Author Topic: Addicted to Family history  (Read 2356 times)

Sheila56

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Addicted to Family history
« on: Apr 17, 2016, 12:04:21 PM »
Hello new to the site today so be kind to me!
I have been interested in family history for about 15 years and still find it fascinating.  Having gone as far as I could with my family I then worked my way through those families that had married into mine.  I learned so much not only about the family but also about the area I live.
My city and the local towns grew around industries that developed in the 18 and 1900's so many of my ancestors were incomers from other areas and countries. 
I have been amazed at how much you can find without leaving your house but also what is available at local archives.  I would like to hear how you are all doing in your 'rabbit hunts' for ancestors.

GrannyMac

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Re: Addicted to Family history
« Reply #1 on: Apr 17, 2016, 12:20:09 PM »
Hello and welcome Sheila.  I've done quite a bit of research over the years into both my and my husbands families.  It is great what can be found online, but it can be quite expensive.  I've not done much for a while as our ancestors are mainly from Scotland, London, Herts and Dublin, and the Irish ones in particular are hard to source.  Local archives are great - mainly for local people though, likewise local family history societies. 
Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right.

R. Gervais

firenze

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Re: Addicted to Family history
« Reply #2 on: Apr 17, 2016, 01:06:35 PM »
Hello Sheila 56 :D .... I tried to do Family History too and like GrannyMac. I was halted first by Ireland Maternal and then Norway Paternal a birth on a ship. It is a facinating hobby, perhaps  online easier now but when I began it was a main Library for Birth, Marriage and Death Records. Happy Hunting!
Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

Mark Twain.

Alfred

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Re: Addicted to Family history
« Reply #3 on: Apr 17, 2016, 04:37:32 PM »
Hello Sheila 56.

Welcome to the site, this is a very friendly site and I was made welcome the moment I joined, so your in good company,
with regard to ancestry to which is fascinating, as you never know just what you'll find, for example when my father died young as a result of an accident I always thought he could possibly have a brother or a sister, as my mother never spoke of him to me,

without going into a long story as a result of ancestry ,I later learned
that my father had in fact five other sisters and five other brothers, too, as he was the eleventh in the family,

on another occasion when researching my step brothers family I found a family member who had led a double life in that this man kept two families going, for  number of years before he retuned back to his original family,
he had been a sailor for many years, going back and forth to sea, ??

so researching, births deaths and marriages, in either the family tree, or  even other peoples family trees, which can reveal more information,as well as the Census,s  from 1841 up to 1911 is  very interesting reading of where they lived, what work or  trades they had, as well as other family members, its all very much like doing detective work, seeking and looking for clues, you never know what's  waiting to be found, its all very exciting, but remember to stop for a cup of tea, or coffee, as at times it can get to you, the concentration of staring at the screen,  so having a break from time to time helps the eyes have a rest too,.
so wishing you good luck, and  I hope you'll find many answers ,filling the gaps in your family tree,

ALFRED,

Sheila56

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Re: Addicted to Family history
« Reply #4 on: Apr 18, 2016, 10:54:00 PM »
Hello all
yes it can be a frustrating as well as fascinating hobby.  I too have Irish and Scottish ancestry and found it difficult to move forward at times.  The surprising thing that I found was that the answers sometimes just came with time.  Two threads of the family in particular were completely staled for 3-4 years and then records became available that allowed me to find what I needed.

Regarding family stories, the most entertaining one I came across was about a 2x great uncle who according to family stories was bought by my 3x great grandfather from his drunken mother.  Apparently my ancestor saw the child sitting cold and wet on the pub step and went in to see who he belonged to.  His drunken 'mother' said she would sell 'him for a pint' and the story goes that the pint was bought and little Joe went home with my ancestor becoming part of the family.  This was believed by all branches of my family including me until I found Joe's baptism record which clearly showed he was my 3xgreat grandfathers son but born three months before he married Joes mother.  I suspect that the bought in a pub story was spread to explain his premature birth!

zoony

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Re: Addicted to Family history
« Reply #5 on: Apr 18, 2016, 10:58:03 PM »
Sheila. What a great family story...Almost better not to have learned the truth..
"Listen to the wind, it cleans the mind."

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                                           cowboy wisdom.

franden

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Re: Addicted to Family history
« Reply #6 on: Apr 20, 2016, 08:00:37 AM »
Good Morning All.
Yes tracing family history can be very interesting and at times very frustrating.
I have got back to the fifteenth century with mine and have made some very interesting discoveries.
I have here in front of me my tree and see that in 1565 one Mary married Sir John Davis who was Att; General of Ireland. Ethelred married William Wake one of the heirs of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1827 anothe Ethelred married Cha;s Spencer Churchill, second son of the Duke of Marlborough. I also Have a Colonel Thomas who was secretary to Prince Rupert of the Rhine during the English Civil War. Another who was commander of the Royalist forces at the Battle of Basing House. They were staunch Royalists during the Civil War and had all their extensive property confiscated by Cromwell. It,s a long but very interesting story and as I have said before, everyone can find someone of importance in their tree somewhere. It took me thirty years to trace mine and I have now decided enough is enough. This was all on my father,s side, I started do my mother,s but her ancestors are from Scotland and it is a bit too far for me to travel now.


sagethyme

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Re: Addicted to Family history
« Reply #7 on: Jun 10, 2016, 08:56:37 PM »
Hi folks, as a new member here it is interesting reading your stories and experiences.
Became addicted to this hobby years ago, long before I retired, and when internet resources were just becoming available. Have made email contact with distant cousins around the globe and helped each other with the family jigsaw.
Still cannot beat actually visiting the ancestral villages. I have been delighted with the kindness of local historians in showing me around various places. In return I let them tell me about their own family history and buy them a drink!