Is genealogy in the genes?

[Springbok]

Elizabeth, that is an interesting point,

I and a female cousin are the last of our branch, and the surname on our side has vanished.

For the most part I have been sorting out family legends, but it's true that in the back of your mind,there is always the hope that there still other surname descendants out there

Spring

[maidmarianoops]

I wonder if they would be suddenly be interested if told there is a family fortune somewhere.

sylvia

[simonwpb]

I agree that the more distant the connection, the more piqued the curiosity. As an emigrant myself I wanted to know my roots. At this point I know more about my ancestry than my parents and grandparents did!

Is curiosity in your DNA or it is it your circumstances that makes you inquisitive?

[trish1120]

I think it is possibly a combination of a sense of wondering what makes up our physical presence and a sense of belonging to a past that has disappeared. Some of my close family members are interested, but unfortunately most of my elder cousins are not interested in helping at all.
My journey began with the death of my eldest brother this year and that was a catalyst to find from where I came.

On some family lines I have found many descendants researching- esp. the English side. The Irish lines seem to have no-one out there at all!! ( must be in the genes)
As too the end of the line with family
names, I have always not wanted to give up my family name even after marriage and only hyphenated it.

"We are only but our past and present and the possibility of the future" ( original quote by me)
Trish

[drodgers34]

I think I do it where someone else might do crosswords or suduko.

Its a puzzle waiting to be solved - but much more interesting as it touches other items of interest.

I've never had a strong interest in family per se - got that from my mother !

[MarieC]

I've had this experience too, but in my case I can tie it to Scottish clannishness!  Scots really do seem to like to research their extended family, very thoroughly.

In my paternal grandfather's line (being a Scottish clan), almost everything has been researched by a range of people so there really is not a lot left to do, until I get right back to my gggrandmother - a fascinating lady of French, Dutch and Irish extraction.  Some family legends there, but the fact that she came from the West Indies makes researching very difficult!

As for my maternal grandmother's line, a second cousin of Scottish descent on her father's side is a genealogy nut and has cornered the market there too!

Still, I have plenty left to look for on my other two grandparent lines, as well as the West Indian lady!  There is a London family in my paternal grandmother's line who resolutely remain a mystery.    There's another disappearing ancestor as well.  As for the Irish - 

MarieC

[treebuster]

What a interesting thread!
Not sure whether the genealogy bug is in the genes as little old me is the only one interested in my line ..

I have been researching my family history for well over 19 years andl have made contact with a few decendants of various families....
The most contact i had was with my maternal grandfathers side and they were the Ag Labs of the family with the most children...
Still waiting for the day that i find a direct decendant of my grandmothers family i know her mother never had anymore children but wait in hope that one of her uncles and aunts decendants will contact me one day.
Would love to see also a photograph of my great-grandmother for i never knew what she looked like !

[Siamese Girl]

When Mr and Mrs Stephen Tutt lost their only son soon after birth in 1754 they must have thought the name would disappear into the mists of time, but I have found descendants from at least 4 of their 7 surviving daughters who are happily researching their roots. In 20 odd years I haven't found anyone interested in the other side of the family - not even the current ones have any interest in their ancestors!

Carole

[Christopher]

It leaves me wondering whether the genealogy bug is in the genes and is passed down some lines but not others 

Pinetree

If it's a genealogy bug should you be able to get a prescription from the doctor for something which would assist you in knocking down your brick walls

Christopher