What motivates us?

[Just Kia]

The curiosity aspect was always there to some degree, but when planning our wedding I became a lot more interested in family (I had visions of a big wedding filled with extended family and then realised I don't really have any).

Both of hubby's parents come from large families, his mom's side being very close, his dad has barely spoken to or of any of his side since he was a teenager.

I was brought up by my paternal grandparents so I have very little contact with the extended family on my mom's side and my dad's side has literally petered out. One of his brothers never had children, the other has two but they are much more inclined towards their mother's family.

I'd always wanted to be part of a big family and to feel that I actually "belonged" so to speak and had been looking forward to a family of my own one day with all the hopes and intentions of rebuilding a close family, so when it transpired that I am unlikely to ever have a "natural" child, my past family became even more important to me.

Then I was also struck by pure interest in the name of my maternal grandmother - Wimbush, hence my One Name Study.

I know all those brances are related - I just haven't found the common ancestor to prove it yet.

In the process I've realised how poor my social history knowledge is and have a strong interest in improving that too - much more interesting when you can empathise with people rather than it all being about some stranger.

[Kaybron]

My parents both came from England in the 1950s with four of their children. Three were later born in Australia.  I did not know a lot about my English relatives and while my mother is still alive thought I had better find out as much as I could.  The photos she has I am able to find out who they are of and also get any snippets of information about her parents/grandparents.

The other thing that has been a big motivator for me is how easy it has become to find out information as a result of technology.  A few years back I would not have been able to do my research in the comfort of my own home.  I have gone back to gggggrandparents quite easily without having to visit any record offices personally.  Ordering certificates online from the GRO has not been a hassle and the various genealogy sites available today make research so much easier.  I've also made quite good connections with researchers in the UK who, at a cost, will find out what I want and then in a matter of several weeks email what I want known.   Although it has been costly, there is still the opportunity for those who are on a tight budget to use sites such as Rootschat and the very helpful researchers here in their quest for information and guidance.

[McGreevy]

Hi

For me it is a mad scramble to find missing pieces. When I was told that not one but two family bibles had been burnt by some relatives I sat down and cried.

[northernsearcher]

Thank you so much everyone for your fascinating replies.  Since I started I have wondered often, especially when I realise that I have been sitting at the computer for hours getting nowhere, why am I doing this? I share many of the motives that others have.  Especially the curiosity about "ordinary" peoples lives and the social history which comes with the people.  I am so glad I began this. 

Jen

[kerryb]

My nosiness led me to a discovery that I find quite comforting.  Ever since childhood I have really felt an affinity with the area of East Sussex where my grandparents came from and the nearby villages, love them even now and feel rooted there but never understood why.

Now I do.  I have discovered that probably about 80% of my family tree have lived there for at least the last 600 years!  I am well and truly rooted and could never leave this part of Sussex.

Kerry

[coombs]

I have Sussex ancestors and feel at home there. Also in about 1907 my great gran moved down from Oxford to Bexhill in Sussex to work in service. She later moved to Essex.

[sm00z]

Just by finding new cousins and people, who share similar family research, keeps my interest in genealogy alive. I found about four new cousins online this year and it has been very delightful exchanging old photos, letters, news items, and vital records information with them.

[halfasheep]

For me, it's such a mix of reasons.

I grew up with my maternal gran, and my maternal gt aunt always talking about their familes (who all died well before I was born). It seemed strange that no-one else seemed that interested in the history of the family.

I started really to trace my lienage, but the more I research, the less interested my family become - it worries me that in the future, if someone is ever interested in tracing the tree, they will have no-where to start as all the older generation (I'm 32 years old) will have died and any useful info will have long been lost.

Even with all the information I've been given, some branches of the tree have been a nightmare due to family feuds, etc. I'd dread to think how some future generations would even be able to start without some of the basic information my family have provided.

It's good, however, that programmes like WDYTYA and Heir Hunters is bringing genealogy more into the mainstream - a few of my family are often bringing to my attention that some site called Ancestry exists - not idea what they mean, and I've been doing this for around 10 years now 

[coombs]

When I find a new piece of evidence of an ancestor that motivates me even more. I now am awaiting 4 more certs from 1941, 1926, 1846 and 1847.