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How do you keep sane?

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

~Summer Scribe~

~Summer Scribe~ Report 26 May 2007 17:35

I'm faced with trying to find a marriage entry that falls possibly anywhere between 1900 and 1922. It would be easy if I had some idea of when, or if the names weren't as common as air. But looking for a George Jenkins and a Mary Bond is like looking for a needle in a haystack... especially when I only have the vaguest of indication (from their daughters birth cert) that they were in the London area... really they could have been anywhere in the south. My sanity is under threat and I've only been back at this for a few days after my break (I remember now why I needed the break). How do you switch it off or stay sane? Your Sane Brain Tips, please? Liz

Whirley

Whirley Report 26 May 2007 17:39

Hi Liz, I know what you mean, but that's why we do this stuff isn't it. I always say 'small manageable chunks'. Don't try to do it all in one go but work thorough it all as methodically as you can. If you get to the stage your heads going to explode, then switch off, go and do something relaxing and come back to it at another time. Shirley-ann

~Summer Scribe~

~Summer Scribe~ Report 26 May 2007 17:41

Have you ever been faced with a search that just held *too many* possibles and you know it will be a miracle to find what you're looking for? (cont below)

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!)

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!) Report 26 May 2007 17:51

urble urble urble - I think I lost what was left of my sanity a long time ago now!! Smsall steps - good advice - I tend to get distracted so easily though and there I am chasing an elusive member of my family. And why is it that I can come up trumps with info on the odd sibling or someone else's tree and am totally stumped with a lot of mine? aaagggghhhhh! Jill

~Summer Scribe~

~Summer Scribe~ Report 26 May 2007 18:16

Leaving it for a couple of months worked really well for one branch of the tree, I came back with a fresh approach and added 2 full generations in one night on that particular line...all because of a mistranscription. This particular one though... there must be hundreds of these George Jenkins guys and it's a guess at how old he might be. Because it's quite recent in the line (my father's maternal grandparents) It means that whole line is just stuck. Oh well, nother cup of tea anyone? Think I'm on my sixth gallon today. I have to admit taking little breaks to do a search for someone else seems to refresh a couple of the synapses - especially when they're an easy success. I'll just book myself in for my self-hugging white jacket *wibble* lol Liz

~Summer Scribe~

~Summer Scribe~ Report 26 May 2007 20:07

I found it *does happy dance* And it only took me 2 and half hours of wading through original images. lol. I'm ready for my straight jacket now. *laughs manically*

Heather

Heather Report 26 May 2007 23:23

Only 2 and half hours and you are insane - Ive been trying 4 years for a very important one -

~Summer Scribe~

~Summer Scribe~ Report 26 May 2007 23:35

Just on this particular one. We don't even talk about mr.elusive anymore. We're fairly sure aliens dropped him off and he beemed back up ten years later lol.