General Chat

I just had a reply on Ancestry to something I put on the message boards six months ago. Turns out my 3rd great uncle is something like his 3 great grandfather.

The photos he has sent me are amazing, even so far as an auntie born around 1795, he is so lucky the photos were handed down the generations. Sadly I cant return the compliment, my family threw all ours away further back than about 1910.

It's great to hear all your stories. I have only been working on mine for about six months and have nearly 600 rellies so far but made the mistake of trying to 'do' all four grandparents from the start. That, I found out, was just too much so settled on my paternal grandfather then found at least three (so far) had sixteen children apiece. Now I know why this is considered a lifetime hobby. I have found a few distant cousins along the way and met a third cousin which was what really got me enthusiastic about it all.

I had thought I had finished my dad's side of my tree(got it back to 1630)then I hit a brickwall years ago trying to trace one of my half sister's (I have 2 half sister's)

Found the eldest half sister had emigrated to Oz back in the 1950's with her Hubby and little girl age 2.And yes I have traced my niece to Sydney Oz.

And I am going to write to her first,don't want to give her too much of a shock.I also have her email address.but I won't email her.

Hi Beverley,
I felt exactly the same as you about grandparents. I knew nothing about their parents and didn't know they had siblings. I'm still wondering what they were doing and where they were when I was young!
I've been doing my tree for 13 years and have 8,200+ people in it. It has tended to expand to rather distant relatives when I have done research for others and it was easier to include them. I still get contacted by new 4/5th cousins etc. so the tree still expands, but now slowly.

Well, it was going well, but stuck with trying to find people in Canada.

Thanks AuntySherlock but I haven't got that far yet. Why is it every time I can tick off one person I add another 10 on the end to find. So far they are all in England but I just know they venture out that way at some point. I'll bear you in mind - be warned!!

Hi Beverley, So long as they are not living rellies in Oz, we colonials will probably be able to help.

Living rellies are a no go zone unless you are related and get very lucky.

If they are among the transported lot, or Britishers escaping from your dreaded climate, ask and we will find. Try TTF board with their details and see what happens.

Hey - that's great news Frances. I seem to be getting a lot of (small) brick walls which I'm confident I'll break down eventually. I know I have connections in Oz but am dreading find them, to be honest. The English ones move around too much for me I dread to think what they have been doing in Oz.

I have just discovered a shipload of new relatives in USA, all decendants of my grt Uncle who went to Pennsylvania in 1882. He had been my brick wall for years after not having any trace of him and his wife and family after the UK 1881 census.
I then received info from GR members that they thought he was on Ellis Island records EUREKA he was found. I then got a subscription to Ancestry and am now in touch with a second cousin once removed who is in her 89th year and delighted that other offspring are sorting out photo's etc for me.
Never give up the search.
Frances

but how is everyone's tree going? Is it flourishing? How big is it now? Does it have a lot more branches than you ever imagined? I would love to know because I love to compare (my competitive edge coming into play here). From my very small starter family mine has grown beyond belief - mostly from help on the boards I must add. Am I alone in thinking when I started this that my grandparents probably didn't have parents or siblings?