Is Family History starting to sour?

[little meg]

Been a while since I sent a letter with an SAE 
How good is the internet   

[Gadget]

I've hardly ever lived in the areas that my ancestors came from - many English, Welsh and Scottish counties and Canada. However, I've managed to get to some libraries, records offices  and archives by taking holidays in those areas and,  when I couldn't, I've contacted archivist/librarians and, the best resource of all, joined relevant Family History Societies. I've had help with my Canadian research from distant relatives and, later on this Forum.

I don't think distance is the problem that it was.

To answer Nick29's point about where to start. I found that there were many books on the topic and also masses of relevant information on the Internet. I recall finding Genuki very early on. That has some really useful information for beginners.


Gadget

[Sylviaann]

I was working full time when I started 20 years ago so no time or money to travel around the country.  None of my ancestors come from Yorkshire where I now live.  They were all "down South" or Jersey.  I went to night school to learn how to do it then I went to my nearest LDS centre every week for 10 years to search the census, the IGI and Parish records on film.  I did very well.  In fact I probably have not progressed all that much further.

I have never subscribed to any of the sites except for a free week or occasionally paid for census information.  I have a long list of free places to search.  It is amazing what there is around.  When I started on here I read all the information available and read nearly all the posts for my areas, still do.  People should read more before they ask for help.

Because I have done research on my husbands family and my bro-in-laws I have occasionally asked for census lookups.

I do get a bit bored with my searching at this time of year but come September I will start again properly.  It usually takes me 2 years to go through one side of the family.

Sylviaann

[parkywinter]

I am not going to repeat anything I have already said in my earlier post but Nick29 and Gadget have concurred, I feel.

Who are we to judge anyway?

A quote comes to mind, along the lines of  "walking a mile in someone else's shoes.."

[Gatacre]

I started, knowing very little, 33 years ago and the best results were obtained from letters to newspapers in areas of interest.

Knowing only that my American grandmother had lived in Allegheny County, PA. USA.. was a problem but a letter to the Pittsburgh Press produced amazing results.

I will admit that letters to libraries and even Salt Lake City were answered with information instead of requests for a fee.  Joining family history societies was the best thing that one could do.  Owning a computer changed everything but the best thing is getting requests from the new generation of removed cousins in America and Canada who are now finding an interest in FH. We can always pay-back for  the times when help was free. 

Gatacre
 

[Cuxwold]

I feel I must reply to this subject.
The comments of some of the earlier writers seem to me to be truly bizarre.
Take for instance the accusation of being " name gatherers ", isn't this ultimately what we all do.
With all the best will in the world , apart from the odd piece of information, most of the people who lived and died in the 19 century remain just names.
We have no idea what they thought, how they lived their lives, we can speculate about them from sources like the census, bmd certificates, but as I said ultimately they are just names, and any tree is just a collection of names.

As for contacts , I have found several who were and still are extremely helpful
and I thank them for that.
I have also had contacts from G.R who although seemingly do have some connection with my extended tree, do not wish to continue the correspondence after just one contact.
As for them  " cutting and pasting " you tree on to theirs so as not to investigate further, then I say that is their loss, to search and reach the goal
oneself is far better.

Be careful about your comments, as I fear it feels like its becoming an " ELITIS CLUB ", populated by family history buffs of long standing who find inquiries
to trivial to bother with....remember you were a novice once .

Ron

[joboy]

I feel I must reply to this subject.
The comments of some of the earlier writers seem to me to be truly bizarre.
Take for instance the accusation of being " name gatherers ", isn't this ultimately what we all do.
With all the best will in the world , apart from the odd piece of information, most of the people who lived and died in the 19 century remain just names.
We have no idea what they thought, how they lived their lives, we can speculate about them from sources like the census, bmd certificates, but as I said ultimately they are just names, and any tree is just a collection of names.

As for contacts , I have found several who were and still are extremely helpful
and I thank them for that.
I have also had contacts from G.R who although seemingly do have some connection with my extended tree, do not wish to continue the correspondence after just one contact.
As for them  " cutting and pasting " you tree on to theirs so as not to investigate further, then I say that is their loss, to search and reach the goal
oneself is far better.

Be careful about your comments, as I fear it feels like its becoming an " ELITIS CLUB ", populated by family history buffs of long standing who find inquiries
to trivial to bother with....remember you were a novice once .

Ron

Hi Ron ...... nice to have your input and opinions.
When I started this topic I had no idea that it would 'drift' into the other areas .... my only intention was to state my present feelings regarding the search for one's family history compared to say 23 years ago when I started and,to be quite honest,it was as a result of sending my meagre tree to a distant relation who answered by merely saying 'Thank you Joe' and nothing else.
I was'nt looking for a thank you but would have liked some detail,or comment,about her branch of the family bearing in mind that what she got from me was the 'full monty' including how great uncle George was an inveterate drunk who was a hackney cab driver in the West End who virtually 'died in the saddle' (cirrhosis) aged 46 outside a theatre whilst waiting on a fare.
There were several other bits of information regarding those who were more temperate in their habits or who had a modicum of fame which would have been most interesting and not '19th century names'.
So the thought occurred to me that perhaps family history really is starting to sour and in order to get other input I raised the topic.
I dont think that I shall aspire to anything other than a 'novice' ......... never a 'buff' ..... and I would hate to think that I was a member of an elitist club.
joboy

[kerryb]

So are you only elite if you find royalty?  There's nothing elitist about 10 generations of Ag Labs is there? 

I have being 'doing' my family history since summer 2004 now, so I'm a mere novice, how many years do you have to do to become an expert?? 

Wouldn't it only go sour if you stopped finding interesting things like the drunk who died in the saddle?  If you keep finding interesting titbits however small I find they keep the interest up and lead to more searching.

Kerry

[joboy]

I started, knowing very little, 33 years ago and the best results were obtained from letters to newspapers in areas of interest.

Knowing only that my American grandmother had lived in Allegheny County, PA. USA.. was a problem but a letter to the Pittsburgh Press produced amazing results.

I will admit that letters to libraries and even Salt Lake City were answered with information instead of requests for a fee.  Joining family history societies was the best thing that one could do.  Owning a computer changed everything but the best thing is getting requests from the new generation of removed cousins in America and Canada who are now finding an interest in FH. We can always pay-back for  the times when help was free. 

Gatacre
 

Just got to agree with you gatacre .... the best bits are what you dig up yourself ....... newspapers are No.1 ... from such sources I have learned much more about my ancestors than any other.
I looked for many years for my 5th ggm and one day it (her marriage) turned up in the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle which was published in Portsmouth in 1774.
Another ancestor was what Australians call a 'wowser' and he was very vociferous in 1931 according to the Times when he commended the closing of  the sport of racing dogs at the Oval (Kennington).
Two brothers who were from a family of butchers emigrated to Manhattan and set up their own business there in 1851 and I have been helped by rootschatters to trace their progress there.
Another fought with Nelson in 1805 and I have his records and a newspaper clipping of him fathering a base born child for which he paid a small annual sum until the child was 18.... he was from the same butchering family.
Yet another (a butcher too)  had a 'Visitation of God' according to a newspaper and ..... as I married an Australian girl it became necessary to trace her Australian background which required visits to 'The Old Bailey' site where there were details of trials of no lees than seven individuals (of interelated families) who were transported.
This is my interpretation of what is called 'putting flesh on bones' and for me it is the most exiting part of family history.
Joe