Hi
I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or otherwise...........
To be honest, I am seriously addicted, so addicted that if my own research is going slowly, I will trawl the help requests to see if anyone needs help in my area, just so I can keep on hunting.................
Sad isn't it???????????????????
Anne
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Anne, it was certainly wasnt derogatory :)
To me, researching my family tree has been both enlightening and interesting. Ive loved listening to the stories of elderly relatives, the rumours, "scandal", the suspicions, the happy times and the sad times. I was fortunate to know my Great Grandmother for 26 years until her death this summer at 104. She belonged to a large family (mainly of daughters) and most of these children are still alive today.. the youngest being in her mid 80s.
Their recollections, stories and also things like photograph collections have been of tremendous interest to me as i try to piece together what is in effect a "who's who" of my family.
I've had a lot of satisfaction out of solving puzzles left by rumours and bad handwriting and putting those together with visiting their home villages, finding their graves, finding photos of them.. it amasses to a great sense of achievement for me.
I feel a bit anorak-ish doing this hobby.. but it makes me happy and it is actually creating something that will be passed on to future generations.
I love it!
Andrew.
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Hi Andrew
I can certainly relate to all you say, and I used to feel 'anorakish' about it to, but now I don't care, I get accused of boring the pants off everyone with my constant chatter, but it is the only way to learn anything.
There is one thing, though, that we can be sure of, our hobby will never run out, because there is no 'exact' end, so we can carry on hunting til doomsday.
Don't you just feel elated when you discover one new name,because that means you have at least 2 more to start 'hunting' for?
Okay, I know, lets just be SAD ADDICTS TOGETHER!
I'm proud to be one, and very happy to meet another, happy hunting!
Anne
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:) Started with just looking for information on my father ,but it soon took hold of me now i ,m doing a part of my tree and helping others !!! :D
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Ditto Graceland,
I wonder how many others have to admit to doing exactly that?
Anne
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I just have to say that over on the Somerset boards, having posted a message at about lunchtime today, i had a reply after about 3hrs of posting the message that gave me a load of information (ive checked it!) that i had been trying to find out for about 6yrs!
A big brick wall has just been smashed through with 3hrs work and the help of a friendly soul on this site.
You can probably guess i am quite excited now.
:D
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Thats the great thing about this site, everyone is so helpful, LONG LIVE ROOTSCHAT!
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Hi Andrew
Icant answer your poll because Istarted out after a vary close relation died and left a few unanswered questions that she would never discuss and woe betide you if you tried to broach the subject. So when my missus bought a computer i tried to find the answers and as we all know on rootschat you start out with a name and before long you wander off completly from what you started out doing. Istill havent found the answer to what brought me to here but ive met loads of rootschat friends along the way and had many a good laugh with. I better stop now coz im Wanderiiiinnnggggg ... of the original subject
Joe
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I'm researching every possible line of my entire ancestry, sometimes, I even go off hunting the ancestors of people who have married into my family several generations before my own birth. I'm one comitted family historian. Or am I just obsessed???
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;D Totally obsessed mate you wont find many who trawl this site who are not. Just go to the stats page and see for yourself how long most of us spend on it(http://)
Joe...... LOL
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I also must be a sad addicted Genealogist,because I do the same---while I'm on my main track----up comes a surprise and there I go--off in that direction!
But-- I do love the chase!
Renee :)
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This site, and others like it, should be forced to carry a Government Health Warning - "Genealogy is addictive and can seriously damage your mental health"
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I'm just like the rest of you. I am a serial obsessive. One problem attracts my attention and then I cannot rest until I've got an answer. And when I have, then I find something else to be obsessive about. At the moment, I'm trying to trace the nephew of one of my ancestors who was sharing their abode in the 1871 census. The reason for this obsession is that my gg grandfather moved to Yorkshire from Norfolk but neither of his known brothers did. The nephew was born in Hull, thus suggesting an as yet unknown sibling for my gg grandfather. Currently eagerly awaiting the birth certificate to prove it.
And then I will be on to something else. Probably tracing the parents of the magnificently named Hazelrigg Bullman in Newcastle for no other reason than I love the name. As previous posters have said, government health warnings should apply as my obsessions get more and more obscure (and to anyone else, totally boring). But I don't care.
QM
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Hi
I started out 5 years ago on my maternal line just out of curiosity, but I have since discovered, like a lot of fellow researchers, that it is so addictive that I go off in all directions at the drop of a hat, and can never resist just taking a peek at that extra new line, and off I go again in that direction, so I can't ever imagine anyone, with a real interest only doing one line. It couldn't be!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you find a new name you JUST HAVE to follow it, don't you?
OR AM I JUST A SAD ADDICTED GENEALOGIST?
I know just what you mean :) I started out in 1999 meaning only to research my father's family; now, I am researching all lines as new info comes to light and have a website to prove it :)
Have fun and keep up the good work - and remeber:
"Only a genealogist regards a step BACKWARD as PROGRESS!"
Regards. Ann.
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god i must be sad just replying to this page :o i started off on my wife,s tree not doing very well there ::),then my dad,s tree[result]then my mum say,s what about my tree ??? it just goes on and on :'(
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my mother was a only child and always wanted to belonge to a large family, but her
mother died when my mother was 3 and her stepmother never had children. so
when my mother died i thought i would see what i could find out about her mother.
i found she came from a big family and so did my grandfather but my mother never knew any of them, i even found out i lived next door to one of my uncles in the 60s.
sheila old queen. ;D
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SNAP to everyone here
I cant fill in your survey cos except for not being profesional guess I research everyone ::) serves two purposes I love research and it stops me eating....well almost ;D
I even research other peoples for fun just finished a cousins well what I could find , never really finished but it introduced me to scottish certificates wish mine were scottish oh well back to it sandie
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Kia ora
I'm just worried about the poor future genealogist in 200 years time who might be able to access my tax returns, parking tickets and will have to scratch their heads wondering why on earth I spent so much time in Bangladesh! Or will they surmise that I was incarcerated for the above offences?????
Just found one of mine who was in strife for bankruptcy and had to pay 2/6 by the following Saturday in 1915. Woner if he re-enrolled in the Army....?
Great game promised this wekend if anyone is interested.!!
Marlene in Aotearoa
"Ancestors never die , they simply lose their census."
(Read it out loud.!)
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Hi, I have been doing research for my family history for over 30 years now. Had a small break of about 10 years while having my children, just did bits now and then. But now I am back in the running, and trying to do it seriously now. I can't believe how much is available now, and how easy it is to find different sites etc.
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I wanted to do my family tree, but my niece was doing it along with an uncle.... so didn't take it up, but sad as it wasn't worth doing it. So when my daughter's boyfriend in Canada announced that his father was born in England to a warbride, I decided to find out more for him. Big brick wall, so I then thought I'd look at my family tree, found a few mistakes along the way that opened many doors and I've never stopped since.
I get excited with the prospect of a few hours to escape to read parish records and court records and will talk about it for days afterwards.
What could be more exciting and entertaining that finding out an ancestor had his furniture of a bow and arrow removed for a quarter of a year! Or that another put the whole parish at peril of contacting the plague by allowing a sub tennant to stay in his home!
Sad but I have to admit to wanting to be a name dropper, I'd love to find myself related however winding the path to someone famous like Henry VIII, but at the moment I'm not even related to the person that empties the chamberpot :'(
I do love all the new cousins that I've found since starting the tree, I'd never have known they'd existed if it wasn't for doing the tree.
Jan
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I started looking for my Dad's mother's family after Mum hand Dad had been out for Sunday lunch and ended up looking at the Church where my dad was christened. This set us thinking of the names of Nan's brothers and sisters - she was the youngest of 17! I had no idea where to look and just did a Google search and found them on the 1901 census - and that was it!!! Ten months later I now have over 450 names on the tree. BUT the best bit is that I have become really close to my Dad, after a strained relationship for many years and we now go off all over the place looking for gravestones etc. It is wonderful.
This site has been the most useful I have used and thrown up names and answers when I have been completely stuck. Cheers all ;D
Sue B
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yes, this site has really shown the value of using the internet to research a family tree.
the kindness of 'strangers' on here to help out with research is astonishing and those kind people have certainly helped me a lot to research my family's history.
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hi,
guess i am the same as the rest of you. started off carrying on my mother's side after she passed away. got stuck in 1540, guess what, moved over to my father's line, and so on and so forth...
will have to do my wife's soon or she will divorce me and cite the computer as third party! ;D ;D
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"Only a genealogist regards a step BACKWARD as PROGRESS!"
Love the quote Ann.
I started when an uncle made a flip comment that a local estate could be named after a distant ancestor. Simple as that. And guess what? A year later and it was!!!! Estate is called Fishburn Park (mothers maiden name, Fishburn not Park) and it's named after Thomas Fishburn who built the Endeavour, in which Captain Cook sailed to Australia. Since then I've gone off in all directions. Snippets I find of interest one day don't appear to be relevant but months later, hey presto, you've got another branch. Just like a jigsaw, you'll tear up the house to find any pieces that are missing.
I've recently found a possible who was counterfeiting ha'pennys. He got caught and fined 1 shilling (wonder if he paid with the duff ones) and 12 months jail.
It's better than any TV soap, so who cares if we are sad.
All the best to everyone
Andy
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I started 4 years ago on my Mother's side. First with her Mother's family and now her Father's side. If I get stuck and can't go back any further, I move side ways so I don't have to stop! As a result, my tree is wider than it is longer ;D
Kimi
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Hi,
My grandfather was orphaned so my dad sent off for records from his local parish in Bucks and we visited the church and cottage where he grew up. I was about 10 and took a real interest. Now I have completely taken over the family research and got completely addicted!!! :-) I too bore the pants off everyone with my constant chatter about my discoveries, but I have learnt so much history through this hobby. I have one line in Northumberland back to the Civil War and am now finding out all about that. I wrote all my research up in a book with photos etc. and gave copies to my aunts and uncles and they loved it. I now research all lines of my family. I have a semicircular chart and I work by finishing off the levels and filling in the gaps. I have now almost completed the greatx3 grandparents and are halfway through the next generation. It does get much harder after the census years though!
Nikki
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I'm researching every possible line of my entire ancestry, sometimes, I even go off hunting the ancestors of people who have married into my family several generations before my own birth. I'm one comitted family historian. Or am I just obsessed???
I'm doing the EXACT same thing. I just found 2 new second cousins this week and now I've been inundated with all their family information - most of which is their other line, not our Burrow line. OTOH they also sent me some great new photos of my Burrow family in NZ as well.
And I have quite a few lines of people marrying into the Burrow family that I have traced back a few generations. ;D
I am currently working mostly on my paternal grandmothers BURROW line. My paternal fathers line has been mostly done by others, but also since its Scottish, I just dont have the finances to pay Scotlandspeople for surfing BMD records and purchasing certificates all the time. :( So I havent been able to do as much as I would like on my Scottish lines.
On my West country lines I am having a BALL!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
BD
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Just thought i'd add my twopennyth worth, what i find fascinating is when your reading a book about History or watching a documentary on TV, about the year 17 or 18 something or another, you suddenly think, Oh so and so lived threw that and might have even been involved in it, it just makes it more intriguing for me. The other strange thing is that in the 1850's one branch of my family and one branch of my wife's family lived two streets from each other in Manchester and could have even known each other, brings everything a little closer. Small world or what.
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Hi all,
I am a novice to this sited and still finding my way around it but really enjoy it. I feel at home here. My partner thinks all my researching my roots is mad - so this site makes me feel good to be in the company of so many as addicted as myself. I started searching one side of my family but it has really branched out now and have also helped others to obtain information. I have even found a distant cousin through family research. Even one of my boys is starting to show an interest at the age of 21!
Cathy
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Hi Cathy
Welcome to the world of addiction - there is no escape ;D
I've only been here for a short while but wonder how I managed before. There are a lot of very helpful people out there.
Regards
Andy
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I see you are researching Bowers. it is one of my names in Burwell, Cambridge. Matthew Bowers Married Mary Bridgeman then Ann Barnes, and then Tabitha Larner. My grandfather Charles Harding Barnes Married Mary Bowers - daughter of Matthew and Mary. Charles Harding Barnes' mother was I believe the Ann Barnes Matthew married. Do you know them.
Sabrina