Psychic Genealogy

[Erato]

"I maintain that genealogy is about genes."

If all you want is a studbook, that's the way to go.

[coombs]

"I maintain that genealogy is about genes."

If all you want is a studbook, that's the way to go.

I agree, OK an adoptive ancestor may not have your genes, but if someone raised a child as their own, they are a huge part of your family tree. And usually they shared the same surname and grew up with their traits, ethics, and that adoptive parent did all the hard work.

[LizzieW]

And usually they shared the same surname and grew up with their traits, ethics, and that adoptive parent did all the hard work.

Our adopted son is totally different to the rest of his siblings (children I gave birth to), apart from the fact that he knows whatever happens he has to go to work and work hard for a living.

On the other hand, the daughter I had when I was single and was adopted is nothing like me or the rest of my children.  In fact she is not even like her adoptive parents although she is very similar to her brother (born to her adoptive parents after they adopted her).

So it's not all nature versus nurture. 

[Rena]

I think the most astonishing visit I made to the medium who said she didn't tell "fortunes", was the list I made of one visit, when I took a notebook with me. .   The first notes I'd made were "Off to the Cotswolds" - I'd heard of the Cotswolds but didn't know where they were.  Then there was a list of names that on first sight I couldn't relate any of them to my family, such as "Bristol, Harvey, Mary, etc, etc."

Not long afterwards I had a message on Rootschat about the Findlay Shirras family that I was researching.   A newbie sent me a message where the first sentence was "Off to the Cotswolds, I'll contact you when I return"

I sent a response and listed all the names I'd been given.  She recognised every one of the names.  Apparently her mother's name was Mary and her children had links to Harveys Bristol Cream sherry (lol).

[Erato]

Bristol, Harvey, Mary, Cotswolds ...!!!

All of those items occur in my tree.  My mother (Mary!) was from Bristol!  Her paternal ancestors had come to Bristol from the Cotswolds!  Castle Combe!  What could be more classically Cotswoldy? And she liked Harvey's Bristol Cream, too!  Plus, the surname Harvey crops up in my tree more than once.

There's nothing 'psychic' about it, though.  Doesn't everyone have at least one Mary in their tree? There were hundreds of thousands, probably millions, of Marys connected to Bristol, and a lot of those Marys had roots in the Cotswolds because, as it grew, the city drew is population from nearby rural areas.  And Harvey - well, that's a common surname which is also often used as a forename.  Harveys are a dime a dozen.

[Rena]

Bristol, Harvey, Mary, Cotswolds ...!!!

All of those items occur in my tree.  My mother (Mary!) was from Bristol!  Her paternal ancestors had come to Bristol from the Cotswolds!  Castle Combe!  What could be more classically Cotswoldy? And she liked Harvey's Bristol Cream, too!  Plus, the surname Harvey crops up in my tree more than once

I'm reminded of a saying my father was fond of, which was:-

"Do you want a story or a fight"?  :-) :-)  :-)

 I too have scores of Marys. but unlike you and the other lady they had no connection to alcohol or the Shirras family.  Explain how or why the woman mentioned the Pilot Case - in fact how many people have heard of a pilot case?

.  I really should dig out my notebook to be factual about my notes..  My OH died 1999 aged 61, which would be when our daughter started to try to contact her dad and maybe see what the future held for her children.  I recall an item when the TV news announced somebody in the USA was sending envelopes of white powder to people.  At that annual visit I had made a note of "Philadelphia".  I thought possibly my cousin might have moved there from Florida.  Eventually, the American police announced that a tutor in a Philadelphia college had been sending what could be anthrax in the post to people he disagreed with..

[coombs]

I always wanted a direct ancestor who had spent time abroad or who had died abroad, and I then found one ancestor who went to America from the UK in 1886 to live out his final years with 2 married daughters, and one ancestor sent to Australia in 1791. After all, US and Australian shows were very popular in the UK in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and still are. (Dallas, Neighbours, Home And Away etc)

[DianaCanada]

I parted with some cash about twenty years ago and had a session with a psychic.  Never thought to ask her family history questions, though, and am still stuck on my direct paternal ancestor born ca 1799.
She did mention seeing me surrounded by books and within a couple of months I was hired on at a bookstore.  Not long after that I got back to teaching, lots of books there, too.
I had been separated for a couple of years and wanted to know about possible romances.  She said “I see an American flag”, which puzzled me as my ex was born across the U.S. border in Vermont to Canadian parents.  Figured she was confused, but two and a half years later I met OH, who was born in the US.  I can’t recall meeting any other men born in the States ( eligible or otherwise)in those years.