Find Ancestors

Could I please ask anyone requesting help to give as much detail on the persons as possible? I alike many others try to help but it can be so time consuming when you are asked to find Joe Bloggs in the Birmingham area in 1871 about 26 years old. Please make life easier and therefore get your replies quicker by bearing in mind the following; If possible give the exact details of the free to search 1881 census. All names dates and places of events birth death etc. Parents and siblings names and ages if known. Please don't expect to find a couple that married in 1902 to be on the census...............oh yes I have been asked that 1 And lastly don't worry none of us were born a Genealogist and none of us knows it all! Hope I haven't offended anybody, I just want to make life a little easier for us all. Happy hunting Sally

Hear hear. It's rather depressing to spend time (and sometimes money) finding info to then be told "yes, I've already looked there" or "Forgot to say he was officially known as Fred, not Harry". Nell

Sally, I do not think I am alone in saying that you have caused no offence by your comments. I had an experience quite recently where I looked through a number of 1837 pages, to be told "I have that certificate, it was the wrong one" (or words to that effect). I can't put my actual thoughts at the reply. I have also posted similar thoughts on another site, with the hope that it has some effect. Here's hoping yours has the same. Paul

Dear Sally, You replied to a request I put on the board for an 1871 Yorkshire lookup. I had already looked for my family on the 1881 and found the son, William, living away from home. I was able to give you his age from this and his birth certificate. Unfortunately, I was unable to find his parents Samuel and Hannah Watson living together. This could be because either one had died by then. Consequently, I was unable to provide you with their ages. If I have not provided enough details for a lookup, please just say so and I'll try to get some more clues. I know how time consuming lookups can be. I do appreciate the help you and others (including myself)give to GR members and hope you will continue to do so. Best wishes, Lilian

hi sally- you couldnt upset me if you tried. my new best mate. sue.ps i probably gave you so much info you must have been thinking ' please- leave me alone. 'lol sue.

nudge

Sally, Am with you on this one! I'm new to the whole offering lookups thing, but what I'm doing is asking the person to add more info if they haven't given me much and I won't do their lookups until I get it! No point wasting the few precious hours I have each week between shifts chasing information people already have! If I've gone a bit further and looked up info they haven't asked for and get told they already have it, I don't mind though. It was my fault for getting too involved :)

Hi Sally What you say is spot on, but you've reminded me of what it's like at work. I work in a very large goverment department and we get people phoning up saying "Hello it's Mr Roberts from London", expecting you to know him and have his file ready! Oh that Mr Roberts!! Jacquie

Jacquie - I've just started working for a store (which although is a pretty good employer will remain nameless in case GC remove this post cos I mentioned the store) and I'm on the tills. It gets quite busy sometimes and when the till decides to act up (the receipt machine kept eating paper yesterday) and I have to stop and get help I hate it when they all start muttering in the queue! I was talking with my Mum about it and she said the following 'People are always worse when its a free service'. Something to think about eh? :)

Yes that's very true Sarah. Let's hope no swearers phone up next week!! Jacquie

Good one I have had fellow members private messaging me for lookup without giving names, or dates etc. It is annoying when someone says. "Can you lookup a John Smith in the 1871 census please" irony attatched.

Yes its amazing how people think that every name is somehow unique and no one else at any time could possibly have the same name...

Benjamin Fat chance with that!! Or looking for Uncle John he wore a flat cap had a Jack Russell and lived 'Up North'! Jacquie

Unique isnt alway a word you should use with genealogy I am afraid to say. The only unique name I can think of is Cornelius Demetrius Bracegirdle. How many people are called that do you think?

But that is Rambling Sid Rumpo's real name. Are you and he related?

Well I think there are some uniques, how many Vincent Mercury Fields do you come across? Mine was a ticket writer, I think he wrote labels for shops.

ok ok! there may be some uniques... but how many John smiths are there in the world???

John Smith's alive at one time? Goodness knows about 15'000?

hi all i am a smith- and i still see more walkers- most of them called william ! lol sue.

Hear hear! I had a private message yesterday saying 'She was Welsh'. Lovely! WHO was Welsh and why are you telling me? Obviously someone I've helped in the past but have no idea who. I politely e mailed the person back asking for more information and received a 'Its on the thread' reply. I hope no-one with a Welsh ancestor waiting for me to get back to them is reading this or I will cry! Lou xx