RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: northernsearcher on Friday 15 October 10 20:47 BST (UK)
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I have been doing family history research for seven months and am finding it fascinating. I have had a lot of really useful and helpful advice and information from many Rootschatters, but as I search and often with help find I wonder why I and others am doing this. So, what motivates us? I would love to understand why we are all doing this. Does anyone want to explain it?
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I think that for many of us it's a curiosity about the people who made us who we are. Are we like our grandparents or even great grandparents in looks? Did we inherit any traits from them? And going further back, what were the lives of our forebears like? What were the places like that they originated from? Personally speaking, I found a great affinity with the place where my paternal ancestors originated.
And of course there's the morbid curiosity - were any of them workhouse inmates or criminals? Lives that were totally unlike any of ours.
Then there are the people who've convinced themselves that they're descended from royalty! Mine? All Ag Labs and Miners but they're mine!
Fascinating!
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Well I think I like the idea of putting names to my ancestors and recording their lives, so they aren't forgotten. There are interesting stories along the way.
Doing all branches of my tree & my husband's I am able to see the broad social trends in society over a period of time (from rural lives lead in a small radius to more social and geographical mobility as the centuries go on). It's also interesting to see how my English lot contrast with husband's Welsh lot. You can see patterns of repeated history emerging.
I am just interested in stories and people and those of my own family are naturally of most interest to me. And the decisions they made and the things that happened to them have contributed to who I am.
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shameless curiosity
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The thrill when I finally dig out another bit of information - just found a death I have been looking for for about six years!
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Ag Labs and Miners
Mine too, but imagine the excitement of finding a blacksmith in 2 separate families!! ::) ::)
Linda
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shameless curiosity
;D ;D ;D ;D I like that!
The trouble is once I started my shameless curiousity is never satisfied, and here I am 6 years later and I know I will carry on for many years to come with more questions to answer.
And yes to date most of mine are Ag Labs, farmers and anything else to do with the land but hey I don't care if they weren't rich or royal, the stuff I have dug up on some of them so far has proved them to be interesting and colourful people anyway.
Kerry
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What motivated me? Hitting 50 and realising that my parents knew so little about their family a generation above, and I wondered why. And if I didn't ask them lots of questions at this point, so much information would be lost for ever. I guess it was hitting the middle years milestone that brought it all into focus for me.
Researching my family history turned out to be one of the best things I've ever undertaken. I've re-kindled an interest in social history and loved trying to solve the 'jigsaw puzzles' of following my family's lives over the years. I've been able to answer some unanswered family questions, and it's meant some of my family being in contact with wider family after many years of minimal contact. It's a 'hobby' that I find absorbing and relaxing, and helps me switch off from my everyday, sometimes stressful ,working life.
Finding Rootschat, and the friendly, helpful people on it, has been an extra bonus!
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Researching my family history turned out to be one of the best things I've ever undertaken. I've re-kindled an interest in social history and loved trying to solve the 'jigsaw puzzles' of following my family's lives over the years.
Mrs tenacious, love your reply
yes it is sad when you suddenly realise that there is no one older to keep the family memories alive
and like you I became equally interested in the peole as a whole
what they were doing, what the lives were like
I've become therefore addicted to looking at the people as awhole in the town, their occupations, where they were living etc.
All in all what a great hobby (addiction!!!)
Bye
Althea in NZ ;D
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Expanding a little on Mrs tenacious: for me it's the combination of jigsaw puzzle with logic problem and detective work; plus the occasional blind leap of faith that manages to be confirmed (or disconfirmed) somewhere down the line. Yes, it's absolutely addictive.
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I love giving forgotten people a voice - I want to write the stories of the "ordinary" ::) people who went before me.
Because of my research the lonely grave stone in the top corner of the cemetary where my grandfather is buried - is no longer a forgotten lump of stone.
It turns out he is my husband's 3xgr grandfather. Who would have thought that an English pensioner who emigrates to Australia because his family emigrated years before him, would share the ground with a convict who became a prominent land owner and then commits suicide because of something his young second wife says to him. And their decendents, who are not from that area at all, marry.
When my grandpa gets flowers so does Richard. This is just one example of what spurs me on
;) Ted
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Well done Ted
Do you get any of your stories published?
Yes I too like putting things to paper
Oral histories are another great angle that are equally addictive
Bye
althea
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I'm writing Richard's story at the moment to give the historical society where he lived and died
;D
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Then there are the people who've convinced themselves that they're descended from royalty! Mine? All Ag Labs and Miners but they're mine!
Fascinating!
Ag. Labs. and miners, yes - loads of them between my lot and royalty. It never ceases to amaze me how people who were extremely affluent in the medieval and middle ages lost the lot, often in the Reformation. It's a well known fact that Edward III was 'the father of the nation' and most of us are descended from him; we just need to find those links! It's all fascinating and keeps me digging away!
Jill
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Then there are the people who've convinced themselves that they're descended from royalty!
That'll be the mother in law, then. ::)
I'm doing it because Mrs. Hat told me to............
:-\ :-\ ;) :D
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Then there are the people who've convinced themselves that they're descended from royalty!
That'll be the mother in law, then. ::)
I'm doing it because Mrs. Hat told me to............
:-\ :-\ ;) :D
aaah...there's always that...I'm just doing it for someone else! ;D ;D ::) I liked Erato's shameless curiousity...and downright nosiness! ;D :P
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The thing is, if one is motivated by irrepressable curiosity, there is never any shortage of material. One is free to pursue interesting side branches far removed from the main trunk just because they’re interesting or weird. Odd little nuggets of information catch your attention and can be pursued just for the hell of it. The fun is all in the detective work.
Example: Someone in my tree allegedly died of mushroom poisoning. I like that; it’s a nice touch and a bit unusual. I’m not going to spend any money pursuing the matter because the fellow is way off on the fringes of my tree and only connected by marriage - the son-in-law of the brother of gg uncle Anthony’s wife - but he did wind up buried in one of the family graves and so he caught my attention and I’d like to know more about him.
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and 2 other important reasons:
1. to pass it all on. To those who currently don't consider it important, but who might, one day. My daughter recently spent a few hours with my Mum listening to her life story - got quite tearful at times - and pronounced how "I need to get this all down, so your story is never forgotten!". (Hello, had she not realised what I've been doing for the past 4 years??!! :))
2. Selfish reason: recording my Mum & Dad telling all about their lives, especially as children during WW2 means that one day in the future, when they are no longer here, I can still turn on a machine of some sort, and listen to their voices. (I mentioned this in response to another similar thread recently, so apologies for the repeated comments).
These memories are precious, maybe in a larger social historical context, but certainly in our own families.
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The curiosity aspect was always there to some degree, but when planning our wedding I became a lot more interested in family (I had visions of a big wedding filled with extended family and then realised I don't really have any).
Both of hubby's parents come from large families, his mom's side being very close, his dad has barely spoken to or of any of his side since he was a teenager.
I was brought up by my paternal grandparents so I have very little contact with the extended family on my mom's side and my dad's side has literally petered out. One of his brothers never had children, the other has two but they are much more inclined towards their mother's family.
I'd always wanted to be part of a big family and to feel that I actually "belonged" so to speak and had been looking forward to a family of my own one day with all the hopes and intentions of rebuilding a close family, so when it transpired that I am unlikely to ever have a "natural" child, my past family became even more important to me.
Then I was also struck by pure interest in the name of my maternal grandmother - Wimbush, hence my One Name Study.
I know all those brances are related - I just haven't found the common ancestor to prove it yet.
In the process I've realised how poor my social history knowledge is and have a strong interest in improving that too - much more interesting when you can empathise with people rather than it all being about some stranger.
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My parents both came from England in the 1950s with four of their children. Three were later born in Australia. I did not know a lot about my English relatives and while my mother is still alive thought I had better find out as much as I could. The photos she has I am able to find out who they are of and also get any snippets of information about her parents/grandparents.
The other thing that has been a big motivator for me is how easy it has become to find out information as a result of technology. A few years back I would not have been able to do my research in the comfort of my own home. I have gone back to gggggrandparents quite easily without having to visit any record offices personally. Ordering certificates online from the GRO has not been a hassle and the various genealogy sites available today make research so much easier. I've also made quite good connections with researchers in the UK who, at a cost, will find out what I want and then in a matter of several weeks email what I want known. Although it has been costly, there is still the opportunity for those who are on a tight budget to use sites such as Rootschat and the very helpful researchers here in their quest for information and guidance.
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Hi
For me it is a mad scramble to find missing pieces. When I was told that not one but two family bibles had been burnt by some relatives I sat down and cried.
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Thank you so much everyone for your fascinating replies. Since I started I have wondered often, especially when I realise that I have been sitting at the computer for hours getting nowhere, why am I doing this? I share many of the motives that others have. Especially the curiosity about "ordinary" peoples lives and the social history which comes with the people. I am so glad I began this.
Jen
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My nosiness led me to a discovery that I find quite comforting. Ever since childhood I have really felt an affinity with the area of East Sussex where my grandparents came from and the nearby villages, love them even now and feel rooted there but never understood why.
Now I do. I have discovered that probably about 80% of my family tree have lived there for at least the last 600 years! I am well and truly rooted and could never leave this part of Sussex.
Kerry
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I have Sussex ancestors and feel at home there. Also in about 1907 my great gran moved down from Oxford to Bexhill in Sussex to work in service. She later moved to Essex.
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Just by finding new cousins and people, who share similar family research, keeps my interest in genealogy alive. I found about four new cousins online this year and it has been very delightful exchanging old photos, letters, news items, and vital records information with them. :)
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For me, it's such a mix of reasons.
I grew up with my maternal gran, and my maternal gt aunt always talking about their familes (who all died well before I was born). It seemed strange that no-one else seemed that interested in the history of the family.
I started really to trace my lienage, but the more I research, the less interested my family become - it worries me that in the future, if someone is ever interested in tracing the tree, they will have no-where to start as all the older generation (I'm 32 years old) will have died and any useful info will have long been lost.
Even with all the information I've been given, some branches of the tree have been a nightmare due to family feuds, etc. I'd dread to think how some future generations would even be able to start without some of the basic information my family have provided.
It's good, however, that programmes like WDYTYA and Heir Hunters is bringing genealogy more into the mainstream - a few of my family are often bringing to my attention that some site called Ancestry exists - not idea what they mean, and I've been doing this for around 10 years now ;)
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When I find a new piece of evidence of an ancestor that motivates me even more. I now am awaiting 4 more certs from 1941, 1926, 1846 and 1847.
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Hello Halfasheep I agree with your mixed reasons. Why we do it can be complicated. It's good to hear of people who are quite young searching ancestors. I did have a theory that it happened in later life but........ its good to be wrong,
Can you tell me why you are half a sheep? When my children were young other children at school asked them if they were a scouser or a woolyback (a sheep?). Lately I discovered from one of my son's that the term "woolyback" isn't about sheep but about cotton mill workers in Lancashire (as opposed to Liverpudlians - scousers) who were covered in white wooly fluff from the Lancashire mills. I wonder how old this description is. Any ideas?
Jen
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In as few or less words as possible, that's how I like it. Just the facts ... only the facts .