Average Age of Family History Enthusiasts

[Keith Sherwood]

That must make you the youngest guy on this site, according to the survey so far...
Keith

[ryan]

Nope, I'm three years younger than XPhile.

Ryan.

[Burrow Digger]

I'm in the 31-40 age. I was sort of interested during my teen years before I left home, after I found out that my mother was adopted. For some reason during my teen years, I was also given a few old family trees and letters from a great uncle who did most of the early research on my fathers family.

But I didnt become addicted until the internet arrived. I guess you can say I have been really addicted since 2000 when I finally went online and discovered rootsweb & ancestry dot com.

BD

[flame]

I'm 40. I got interested years ago when I found out that my grandfather was born a Burn then became a Whitworth and ended up a Craven. I didn't get far though with the puzzle. Now I have more time, only work a few hours a week and my son takes a lot less looking after. I'm looking forward to hopefully finding out about more about my family and some of the things that they did.
Flame

[helenw]

My mum and I do the family searching together it all started when i was 16 after a school project about the second world war got my grandparents and there brothers and sisters telling stories about what they used to do (my project was about the Home front).

We've been doing it on and off ever since then. I'm now 24 and we are really getting into it again as i've finished studying and have the time to search properly. I really wanted to help my mum too as its my family too, but i really like tapping my grandparents memories for their stories of childhood. I'm in the process of trying to get my grandmother to write all her stories down so that i'm able to keep a real memory with all the formal certificates.

[sandie]

I was born the year the King died - and I don't mean Elvis, sadly - which puts me on the wrong side of 50.
It was my eldest son that got me hooked on family history.  He decided to have ago just after my father died 7 years ago, it was then I realised how little I knew.  My son asked me to help him because he couldn't find anything, I don't think he's been back to it since, me on the other hand, can't stop.

Sandie

[DebbieDee]

I am 38 and have been interested in family history for as long as I can remember.  During my teens and 20s I collected as much info as I could and asked lots of questions.  My gran tried to dissuade me and then seemed to change her mind, telling me lots of interesting stuff which I'm still trying my best to authenticate.  However I think she may have tried to encourage me away from all the really juicy family history or maybe she really didn't know...

Debbie

[goggy]

Dear oh dear oh dear!!!
I'm a 1.7%er,no wonder that ante diluvian feeling keeps coming over me!
Been at it only a year+4 months,new "confuser",thirst for knowledge,and a G,Ma I only met twice in my life and about whom is a shroud of secrecy I would like to disperse.In this respect I feel a debt,or obligation needs to be answered.
She spent her life in a mental hospital.from 1930 approx,til the mid 50,s.Never lovingly talked about in my presence,only vague tales of husbands "misbehaviour",+7 children,none of whom ever visited her,as far as I know.
Excuse my ranting on,loads more,but that's enuff to explain my interest.
                       Goggy
Thanks to ALL for the help and good humour!

[smouse]

Started pretty young - 15 - but now just approaching double that.  The oddest thing about coming back to it is that with the Internet I have rechecked my whole tree in a few months when originally it took several years.  I'd spend a whole day looking for one family in Chesterfield and now it takes seconds to search on Ancestry!!!