Genealogy Chat

Is there such a thing, long before gru, computers etc how did anyone trace their family tree with so much kept quiet about all those years ago ?
I'm trying to trace my ggmother whose illegitimate daughter was my nan b 1913, given up to be brought up by nuns, only have ggmothers name on birth cert, have spent much time researching but not found anything cast iron to link her identity to my nan, does anyone have any tips which might help in my quest to finally trace her and her family ?
A mother and daughter unknown to each other for all of their lives, doesn't sound very much like the good old days to me.

People worried about - what the neighbours would think. Thank goodness these days we are more open.

What heartache these mothers must have had, having to give up their babies.

Hi David,

My brother traced our family tree the 'old fashioned way' for 20 years but hit a brickwall when tracing my grandmothers line. He followed the family name and ordered a birth certificate for her grandfather only to discover his fathers surname was different than his son. A complete brickwall as his parents had never married so therefore the line went cold. Years later when using the internet, he searched on the census for this particular person and came up with 3 matches in the area but there is still no proof who it could be. Although computers are fantastic for searching there will always be the unknown.

The only thing I can suggest is bringing forward all of the possibles to see if anyone in the present knows of the dark secrets from the past. ie. siblings of your ggrandmother and offspring

Sandra

My ggrandmother was Nellie Lockwood, having found serveral fits, the one my hunch goes with was born Dec 1896 had siblings Bertha & William (both older), parents Bertha (Nee Jones) & William C Lockwood, all living south London Cenus 1901, my nan was born Oct 1913, in Hampstead, Nellie would have been 17 when she gave birth, this Nellie Lockwood went on to marry a Frederick Smee, i've made contact with his great nephew but nothing concrete can be proven so far.