What motivates us?

[kathyw75]

Expanding a little on Mrs tenacious: for me it's the combination of jigsaw puzzle with logic problem and detective work; plus the occasional blind leap of faith that manages to be confirmed (or disconfirmed) somewhere down the line. Yes, it's absolutely addictive.

[tedscout]

I love giving forgotten people a voice - I want to write the stories of the "ordinary"  people who went before me.

 Because of my research the lonely grave stone in the top corner of the cemetary where my grandfather is buried - is no longer a forgotten lump of stone.

It turns out he is my husband's 3xgr grandfather. Who would have thought that an English pensioner who emigrates to Australia because his family emigrated years before him, would share the ground with a convict who became a prominent land owner and then commits suicide because of something his young second wife says to him. And their decendents, who are not from that area at all, marry.

When my grandpa gets flowers so does Richard. This is just one example of what spurs me on

  Ted

[Thamesite2017]

Well done Ted
Do you get any of your stories published?
Yes I too like putting things to paper

Oral histories are another great angle that are equally addictive

Bye
althea

[tedscout]

I'm writing Richard's story at the moment to give the historical society where he lived and died

 

[JillJ]

Then there are the people who've convinced themselves that they're descended from royalty! Mine? All Ag Labs and Miners but they're mine!

Fascinating!

Ag. Labs. and miners, yes - loads of them between my lot and royalty.  It never ceases to amaze me how people who were extremely affluent in the medieval and middle ages lost the lot, often in the Reformation.  It's a well known fact that Edward III was 'the father of the nation' and most of us are descended from him; we just need to find those links!  It's all fascinating and keeps me digging away!

Jill

[Roger The Hat]

Then there are the people who've convinced themselves that they're descended from royalty!

That'll be the mother in law, then.     

I'm doing it because Mrs. Hat told me to............

       

[Daisy Loo]

Then there are the people who've convinced themselves that they're descended from royalty!

That'll be the mother in law, then.     

I'm doing it because Mrs. Hat told me to............

       

aaah...there's always that...I'm just doing it for someone else!    I liked Erato's shameless curiousity...and downright nosiness! 

[Erato]

The thing is, if one is motivated by irrepressable curiosity, there is never any shortage of material.  One is free to pursue interesting side branches far removed from the main trunk just because they’re interesting or weird.  Odd little nuggets of information catch your attention and can be pursued just for the hell of it.  The fun is all in the detective work.

Example:  Someone in my tree allegedly died of mushroom poisoning.  I like that; it’s a nice touch and a bit unusual.  I’m not going to spend any money pursuing the matter because the fellow is way off on the fringes of my tree and only connected by marriage -  the son-in-law of the brother of gg uncle Anthony’s wife - but he did wind up buried in one of the family graves and so he caught my attention and I’d like to know more about him. 

[mrs.tenacious]

and 2 other important reasons:

1. to pass it all on.  To those who currently don't consider it important, but who might, one day.  My daughter recently spent a few hours with my Mum listening to her life story - got quite tearful at times - and pronounced how "I need to get this all down, so your story is never forgotten!". (Hello, had she not realised what I've been doing for the past 4 years??!!

2. Selfish reason: recording my Mum & Dad telling all about their lives, especially as children during WW2 means that one day in the future, when they are no longer here, I can still turn on a machine of some sort, and listen to their voices. (I mentioned this in response to another similar thread recently, so apologies for the repeated comments).

These memories are precious, maybe in a larger social historical context, but certainly in our own families.