General Chat

I have been researching for over 20 years. You cannot prove a tree in just a few weeks. My main line goes back to a document dated 1187 and comes forward beautifully, over 800 documents available for this family. One small snag is,despite all this WONDERFUL and detailed info, I cannot actually place my 2 x GGF anywhere on it, well, not without pushing hard to fit! I could of course, just place him where I THINK and impress the hell out of everybody, but it wouldn't actually be proven, would it. However, from my Gt Grandmother backwards, I have sailed back effortlessly to 1539 and am awaiting a Will, to get back even further.I have now six main lines in this one small village - they were all farmers and made Wills and married each other! I have not even attempted to trace my mother's family - she was born in Scotland and both her parents were orphans - I cannot even confirm her mother's maiden name. Olde Crone

Managed on one line to get back to c1620 no bother as they had all lived in the same small place for about 200 yrs now my Mum's side can,t get passed her father, mind you thats Irish records, but still live hope Norah

Hi Pat Hey dont worry about it, genealogy is all about luck as much as anything else! Like others, one line of my family stayed within the same 20 square miles for several hundred years. They were considerate enough to be a bunch of rogues and therefore were well documented by various history societies before I even started genealogy! So with them I was (almost instantly!) back to 1600's. On the other hand, my great grandmother has proved so blinkin' elusive that's its taken me a year of research just to find her maiden name!! But I wouldnt hold out much hope of getting back to 1000AD ..... and to be honest I doubt that many people can, unless they have a proven link to Royalty! Bev x

I'm the same Pat, have to prove my finds first before moving on. Twice now I've gotten to a point to find that the records were kept in local churches and both times the original church burned, just after my ancester would have been recorded. One was in Ireland and the other In Southern Ontario. Trying to figure out where to go from there.

I cant believe that,,,,what proof has she got from 1048 or whenever it was? Wishfull thinking on her part i think..

Hi Pat, I never bother looking at the success board but reading this thread I got curious, so went to look. I appologise if I am wrong but I would take some of the claims with a pinch of salt. One says she joined on friday & by saturday had hundreds of relatives she didn't know she had. There is no way she could have verifyed that by today. I only looked at page one but have you noticed how many trying to finds there are on there. Vivienne

Thanks everyone I do feel so much better now. I am pleased for all of you (but jealous) who have generations living in the same village I think mine must have been nomads. I never expected them to move around so much in those days. You have certainly helped me as I felt like giving up. Off now to help number one son set up a web site (forum) for family and friends. Pat

I get excited when I find proof back to the 18th century!!! I have been researching 30 years, the last five more seriously. I just wish just one of my families had stayed in the same county let alone the same village or town. All mine seem to have had itchy feet. Ann Glos

Hi Pat Don’t get despondent there’s no timescale of when to complete your family history – it can be a lifetime of enjoyable work. Some people are luckier than others in finding their rellies whilst others keep hitting brick wall after brick wall. Some people are lucky to have a mountain of information whilst some have very little to go on. I have been looking for my grandmother on my father’s side on and off for 20+ years and she just does not want to be found, and it was her that started me off on this genealogy millarky!! I will find her one day – Do you hear that Eunice Annie!!!! lol I have recently started researching properly again after about a 12 months gap and I must admit that the thrill of anticipation of who or what I might or might not find is still there. Lol Good Luck Jxx

Hi Patricia, I must tell you of my experience. When I first started, I put out a request regarding one of my ancestors, and a very helpful and well-meaning person kindly replied. This person gave me loads of information, even going back to 1500's - and I was so chuffed, I really was. To be fair, this person did say to verify the info she'd given me, so I started to do just that - and found that she'd inadvertently given me info on a completely different person, which meant of course that the rest of the info was useless. As I say, this person was well-meaning, and she did stress that the info had to be verified via certificates. I wonder if the person you mention has verified their info? If they have, I'm jealous!! :-)

I'm stuck with loads - Eliza Matthews who hasn't got her dad's name on marriage cert, and Rees Thomas who was born sometime somewhere in Carmarthen - I'll never be able to find him! Don't feel bad - it certainly isn't just you Lisa

On my husband's line the females keep taking years off their ages...do you think the census people will notice if I do the same?

Hi Pat, Have got back to 1750 on only one line and that is only 95% sure. 2 of my direct lines finish in the 1820's and I am not likely to get past that as I have no idea of birthplaces so haven't a clue where to look. My maternal great grandfather was a Scot and I have got back to 1859 when he was born. He was illegitimate and his mother's name was Elizabeth Ross. Try finding her in Scotland ... lol. I have a great grandmother who was an Irish tinker ....and so it goes. Feel lucky to have got as far as I have with such a dysfunctional family......but I still keep looking. Jean x.

Pat - you are not alone. On my paternal grandmother's side I struck lucky(ish) with a distinctive name and a small village in Lancashire. Within a couple of weeks I had gone back to 1670 thanks to 3 wonderful people who had already done the research, had the necessary proofs and wheedled out the marriages between cousins with the same names. It was very exciting The other branches have been a hard slog with Smiths and Robinsons in London, but I am taking my time and am getting there thanks in part to the help I've had on here, the discovery of a family bible and also to a long suffering husband who's tree I'm not even researching and have no inclination to. I just enjoy it, despite the frustrations. Or maybe because of them! To those who've struck lucky, congratulations and to the rest good luck! Daisy

Hi Patricia No, it isn't just you. I was happily researching my various branches and having quite a bit of success. They had mostly unusual surnames and even when they had moved area I was able to find them by fairly unusual Christian names but since trying to find my hubbys Smiths I have felt a complete failure. I know that it is the most common name but I still feel that I should be able to find them and that I'm sure others would have found them by now. It does make you feel a failure. I shall never give up though - who knows, one day!! Chrissie x

It seems my lot came from a market town,lots of intermarriage and they all called their children John or Mary lots born same year,illigitimates everywhere,and talk about changing their first names my g/gran was born Mary ane married Maria Jane (certs) on 1901 she's Jane,after used Ginny and her sister was Mary Ann, two of her other sisters changed their names and none could read or write, so try finding that lot,

Wish I had royalty in my tree it would make it easier to trace. No you aren't incompitent. You are doing it right. Some people find things out easier. Though I do have on line back to about 1400 sadly not my work just this guy did it for 30years and wrote a book . Luckily he traced the family down to my gg grandmother. Thanks heavens for that book. No point in just adding names without some sort of proof. Germaine x

Pat If somebody posts saying 'stuck at 1640' or whatever, my response is 'jammy whatsit!' Some of my ancestors managed to become Met Police or committed a crime and they have more records about them. But I also have families with common names who stayed in the same villages who just didn't appear to have their children christened, and who don't seem to be buried anywhere! nell

Within a few weeks of joining I had my grandmother's ancestors, going back to 1702. This was nothing to do with me. My gran had an unusual surname, and I put it on the board, and Chris Drakes, who has been researching this family line for about 35 years gave me all the info - plus relations abroad.......so it is not always hard graft that brings the rewards - sometimes it is the generosity of others......

Hi Pat I'm like Gwynne my paternal grandmothers mothers paternal line stayed in the same Suffolk village as far back as abt 1480. Now we got to this date thanks to my ancestors Will in 1532 at Norwich Norfolk Courts as There are no church records of Thomas or his life because of the lack of Anglican records before 1550. most of his children were under the age of 22 when his will was written in 1524.The probate for his' will was processed in 1532 when he apparently died although no exact death date is given in the probate. Its amazing stuff He left most of his worldly goods to his eldest son ( my 11 x Grt Grandfather ) He also was born before before the Anglican Church kept public records which would have shown the christening, marriage, and death of family member. Never did find a marriage for hm and came to learn that a betrothel in those days was as good as marriage. His childen were christened from 1606 in the village church. Alongside parish records being checked we referred to Suffolk Court Rolls 1640 - 1652 , Soffolk Subsidy Return for Suffolk of 1327, 1524 & 1568 plus Wills or probate wherever poss. I worked backwards and checked and doubled checked my research and those of others that were given . Now on some branches of the family I am very stuck for one reason or another..... swings and roundabouts really isn't it. The main thing is to enjoy what your doing. Much happiness debi