Do you contact people on Social Media?

[crazydaizy]

I've been doing this Family History thing for a few years, and I do go on Social Media to see if family members from my family tree are there.  Does anyone else do this?  What's the etiquette on making contact with anyone?  I'd be thrilled if long lost cousins and family members I never knew existed made contact with me..... but I'm aware not everyone feel like I do?

So do I? Or don't I?

[LizzieL]

I have contacted a couple of people on FB in the past. One replied and was slightly interested in the family history, particularly as we share an uncommon surname and he still lives in the area where the family can be traced back to the late 1600s.
Now I have done a DNA test I tend to contact my matches through Ancestry or or other sites I have uploaded my data to, rather than use social media - at least the should have an interest in FH if they have done a test.

i had a similar quandary about contacting people, but decided to go ahead anyway. Most people would be unlikely to be unpleasant in their reply, just not reply at all if they didn't want to be contacted.

[guest189040]

Yes.

I found our two long lost Oz Cousins on Fb.

There were two with the same name lets say Alan and the brother was easier to identify since he was called lets say Zachary.  So I just sent a Message to Zachary.

Text sent something like

Hi, I am searching for my long lost Cousins who had Fred and Mabel for parents.  If you are who I seek then I would be delighted to get into contact.  Apologies if this causes upset.

The end result was I am in regular contact with both of them via Fb and eMail.

Others similar text sent but either, (1) sorry I am not who you seek response, good luck finding them OR (2) no response

[crazydaizy]

Ok,I've bit the bullet and sent a message.

I have to admit to making contact with another long lost cousin a few years back, she happily replied, but as my enthusiastic questions continued, I think it got a bit much for her..... lesson learned... just be brief, if they want to continue contact then fine, but don't push it!

[Crumblie]

I only had a FB account for a short because I don't like how they use everything you tell it. Whilst I did have one though I did try and contact a distant cousin twice but received no reply so gave in. I am now in touch with two 3rd cousins after getting hints to their trees on Ancestry and sending them messages saying they had made mistakes in them. I added a PS saying you seem to know an awful lot about about my family and we took it from there.

[crazydaizy]

I only had a FB account for a short because I don't like how they use everything you tell it. Whilst I did have one though I did try and contact a distant cousin twice but received no reply so gave in. I am now in touch with two 3rd cousins after getting hints to their trees on Ancestry and sending them messages saying they had made mistakes in them. I added a PS saying you seem to know an awful lot about about my family and we took it from there.

So, you were concerned that people researching your family tree could find info/pictures etc without you knowing (on Social Media?) There is that problem, and it would be so easy to use someone else's pictures from their Social Media to build your family tree, without them having a clue.  Social Media is not very private is it?  Not sure I'd like anyone downloading my pictures for their own use

If you use Ancestry, then if others you're researching are also on Ancestry, then no doubt they would be willing to get in touch and communicate.

[IgorStrav]

One of the relatives I found with the great assistance of RC (Kent board, the mysterious Cork(e) family), who is in Australia, friended me on FB.

She is now using time whilst isolated to brief her extensive family on some of the research she's done, and has invited me to join her family history group for the purpose.  It's been great to be in touch, and if she ever does get to the UK I will certainly make a huge effort to meet her somewhere/somehow.

As has been said, some people are really interested in the research and some are totally overwhelmed.

[louisa maud]

some 25 years or so ago I contacted a person by phone, at the time only 3  people in England with that surname, I knew he was a relation, he was not best pleased, but  gave him all of the ways to contact me to prove I was genuine,  next evening I heard from his brother who said straight away "we are indeed cousins" a short time after his father rang, I corresponded with both of these family member till the father died and the son died just this week, it was a very rewarding relationship and I   will miss both of them, the person who I originally contacted is still alive, still in contact but not so interested in the family tree and he did apologise about our initial conversation.

I also approached 2 other people by letter and we corresponded till they both died

Never contacted anyone else in any other way, some people don't want to be contacted as I found from my initial phone call but I am glad I did it

Louisa Maud

[GrahamSimons]

I have used Lost Cousins (not sure if you'd call that social media); Ancestry message boards; LinkedIn. Have had responses from all. I've also been contacted via Ancestry and LinkedIn.
Searching will only work for relatively unusual names - I'm dreading the moment that I discover a line of John and Mary Smiths!