Genealogy Chat

I think I said earlier that my father's family had been traced back by a cousin (with some help from my brother) to 1720.

I thought it had all been done!


But on a whim, about 6 months after I started doing all this genealogy, I entered CADD in Google ...... and found 2 complete trees on rootsweb.com PLUS the fact that there was a One Name Study Group.

My cousin had found that some family members had gone to Australia from this small area in Buckinghamshire, one in the 1840s, and then 2 siblings (with spouses and children) in the 1850s ....... but hadn't taken it any further.


It turns out that the brother and sister who emigrated in the 1850s went to Adelaide, had more children and grandchildren, some were possibly involved in the Bendigo gold riots ............... but the parents and some children and their families then moved on to California.

It seems that they sailed on one of two Mormon ships to go and proselytize on the California goldfields. I do not know whether they actually did this ........ certainly by the time the patriarchs died in the 1920s and 30s they were being hailed in the local San Bernardino newspaper as important settlers in the valley. I've seen copies of the newspaper articles on the web.


There is now a network of Cadds all around the world! I get contacts through here about every couple of months from the UK or Australia, and the Australian ones are all connected up with this.


The Cadd One Name Study group did organise a meeting of the family in 1999 (which of course I knew nothing about as I didn't start tracing until 2003). Two years ago, I was given a cd of the family that had been produced for that meeting.

Imagine my surprise to find that they had me down as the daughter of my brother! They had my mother correct, but had lost my father. My brother was 10 years older than me, but still .....................!

It has taken me 18 months to get that mistake corrected in their files, although the cd still exists with the wrong information. In the process, I might have been responsible for the demise of the One Name Study Group as the owner of it refused to answer my questions or respond in any way, so I complained to ONS.

It turns out the ONSG owner was actually my second cousin, and it was his brother who had done the initial work back in the 1980s. He should have checked the information provided, and should have known that the information was wrong!



sylvia

I don't think we often realise how difficult their lives were. I knew my grandmother, who died when I was 10, but it took 20 years to find her birth, and then only as a result of the 1901 census. She always said that she came from the Isle of Man, but was actually born in Liverpool and her father came from the IoM.

I thought she had been married twice, with a son from the first marriage and two girls from the second marriage, but in fact her son was born prior to her first marriage.

Research has shown that she had a son outside marriage in 1913 when she was in service and her parents had died. She first married in May 1915 to a soldier injured in WW1. (She took 5 years off her age!) After recovering from the injuries he went back into service and in Sept 1915 came home for a week prior to be being posted back to rejoin his unit.

One morning during his week's leave my grandmother woke to find he had died in bed beside her. She had become pregnant with my aunt that week and in May of the next year married for a second time at 8 months pregnant to my grandfather. My mother was born 4 years later and I certain that my mother and aunt never realised they were not full sisters.

I had a similar feeling of deja vue to Linda when I was on a school camping trip to the Forest of Dean thirty years ago. I had no idea why as to my knowledge none of my family had ever visited the area. When I started researching my family tree two years ago I ordered the birth cert of my grandad and found that his mother had a very unusual maiden name which of course made it easier to find her on the census etc., it turned out her family were from the Forest of Dean area and she herself was born there. How strange?

Caz

n

Karen, my mum's cousin has the same problem. His father died when he was 5 and his own mother refuses to talk about it. So he's really struggling at the moment!

I only knew my nan, all my other grand parents died before i was born, i only saw my nan for 1 week out of every year and wasnt allowed to speak to her as she would ignore you, i knew nothing abt any of my relatives until i started researching them, even now i cant find some of them

Karen

I only started doing my family tree a few months ago after watching a few episodes of "who do you think you are" and it really did get me thinking.

I'm 22 and knew very little about my heritage. My mums parents died ebfore I was born and my mum knew practically nothing about her family. She managed to remember her grandmothers maiden name and that she had 2 aunts.

After renewing my membership on here within 48 hours I found the son of one of the aunts and now my mum is in contact with a cousin she never knew!

This cousin has also been researching the family tree, so using the info from him I've managed to go back even further. It's proving a challenge as the Rhead side of my family had lots of children, which in turn had lots of children, most I'm up to at the moment is 12. And marriages weren't that simple either, got marriages to sisters 22 years apart and all sorts.

I discovered that one generation moved to Utah sometime between 1855-58 and yesterday I finally discovered why. It was around this time that the Mormons went on foreign missions to convert people and bring them to Utah to boost Church numbers. So it would seem my ancestors either converted before they left, or once they got there. But even their journey to Utah has proved interesting. They were originally going straight from Liverpool to Salt Lake City but due to illness they had to stop off at Boston for a few years. The ship they were originally on continued it's journey but due to cold and starvation over half the passengers died before they got there. If they had been able to continue their journey no doubt they too would have perished.

I've managed to get copies of the actual handwritten marriage and death certificates of a few of the relatives that ended up in Utah. I'm still trying to find out how I can contact the living generations of these distant relatives though!

I'm completely addicted to what I can discover next and not entirely sure if and when I will be able to think "Yes I've got it all".

I'm only just beginning my journey and really do want to know what happened to my ancestors, how they lived, what they did with their lives. But I know alot of people that just aren't interested which I think is a real shame. Everyone has a right to know where they have come from but it's whether you have the desire to I suppose.

But at the same time, I'm a bit disheartened about my dad's side of the family tree. His aunty has a hell of a lot of information about that side of the family but has only given me details of one generation because it'll be much more interesting to discover it for myself. Unfortunately, I've hit a brick wall with it so may never get to know about my dad's side of the family.

I may not have any children yet, but I want to be able to show them what I've discovered so they hopefully carry on what I've started. Because unfortunately if it doesn't get carried on then I too will just be another forgotten ancestor in years to come.

I believe my great uncle was in a Restricted Occupation - he was a Baker.

K

Thank you all for contributing to this thread, it's been fascinating to read your experiences.
Be lucky
Alan

A very interesting thread...great reading.

I started researching my family 4 years ago mainly to prove that my dear mum wasn't imagining what she had been told as a young girl by my maternal gt grandma ....that my gt grandma had been born in Wiltshire. I really don't think that my maternal nan knew much as when my mum told nan...mum was scolded and not to talk silly!!!

Another tale that my mum told me was when she and my dad were on holiday in Devon many years ago my mum had a strange experience of "deja vu" in a market hall or such in Newton Abbot. Mum relayed this story to a gt aunt....who was not surprised as she said we had family down that way...however my mum never questioned it at the time. As far as we really knew our family came from Dover...my nan was born there in 1904 and after several comings and goings from Dover to Cheshire and back my gt grandparents finally settled here in Cheshire in the early 1900s.

A complete novice to the computer and the internet with the help of my daughter we found Ancestry...and I was hooked!! My gt grandma was b1877 in Wiltshire!! My mum was really chuffed!!

I found in the 1881 census that my family had moved to Dover, via Wiltshire and via Gloucester where my 2x gt uncle was b1879. (from his birth cert). Amazingly I found that both my 2x gt grandparents were born in Devon and over the past few years of research I found my ancestors are deeply rooted there!!

Last year my husband and I took my mum down to Devon on holiday...she is a lively 87 year old!! We visited the small coastal village of Stoke Fleming where my ancestors lived not far from Newton Abbot....it is so beautiful and strangely enough I felt very at home. We visited the local church and found many graves....the most wonderful find was the grave of my 4x gt grandparents! It took me off guard at how emotional I felt finding many of my family....I just had to revisit the next day laden with flowers!!

Linda

Gail


I know about restricted occupations.

After the war, my father was Foreman in a brass foundry, and we lived in a mill town, so I assume that it was a factory working with munitions. But I have no idea of the name, or what exactly he did. It could even have been aircraft parts for all I know! I'd love to know ...... now, but I didn't ask then!

He did work for about 6 months down in London, and then transferred back to our home town.


I also know that he got jobs in the same factory for his older brother and one of Mum's brothers (the other brother was mentally handicapped).

Dad's brother had fought and been badly injured in WW1, but was liable for call-up in WW2 even though he would have well been over 40. The gratitude that his children still express to me is more than embarrassing!

However, even they don't know what my Dad did ... all they know is that their Dad basically was a cleaner and sweeper upper, and that it was the cleanest job that he had ever had ........ his previous jobs were in cotton miils, not too good for someone who had the injuries he had.



sylvia

When i was younger would never ask anything would get clip round the head. Never ask,

I am only 54(its not that old)

I agree with Gloria, this really is worth reading.

"n"

Really is worth reading.

Sylvia, restricted occupations were usualy something to do with Food production, Essential services like Police etc, or Munitions.

My Grandad was in a restricted occupation - He worked for a munitions company.

One of my dads uncles was a Farmer, he was classed as restricted occupation due to being a food producer (he was a dairy farmer).

Both Grandad & Uncle were in the Home guard, most men who couldnt go to war volunteered for this according to Grandad, it might be worth seeing if you can find records of this - I have a certifiacte stating Grandad was in the Home Guard & the dates that he was given when the war ended.

Gail

I have LOVED reading all tales from the past.... keep them coming PLEASE!

BIG N,
for all fancying a good read,......enjoy.

gwen xx

Oh but I did ask the questions....

Back in the '60s for a school project.

All four of my grandparents were alive and I had details of their parents and grandparents and in one case 'patchy' great grandparents!

I kept the info until I married in the '80s and then threw it away when we moved house....Why would I want that????

Now I would happily sell my soul to get it back.

It was my maternal grandmother that gave me her history back to her great grandparents and it is her line where I have a brick wall.....I have no idea of even her mother's maiden name :(

So learn a lesson from me...NEVER, EVER, throw away anything to do with family history....It WILL become useful oneday.

Chris

Like you all I wish I had asked the questions of my parents that I have now been searching for the answers for the last 6 years.
My grandfather's father was Irish and have not been able to find his details.
My other grandfather's father was German and I have not been able to find his details
My grandmother's grandfather was German and I have not been able to find his family details from Germany.
My father's grandmother's father came from Scotland and I do not know where he was born so all of these brickwalls will have to stay built I'm afraid.
A few questions asked when my parents and grandparents were alive would have really helped me on my way.
All my other ancestors I have found lots of information about and with the help of living relations have been able to fill loads of gaps in my tree.
I have enjoyed finding out about my roots and met some lovely people through my research. People who I would never have known or ever be in touch with.
I have given my children copies of their family trees and to most of my grandchildren. They may get interested later in life so have the information to look at.
Carry on the good work everyone and remember how you felt when you did find the information about your family. Regards Irene

On my landing I have some inset shelves where I have photos of parents,grandparents and even a some great grandparents.
Recently my six year old grandson stopped from rushing up the stairs to the toy cupboard to look at these photos in their old frames.He asked who the people were and when we told him they were grandad's and grandma's grandads he looked thoughtful.At six I don't expect he thought his grandad could have a grandad!
I am sowing the seeds and when he is old enough,and his little brother, if they want to know more they will have our family history to hand as well as my own printed life story!