General Chat

This is what i have so far, i just wanted to know what a few of you think of it so i can make any changes to this bit tommorow. Thanks In my Opinion… The genealogical age gap is tightening. You don’t often hear the words youth and genealogy in the same sentence, but things are changing. As a sixteen year old, you may not expect someone of my age to be interested in genealogy. To some it is, `an old person’s sport. ` I and many others disagree with this. I started my research three years ago at the even younger age of thirteen. Back then, I had never heard of the word genealogy but knew that I wanted to have a family tree. I have always had an urge to discover my roots and find out where I belong. I’m sure this is the case for many young people; they want an identity for themselves. Before the introduction of family history websites such as the Genes Reunited, 1837 Online and many others, research was much more difficult. Back then, younger generations didn’t want the hassle of dragging themselves off the football pitch to the record office. Besides, many just couldn’t afford to take up the hobby which, as any family historian will tell you, can become quite expensive. Nowadays the youngest generation is reported to receive an average of £7.82 a week in spending money from their family. That’s a considerable amount more than what my grandparents or even parents received when they were my age. For those youngsters who have been bitten the genealogical bug but are not old enough to earn a wage, this money is a great help in pursuing the hobby. This isn’t to say that the record office has become obsolete in recent years. In fact, quite the opposite.

so the first bits good then?

Ah good. I'm off to bed. Talk to you all tommorow.

I think you've made a good start too, Daniel. Sleep well! I look forwad to the next instalment. :-)

Regarding the £7.82, I remember 16 year olds started at the place I worked in 1970 at £7.70 per week and my contempraries started apprenticeships in 1963 at about £3.50 per week. I would think £7.82 was close to the working man's wage in the early 1950s.

Hi Daniel - just another oldie here! I think what you have written so far shows a very mature attitide-well done. If I have any criticism at all it would be to say that you seem to want to get everything said in your opening paragraphs - take your time and deal with each element of genealogy separately. You may find it easier to write paragraphs on each thread and write the links later once you have determined which order the paragraphs should be in so that the article 'flows'. One argument that you might like to explore is that we no longer live in the close knit communities that we used to. Very often there would be many related families living in one area. Perhaps they didn't feel the need to investigate their roots because there would always be someone around who would know or know of a relative and since they were all probably buried in the same churchyard the information was already recorded for them. Good luck with your article Daniel - I think you are very brave, it's not something I would have taken on at your age! Magsx P.S. I earned £4.18.6d for a 40 hour week in 1966 (about £4.90) - but it's all 'relative' if you'll excuse the pun - there's a conversion table somewhere on the net that will give you today's equivalent - could be useful in relation to your pocket money ' thread'.

Itis also an interesting point that in the future I think it will not be such a huge task to trace your tree as people nowadays have much smaller families, maybe 2/3 children, there won't be vast numbers of aunts/uncles/cousins to pursue. Possibly not as much fun as researching a family with 8/9/10 plus children.

Just got up to find all your helpful comments. Thanks for the info and i am certainly keeping them in mind. In regards to the last paragraph, it's not a paragraph really, just were I got tired and stopped. Thanks, Dan

Will do. Hope you get a few more replies to that. Looks intresting.

It sounds good, Daniel.... but I didn't have access to the internet etc when I started (at 14 in 1997) so it's not just because it's available on the internet. I think it's becoming more accepted for younger people (by other younger people) to be interested in genealogy. I did not get pocket money when I was 14. I stopped getting it when I was 10 and even then it was only 20p a week! Maybe because more and more kids are getting jobs too. I started working at 15, which meant I could start to afford certificates myself etc. Just a few suggestions, don't suppose you'll be interested in them.

I'm definatly intrested Keep them coming.

Daniel, looks good so far although I am sure the comments you have received will help you to 'tidy it uo a bit'. I tthink I agree about not putting it all in one paragraph. make the first paragraph a short introductory one to 'grab' peoples' attention, then enlarge gradually on the subject. The content so far is good though. I think a lot of people start to do their tree when some of the older generation die, the subject often comes up at funerals in the 'do you remember' conversations. this whetts the appetite to find out more. it is also the detective in us that intrigues, maybe this is what appeals to young people who are taught to question and search for information so much at school. Ann Glos

hi daniel, well done its good so far, are you going to put in tips for kids on how to get started and what sort of info to ask grandparents etc keep up the good work sandra