General Chat

Paul, I came out to Australia with my Mum and Dad when I was only 3. No other rellies came out so as I grew older I needed to find my roots and find the family I never really had. Boy, did I find them. I have been back and walked the streets where they were born and lived and died. And the bonus? I have living family members I knew nothing about. Susan

the old friendly giant in the 1600s, his name goes on in my mums, but cant work out why, stuck at my grt granparents, she married twice and no one knows wat names so cant get any dfurther. sob sob.

Whoops, Paul. I just started a new thread with your topic. Sorry but I guess 'great minds think alike'. Susan

My motivation was a lifelong wish to know more about my father's family. He died when I was a child, and I've only ever met a few of his relatives, although there are many of them. I began my research when I got my own PC after years of sharing one with my son, who needed it for study purposes, so I didn't get much use from it. I began by Googling my unusual maiden surname and found several listings, so I began collecting more and more data on people with the same name. I was already signed up to Friends Reunited, but it was only several months' searching and many pages' worth of data that I decided to join GR in July last year. My family research took off from there, thanks to the info provided through this site and to the relatives I've found on it. I now have a Family Tree Maker tree containing almost 500 individuals who share my surname or married someone with it, and I'm trying to establish connections between the various branches, as well as seeking the origins of those who 'married in'. I use my smaller GR tree mainly to establish contact with living relatives - and I'm delighted to have found 16 so far, plus several really good friends and lots of nice people to have 'conversations' with on the Boards. Thank you GR. CB >|<

I have always been interested because my mother did not know anything about her father befor he married his first wife in 1916 and my father could tell me all these stories about his father and grandmother but I did not know where to start, and every time I got a book out of the library all they would tell me to do is go to some where in London (not very helpful if you live in Cheshire on benefits) then one of my best friends let me house sit for her with access to their computer, looking at friends reunited I saw the link to this site, and the rest is history PS my maternal grandfather was a trapeze artist in the music halls, and my fathers stories were geographically out by about 10 miles

Not really sure what got me started. As a child I loved to listen to the stories my parents told about when my mum was young & what happened during the war. It may have been because my father lost contact with his oldest sister & when I came home to England in 1979 we tried unsuccessfully to find her. My children & I went to St Catherines House & also to Kensington Library & made a start but then lack of time & funds put it on the back burner till last year when my children got me a computer for my 60th. I seem to be the only member of my family [apart from a cousin who's just got started] to be interested in doing this. I have only made one contact on here & that is with the neice of the daughter of the sister my father lost contact with. Her grandchildren seem not to be interested. I live in hope that someone else will turn up. Vivienne

Getting a computer, two years ago, and someone telling me about 1881 census for free. Now I subscribe to almost everything, am now poor and have a dusty house lol Just wish I had started before my Mum and Dad died, which ironically was the year I started My Mum would have loved all this and would have known a lot of the things I have 'discovered'. Linda

I used to look through the family photos as a child and in with them I found three memorial cards, one each for my Dad's parents and one for a Harriet Horsup. I was curious to know who she was. Many years later, I thought I'd find out who she was and also try to find out when the Tocqueville's came to England. My first ever e-mail was to someone who was doing a one name study on Horsup. That was six years ago. I now know my Great Grandfather Tocqueville came from France sometime prior to 1884 and I have contact with a distant (possibly third or fourth cousin)

When someone said to me 'I never knew my Father either'- so we both started to do our Family Trees.

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!

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.

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

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!

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

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

18 years ago searching for my husbands Birth Mother..

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

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 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 :)

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