Motivation for research?

[Nick29]

I think mine stemmed from trying to get my mother's family tree down on paper, because she came from a family of 11 children, and I had loads of cousins !   To add to the confusion, I was one of the youngest cousins, and as a little boy (and well into adulthood) I called my most elderly cousin "Aunty Betty" (whose mother's name was Beatrice, known as 'Beatty').  I also had two Uncles called Bert, and another one called Frank whose real first name was Montegue 

They're all down on the tree know, and I still get confused 

[BevL]

Stubborness!
I am determined to find out everything no matter what disinformation and lack of information the little b**gers throw at me - and I can tell you they tryhard and succeed most of the time and I can almost hear them laughing at my frustration 
Bev
   

[rancegal]

  My beloved grandma used to tell me stories of her childhood, and I would say, "Nana, when I grow up I shall write it all down". Alas, she couldn't wait that long; she died when I was 15, but it left me with an interest in family stories. Her husband, my grandad, died at 45, so I never knew him, but my mum used to talk about him a lot. She also told me stories of her childhood, and she used to talk about her uncle, who was killed in WW1
     Well, time passed, I grew up, married and brought up a family. Then two things happened. We got a computer, and I found I enjoyed using it, then the CWGC came online. I found that great-uncle Valentine was killed on the Somme and has no known grave. That was the start. I turned my attention next to my grandad, who had 9 brothers and sisters (so I have discovered hitherto unknown second cousins). I wanted to put the people in those stories in the context of their life and times. And so it goes on, except that I have got sidetracked into transcribing PR microfiches for FreeReg. But one day I'm really going to get my tree off those bits of paper and the backs of envelopes (phone calls) and into proper order. One day...............

[g eli]

I had always known quite a bit about my maternal grandmothers side of the family,they lived in the same area and there was lots of visiting and memories,plus a relative had written a book about the family including a huge family tree.I realized I knew very little about any other relatives so started asking questions, my paternal aunt helped me quite a bit on another branch, but there were huge holes , it was n't until I retired that I really started looking and discovered a whole world of information.I started with my husbands family since he knew very little about them,he had the short form of his grandmothers birth certificate and I discovered GRO, the long certificate came and I was hooked,one of her parents came from Wiltshire the other from Leicestershire {although she was born in Devon}and she herself was born on the Warwickshire/Staffordshire border.
The following of clues the guesswork later confirmed, or not, by facts .It has made a fascinating hobby and left me wishing I had started earlier when there were still people alive who could answer some questions.
Liz

[Lookin2]

Maryn1913

Would you have any more information.  You mention two ships that took the majority of US Servicemen back to US.  I would like the names of them  if that is possible.  I also wonder if there were names of the Service men who travelled on them kept by the UK.  I understand from US Navy records that lists were destroyed some time ago.  Thank you  Lookin2

[Gone]

someone i was visiting one day was searching the 1901 census and asked me for a name in my family's past just to see if it was there, i gave him the name, (lancelot hulme) and there it was, the only one.
i thought wow thats easy, how wrong i was.
 

[Ringrose]

Amongst family bits and pieces I found a handwritten piece of paper by my grandfather listing his 12 siblings ....dates of birth ,places of baptisms.Alsomy fathers christening in Stoke Trister Somerset.The family lived in Fulham.....so why Stoke Trister.

This question has now been solved ....after much searching his maternal grandfather was living near there.

I have now researched the paternal family right back to Jersey where thy were privateers in 1700sand the maternal side in Susex,Somerset and Kent.
It's an amazing journey which encouraged my husband to do his family
Ringrose

[coombs]

To try and find out what parts of the country and perhaps beyond my ancestors came from.

[Rishile]

I first started because I wanted a 'project' to discover what was available on the internet other than games and networking sites.  I chose my family history because I didn't know anything about any of them before my parents.  I was surprised when I realised my grandparents had parents 

Now I'm hooked and there's no going back

Rishile