Dates & Spooky Coincidences...

[bcowan]

I've been studying my family history for a few years now but fairly early on I was struck by the number of 'spooky coincidences' that I've picked up.

For example, I discovered that my 4xG. Grandfather was the next door neighbour of my wife's 4xG. Grandmother!  The families were unconnected, and remained so until my marriage some 100 years later.  Given that this was in a completely different part of the country and through a variety of chance happenings this seems curious.

I've also noticed that certain dates seem to come up time and time again... Marriages (and deaths) on xmas day, concentrations of births on particular days, etc, etc.

Now I'm not suggesting that there's anything supernatural or pre-ordained about all of this but it does seem curious and I wonder if other researchers have noticed anything similar....

Interested in feedback from other visitors.

Bill

[Springbok]

Hi,bcowan,

As far  as dates are concerned, in my family lots seem to happen on my birthday. Births marriages and deaths. and Baptisms even.Way back to the 17th Cent.  And that is really weird as the calender changed from Gregorian to Julian!!

Last year  a cousin died on my B/day and also a step cousin died on my son's b/day'.

When my children were smallies, I dreaded the B'day of my youngest.For years we made a regular trip to the nearest A&E dept. .Didn't matter WHICH child , but one would do something! Never went near a Hosp for the rest of the year!

Spring
P.S great web site

[ozlady]

I've noticed, too, that the same dates keep cropping up in my tree. It's usually autumn/winter on Dad's side and spring/summer on Mum's side. I also found that in 1841 Dad's gguncle (a policeman) was living in the same (very small!) place as Mum;s gggrandfather, so it was more than likely they knew each other.

[7igerby7he7ail]

I have posted this elsewhere on RC,but anyway.......

In the course of my research, I have criss crossed many paths and found some unusual and baffling coincidences.
Nothing compares to this.
First things first
I was born in Manchester, my wife in nearby Stockport. my wife's ancestry is mainly Scottish
I have been searching  a branch of my wife's tree and located her great great grandmother's marriage certificate. Although her husband was Scottish, it looks like he travelled to England to be married.
To North Buckinghamshire, where we now live. WOO !
They married in Stony Stratford. in 1870 [ about 2 miles from where we now live] WOO !
My wife's great great grandmother lived in Old Stratford 'next to the public house on the crossroads on Watling Street'
Old Stratford is across the River Ouse from Stony Stratford [actually in Northamptonshire]
This is the spooky part

We actually stayed in 'digs' in the very same house when we moved to the Milton Keynes area in 1980. WOOOO!
Without actually knowing about this part of her ancestry until just last week

cue spooky music
do do do do, do do do do


As I say, just a coincidence and there must be many when you are researching the past, but I look at this old house in a new light.

[jeune-romantique]

Well not that 'spooky' but I found a relative who had posted my 2nd Great Grand Uncles ancestors (children's children etc.) and I had two new Higgins families popping up (so three seemingly unrelated), 1st Cousins Once Removed having kids/marrying (and not knowing they were related) and numerous other surnames (such as Salter and Davis) turning up multiple times. I put this down to the family living in the same area (which is another thing that was weird; some families who were distantly related moved to similar areas, and seemingly always returned to the same place) but still, some of the names that popped up were pretty uncommon...

So not that spooky, just interesting.

[Lydart]

Not quite spooky ... but a couple of years ago I was in Canada, and rellies took me to the gold rush town of Barkerville in the north of BC.  Its now a wonderful re-enactment town ... the stage coach rolls into town, people are prospecting ...

Anyway, I went to have a look at the church and graveyard, as one does ...and it was all very interesting.

... and this year, I've discovered I had a  great, great uncle who went there, found gold there, lived and died there ... and was buried in the graveyard there, complete with head stone ... and I NEVER KNEW ABOUT HIM !!