How did you get 'addicted' to Family History / Gen

[admin]

Hi all,

Open question to everyone - members and guests alike (guests will need to register first - yes it's FREE! )!

How did you get into Family History / Genealogy research?

There must be some great stories out there - share them with us!

Webmaster

 

[gerry]

I got started three months ago.... I always said that I would not like to do this because I wasn't that interested in that "stuff"
Then... I was talking to my mom and said I would like to know a little about her parents... she started talking about family and I told her I could probably get some of that information off the "net".
Now I cannot stop!
oh! oh! I'm hooked. Â :2fun:
Gerry

Sorry posted as a new post instead of REPLY! Duh!

 

[britannia]

Re:How did you get 'addicted' to Family History /

Forum at last!
Anyway, I got thoroughly addicted to Family Reseach, after there was a story in the family (what family hasn\'t!) that some former family member - great great uncle, owned an amount of property and had some sort of problem and left England and went to America.

With the age of the internet, and with some help of people and good honest sites like this Family HistoryUK, I got well and truly hooked!

By the way, I have since found out that this Uncle was not really family, he was as a child looked after by one of my descendant families and later ran a pub - which he did not own! Yes he did have a problem (something about selling illegal booze) And yes he did leave - only the Town, not the country. He actually went to live in London!
Is\'nt it strange how over the years family folklore gets twisted!!

All the best,
Brit

 

[admin]

Re:How did you get 'addicted' to Family History /

Similar here!
My grandad died and to help my grandma get over it, I took here to see her brothers and sisters scattered around North Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and to visit her childhood homes. She obviously did a lot of reminising and talked about Grandad.
I then found out that grandad did not know his parents and was put into a home when he was very young, for some reason (still cannot find out why!), then a Woolley relative (aunt), took him out and brought him up in Ilkeston. Funny thing was that my grandad never really discussed it with me.
So I started investigating, with some help from my cousin, who was into genealogy, I tracked all over the place, visiting research centres, libraries, and when I had found relevant information, I visited the homes and places where my ancestors lived.
Another funny thing was that over the last 10 years of his life, my grandad had alziemers, and when we went out for a car ride and some lunch, on a few occasions we went to a couple of pubs, where it now turns out, he was brought up a few hundred yards away in Ilkeston - Yet he never said anything!
I am now completely \"hooked\", and have to leave off a little in the summer as I would be divorced by now! Wife says \"you looking for dead people again\"!!!
:laugh: :laugh:

 

[admin]

Hi all,

Many thanks for all your comments!

Going through the comments, it seems there is a common thread - that Genealogy, Family history is seriuosly addictive!! :laugh:

Another seems that many of the research centres tend to be \"homes\" to the older generation and \"professional\" genealogists, who tend to begrudge younger people being involved!

I must say that I have found this on occasion, but many times have been greatly helped! It also depends on the centre - at Nottingham the staff are brilliant and really helpfull, where as I have found Derby, Matlock less so!

Thanks again all,

Dave
admin B)

 

[KeithS]

I think my inspiration to begin researching is a little different to those of other people.

All those who have gone before you have contributed to who and what you are. They are a part of you. The sum of them = you.

I wanted to know WHO I am. What I came from. And, as a result, I wanted to know what life was like for them. What they did. What they were concerned about. Where they went. And, finally, why.

All these things go to make up me.

That\'s what I wanted to know. B)

Keith.

 

[kitch59]

Hi all,
Mine is simple, My mother reached retirement age and had a problem with getting her pension, apparently she was not registered (or no records found) and she had a devil of a time sorting it out.
So i offered to help on the internet. when i saw what was available i could not resist looking up other family members.
And as they say the rest is history.
wayne

 

[admin]

Hi Wayne,

Hopefully after all that your mother got her pension

You are obviously now suffering from the dreaded "Genealogists Pox"
Sorry! :wink:

 

[kitch59]

she did get her pension thanks, as for the "pox" I had the vaccination (lucky)
but I have been told i am suffering rellie-itus disease (no known cure)

wayne

 

[KeithS]

True! There is no known cure. However, you can keep the condition happy by giving it regular doses of research. :wink:

Keith.

 

[admin]

Nice one Keith

 

[gerry]

Yes! Nice one Keith! :2fun:

Still hard researching my family - really go the bug!!!!

 

[Squigglyx]

Like lot's of other 'researches' I was told by my Grandfather that his gg.grandfather had walked from Scotland to England looking for work. Got a job in the stables @ Lancaster castle and fell in love with the daughter of the duke of Lancaster. The duke disapproved and disowned his daughte, and the dukedom passed to the throne.

My research so far has disproved at least part of this, The dukedom of Lancaster has been withe throne since the 16/17th century. but so far I haven't been able to get back past my gg.grandfather born in 1846, so don't know if any other bits of the story are true. But I am now fully addicted to fining as much as possible

 

[britannia]

Wow!! ;D
It amazes me how far people walked in days gone by - We would all struggle now days :
I park my car as close to where I need to go - really lazy :2fun:

Anyway, I got into it all after my Grandad died and then found out that he was not brought up by his parents. I have now gone right back to the 1750's though I have not found out still where his parents were!?!

I am reall addicted

Thanks,
Brit

 

[admin]

I park my car as close to where I need to go - really lazy

I am just the same britannia

 

[dawnlea]

My grandfather sadly passed away in July of 2005. I'd always wondered about my roots but being a busy, frazzled, stressed nurse didn't really do anything about looking at my family tree. My father, whilst going through my grandfather's belongings, came across some old photos. Many were of my grandfather and grandmother including some of my father as a young child (Oh, the tears streamed down my face through laughter :2fun. But one in particular caught our eye. It was a picture of a gravestone for a Charles Lea. Well, we knew that grandad was an only child - but was he? Well, the family tree had to be looked into now! So off I trotted to the local library. Within an hour or two, I'd worked out that Charles was actually my Grandad's uncle. It all started from there!! I've now traced that branch of the family back nearly three hundred years!! WOW!! never thought of it like that before! So, my grandad may no longer be here, but he left us one vital clue to show us where we came from. Thanks grandad.

 

[rumrat]

Hi all, after reading some of your stories mine is different. I was adopted in 1952, yet it still took me some time (45 years) before I went looking for my family history. Going through the Social Services by an advisor and hearing what i shouldn't do, (go round accusing everyone I could think of of being my parents :wink: So I did most of my research on the Internet and found lots of little places of interest. Anyway, to cut a long story short (but if you want to know it all. Its at www.paulsimpson.org.uk). I found two half sisters an uncle and lots of nieces and nephews. In fact we actually look alike. So now I teach Family History on The Internet in the town where I live. Thanks for reading. Paul

 

[admin]

Hi Paul and welcome,

(or should that be Albert?)

Had a look at your site and read "your story" - great! I really hope you backed all the evidence found on the internet with valid Birth Certificates.

Read right upto finding your relatives in Hull and Whitehaven. I will visit now and again to see your story develop further.

Hope you keep in touch here Paul,

All the best,
Dave

 

[tecumseh]

Hi,
I got addicted nearly 2 years ago when I found some first world war medals belong to my great uncle. With no parents left living I embarked on the ancestory trail of not only my family but also my wife's. The trouble is its so addictive and I'm reducing the kids inheritance sending off for all the certificates ;D . I am currently chasing 48 surnames in 7 counties : and have yet to build the family tree, its all on paper. Found one reference to one ancestor in the Bishops Transcripts, who was found dead in a mead and was supposed to have perished thro the cold this was in 1791. found a gret gret anut on the wife's side who was made with child by the local rector, and he would not baptise the child so she had the child baptised by another rector, whose entry made interesting readingÂ

 

[admin]

Hi tecumseh and welcome,

Very interesting - thats what makes is so addictive

Found one reference to one ancestor in the Bishops Transcripts, who was found dead in a mead

Is that a place called MEAD or was that a vat of MEAD (Drink!)

Found a gret gret anut on the wife's side who was made with child by the local rector, and he would not baptise the child so she had the child baptised by another rector

I have never trusted a rector

You have got some way to go then - though I assure you - you will NEVER finish researching your family history.

Keep in touch tecumseh and let us know how you get on

all the best,
Dave