Author Topic: What is your most amazing (personal) family history discovery?  (Read 17695 times)

Offline suentimb

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Re: What is your most amazing (personal) family history discovery?
« Reply #63 on: Saturday 25 April 09 14:35 BST (UK) »
I have a couple of stories to relate .....geddit ??

My surname is Bickerdike and my fist wife's maiden name was Horsfall, both uncommon names even here in Yorkshire. When I first stard working on her line i found in the 1851 census a household in Huddersfield with a family of Horsfalls with a family of Bickerdikes as borders???
Later I married again ( don't worry I did it all legally) and my wifes maiden name is Thompson. As I researched her line I discovered her family were from Batley Carr decending from a chap called Smith Thompson, this led to lots of work on the family noting lots of names etc.
Well one day I took my new wife to meet my Great Aunt, a Vasey who had married a Thompson, there was my great Uncle and Aunt sittting having a cup of tea and chatting.
I asked my Uncle where he was born, "Batley Carr" he replied. "Was your fathers name Smith?" a look of surprised crossed his face " yes " he replied and "was your mothers name Norah?" I asked, even more surprised look on his face " Yes " he replied. " Well " said I "meet your cousin " and I pointed to my wife.
It turned out that my great Aunt had married my father in laws cousin.

The look on both their faces was a picture to behold and one that I will remember for a long time

Tim B
Bickerdike West Yorks
Thompson Batley Carr
Kemp Batley & Drighlington
Clayton Halifax & Batley
Vasey Batley

Offline turramurra

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Re: What is your most amazing (personal) family history discovery?
« Reply #64 on: Tuesday 28 April 09 02:36 BST (UK) »
My story is delightful
Beginning a family history course at the local library ,I was surprised to meet a person researching the same family;HALSTEAD from Southminster Essex ENGLAND
He was a third cousin . We had lived a few suburbs away from each other most of our lives !
We were able to  trace our family (with lots of help ) back to 1650 in Suffolk, England.

Our fascination with the HALSTEAD family has found us many other cousins and friends across the world
We have had Australian reunions and continue our passion for family history
I am very glad that the conveyor of our History Class  introduced us .She had our story written in the newspaper to encourage other to search for their family

Turramurra
HALSTEAD Essex, Australia,EVERETT Essex,  BIDDLE, Leicester and Rome Italy, GRUNOW, Adolph b1858 Berlin Germany
Soratapassenger on  ship to Australia 1800 , PICKUP Lanc, NICOL Sct, Joseph Smith and Margaret Holmes Convicts to Australia 2nd fleet and 3rd fleet