General Chat

I have two ancestors I really want to find. I don't know why they mean so much to me. Perhaps because I've learned so much about their lives, but cannot find their parents? Is it because they have the same last names as the relatives I knew when I was growing up? I don't know why I "have" to find them. Do you have ancestors you are determined to find and if so, why does it mean so much to you?

Totally agree. This stopped being a hobby years ago! It's now a quest for justice in some cases and knowledge in others!!

I know what you mean. I HAVE to find my Priscilla Goodyear and Adelaide Dalton - don't know why. There are others in my tree that I dislike eg. my Great Grandmother. My mother never knew her fathers family. She was 17mths old when her father died during the war aboard the HMS Courageous. My grandmother never heared from His side again, even though she had a baby and was 8 months pregnant with my Aunty Jackie. I did find the family in 1989 in my early years of research and had a lovely reunion in Liverpool.

Terri, my "James" is the same: the more information I find, the more I want to know who his parents were!! John, when we bought our computer my "hobby" changed into an every-night event. Oh, the hours I've sat here! Deborah: We have a not-too-admired ancestor as well. My gggrandfather, upon the death of his wife (after the birth of her 11th or 12th child) married his eldest son's girlfriend within a year of his first wife's passing and went on to have 8 more children. Glad I'm not the only one who "has" to find them. :~)

HI LISA i too hunt and hunt, the harder it is the more determined i am, and when you do find one you get 50, as i did this week with the ones in australia. but my mums side is so hard going, green/lester i can't get past gr grandparents, but i will. happy hunting sandra

Hi Sandra: I haven't found any ancestors "lately", just more information about the known ones (but at least that's something). I envy your progress. :~) My mum's side is difficult as well, too many "common" Irish names. I think it's time some of our ancestors help us along, eh? (Wouldn't it be funny if one of us found some information now!)

hi lisa don't even go there, 2 of my kids grandparents are irish and dead, i only have a bit of info from ex hubby, who's not forthcoming. doyle/maher yer right, i will have to brave it though sooner or later. mines abit hard going at times as i wed 3 times and kids from two so i have extras. As for this weeks accomplishment, it came in a dream that the 2 brothers went to australia, and their bmd site is great as it lists the parents names. and the ref no for certificates. happy hunting lol sandra

Hi Lisa I know exactly how your feeling. I was driven to fond my grt grandmother Grivinna Playford nee Barnes ( 1886) for I had known and loved her for 11 years of my own life. For 3 yrs I searched - nothing came up for her birth . She had marrried and died in Sussex and my family thought she had been born there too. I had her marriage cert and father was unknown ( She had a step father who was a butcher whom she never got on with ) - no one in the family knew her mothers name and nothing was coming up on the 1891 and 1901 census . Searched all Sussex men who were Butchers on the 1901 census ( EXHAUSTING) Last week a lovely lady went of to find her resting place and found her , her husband and a son ( Reggie who had died in WWII) I rang my father and told him and he started to re call that maybe her mother was born in Norfolk. That eve I looked up Grivinna in Norfolk on 1837 - THERE SHE WAS. I purchased the cert which amazingly arrived YESTERDAY!! I have traced her mothers family , found Grivinna living with her mother and her step father on the 1891 census Grivinna has suddenly become Tibertha G Barnes - why I can only think because she is illegitamate. Found the marriage of her mother to her step father and looked Grivinna up on the 1901 census - again recorded as Tibertha but living with her Step gran. The step father Henry BISHOP was indeed a Butchers Labourer in 1901 and Grivinna was not living with him and her mother. I also was able to make a GC contact yesterday ( as I couldn't wait to enter the info on my tree LOL) It's bee a long slog and I've only told you a wee bit about the places I had looked - but It was so worth the effort. I was so over the moon yesterday . Research is long for little reward but each small or big bit of info just keeps you fuelled to go on and on and on LOL Keep chipping away - collect and save every bit of info - it will eventually find its place Much happiness Debi

Hi Debi: Wow, and I thought my researching was confusing!! Your struggle makes my researching seem so easy. I had to smile when I read "collect and save every bit of info". The James (Mumford) whom I mentioned earlier -- I was in touch with Mumford's in my home town 25 years ago. I kept in contact with one of the lady's (she sent me her family tree 25 years ago). Well, a few years ago, after collecting information here and there and everywhere, I found out that there is a 95% likelihood that my James is from her tree. Just have to find proof of his birth. If I hadn't saved that paper, I could have lost so much information. After all you went through, I'm glad to see that you finally were able to match things up. My James was a butcher, as were his sons. Maybe your luck will rub off and I will be able to finally track him down. :~) Thank you for sharing your story, Debi. Every once in a while I wonder why I waste the time looking; it's nice to hear success stories. Guess I should wander off to bed now. Won't mention what time it is, but we are 8 hours behind the UK. :~)

yeh i feel the same looking into the past helps to find who i am and where i came from. just kept delveing and found relies who worked at windsor castle for queen victoria . would love to know how some of them ended up 250 miles away in yorkshire had heard of maid,below stairs ,baby .no marriage who knows? caz in the uk

Caz, it's fun to find names and dates and places, but its also very interesting to uncover information like you did. It brings researching to life and leaves you wondering what their times were like. Not having too many castles in North America :~) I'm intrigued to hear of that part of history. Too bad they can't come back and tell you exactly what happened, eh?

Lisa J If I was being profound I would say that in learning about our ancestors we are learning about ourselves. I also think a lot of us like to play detective, and we like a challenge. I don't like all the loose ends in my tree - I want to find out all I can and tidy up my relatives with the appropriate certificates. LN

Lisa The reason I am searching so hard for my GGGrandmother Elizabeth's birth is that her maiden name was Ford and she married Patrick Ford. One census says she was born in Manchester and two say she was born in Liverpool. Can't find a birth for her in either place!! I really need to know if Elizabeth and Patrick were related. Another GGGrandmother, Ellen Cree, had two illegitimate daughters, Ellen in 1874 and Amy in 1880. On the 1881 census, she has a lodger called Patrick Augustus Duffy and she later married him and had 7 more children! I have found birth records of all the children except the illegitimate Ellen, who according to the census was born in Bolton, Lancs. They were living in Manchester and Ellen (senior) was born in Beighton, Derbyshire. Amy's birth certificate does not name a father (although I suspect it was Patrick). I am totally fixated on finding Ellen because it's the most interesting information I have uncovered in my research (apart form the fact that my maternal grandparents were first cousins and mum never told us - skeleton in the cupboard no doubt!). Lynne

Oh great. It wasn't enough that I couldn't find MY ancestors -- now I want to know the answers to all of your puzzles too. :~) Of course I'm kidding, well sorta kidding, well, actually I'm intrigued by your comments as well. Hopefully if you find answers, you'll post your results?