General Chat

Evening all What inspired or motivated you to start researching your ancestors? For me it was a combination of family stories about various things that 'we all know' and moving back to the area that part of my family have lived in for nigh on 500 years! What about you? Take care Paul

Son's homework! LOL Janice

Hi Paul, I first started doing my tree when I was still at school, but I kept getting confused when step parents started coming into it. I got back into it last year when the last of my kids started school Sarah, xxx

Hi Paul, i started when i had a small inheritance from a cousin i didnt know exsisted, i had a letter from a london genealogy company who had traced me and other living relatives, it took them several years and i am married, so have a different surname, but i had loads of info to start me of, i did'nt want to waste it, so here i am. love Helen

I think my interest came about when looking at all the old family photo's, I did used to ask questions but nobody seemed interested, they are now! :)) wish I had asked my Grandparents more, bless them.

Paul, When my mother passed away I realised I had lots of information on her family but next to nothing on my father's family. I started off with her and progressed to him. .. and I'm still looking! Viv

About 19 years ago son opened small case in loft and found papers from a solicitor to me 1961 which gave a potted history of other heirs - began asking questions, some I knew and the rest is history and boxes and files full since. Ann

My gt grandad and his sister had different surnames, when asked my gt aunt clammed up..........big mistake i started digging, found the answer, but by then i was hooked 3 years on and i am still searching lol Bev

My mum, she went on about it all the time and got me hooked!

Hi Paul, Having contradicting information on my dad's side of the family...My mum saying one thing to me and hearing another... It turns out so far my mum is definately very wrong indeed!! Problems researching McCollum & Gough !! Susie xx

I never had any interest in history whatsoever when I was at school. Then just about 3 years ago, I traced my birth family at the same time as I saw the 'GR' tab on the Friends Reunited site. When I'd finished my adoption searching, I was hooked enough to carry on further back, and make a start on my adoptive tree as well. Mandy :)

I went to an evening class and got started first with hubby`s tree and then mine. Now I`m hooked but would be delighted if I could find my great, great grandmother`s birth. I felt so sad when got her death cert-age 34 and left 5 children. Okay , she was a bit of a rascal -3 children out of wedlock and 2 when married but hey that`s life and we have to accept it whether we like it or not. Rosalyn

I have always been interested in my family history, but never did anything about it until the programme Who Do You Think You Are. My Husband went on the 1901 Census and came up with my Grandad and Family. I have been hooked ever since. It has been nice to share it with my Dad, hear his stories and inform him of things he didn't know about like his Grans name. I asked my Dad his Grans name and he said Gran, I said no what was her name, he said I don't know I just used to call her Gran. I know my Grans name, well I know a lot more than that now. Regards Jill

18 years ago searching for my husbands Birth Mother..

I started two years ago. I really enjoy listening to family stories and I wanted to find out more about the family. Lucia :-)

It was really when 1901 census came on line, I had a look and thought it was fascinating. When I realised that so much was possible, I set about trying to prove/disprove the family story of being related to Nelson. That kept me going for a while! I will say that was simple compared to the rest of it!!! Suex

Mine started basically because I wanted to know about my heritage - my parents divorced when I was young and I had to move to another part of the country which I hated, this made me want to get in touch with my roots again - and my Dad!

My Aunt/ stepmother gave me a copy of her grandfather`s Death certificate! I had it 2years before I began looking into the reasons on why he commited suicide and I think I may have solved the reasons being! linda x

Around 1987 my sister in Australia asked me to get some info from our grandfather who was visiting Canada from Scotland. I got what she wanted and found I really liked searching for this stuff (and the 'eureka' moments). Thought I'd also start on my husband's family too, otherwise once I had kids it would be - this is your father, and these are his parents......end of the line. I am now as far back on his family as I am for mine...some even further....but still hit the brickwalls when it comes to Ireland on both sides.

Well I was missing half my family! My Dad just wouldn't talk. Within the last fortnight I've obtained a certificate which leaves very, very little doubt that I'm related to some nice people I've found via this site - nice people I've been deprived of all my life! So I've updated my tree, and it's now 3 or 4 times as big as it was a fortnight ago. (My Dad saying his family were dead and gone when he had something like 9 uncles and aunts was plain crazy, IMO!) I'd been looking forward to updating for a very long time... and now the mystery of my sister's strawberry-blonde hair is solved - it comes from her Dad's side. Now I've found my Dad's family, I find I want to look into my Mum's side too! That will be easier, because my aunt researched and drew up a tree some years ago, and I should be able to obtain a copy - but the idea of putting it up on GR is, of course, to draw-in even more rellies! One day I expect, we'll find that each and everyone of us is related... Just remember - you are entitled to know where you come from, even if there's been an estrangement that's difficult to talk about. If anyone feels like looking for their people, they should just go for it!