I'm feeling a little smug today...... this afternoon I decided to construct the family tree of a good friend from 40 years ago, who passed away in January 2008. When we last saw each other we were both in our late teens, and I'd spent 35 years looking for him and then in late 2007 I found his sister through Friends Reunited. When you are a teenager, you tend to talk about other stuff than family, so although I'd met his brothers and sisters, and stayed with the family, I realised that I really didn't know much about my friend from all those years ago. We exchanged 3 emails before he died - he dropped dead of a heart attack only months before a planned reunion.
This afternoon I decided to draw up his family tree, so I would at least know a little about his roots. From his emails, I knew his wife's first name, when they got married, and the names of his two sons, and the fact that his eldest son was 30 in 2007. From memory, I knew his sisters' names and the married name of one sister, and that was about it. I really didn't have a clue where he was born, because his father was army top-brass, and the family moved around a lot.
In three hours I had found my friend's DOB and place of birth, and his mother's maiden name. I then found his parent's marriage in the same town that he was born. I also found the marriages of his sisters. I also found his marriage, his wife's maiden name, and the birth registrations of his sons. I then went back on both sides of his tree, going back to 1770 on the main branches.
Not bad for 3 hours work ?
I'll never get to see my friend again, but now I feel I know him a little bit better, and have answered questions that maybe I would have asked him, if he'd lived to make our reunion. I'm a little stunned that I could build a family tree with so little to start with. Almost like Heir Hunters !
