General Chat

When I went to family history classes many moons ago I was told the danger of digging into family history was that instead of having a few rellies you couldn't stand, you'd have lots!! Glad to report that that is not my most recent experience. Not long ago, I called on some recently found distant rellies on my way home from a w/e away, intending to stay just an hour. I stayed three!! We never stopped talking!! It was fascinating seeing photos of people to who my grandmother was quite closely related, also to meet someone who could have been a sister to my great aunt. It quite brought my much loved grandma and her sister back to life. Wonderful!! Has anyone else met distant rellies? What did you think of them??

Maggie, really pleased you found such a nice connection. So far have only e-mailed recently found relatives (hard to drop in on them as they live in America) But one of them is coming to England later in the year so I hope we have as much success as you and get on really well. Here's to you finding lots more friendly rellies. :-))

Trish, Lisa, Finger's crossed that the meetings with the rellies you have yet to meet go well!! I too have distant cousins overseas that I haven't met (but would like to - one day!!) - tho there is one in Newfoundland I hope to meet later in the year. The strange thing about her and the cousin I met recently is that they are both involved in the Girl Guides - as I am!! Must be in the genes!! Maggie

hi maggie i am meeting a lady on friday , who made contact with me about my nanna, she is coming from down south up north to clitheroe to do some research and with have arranged to meet for coffee she is kindly bringing copies of certs for me, i havent totally worked out how we are related yet but i know there is a conection, i am very excited an nervous about this and i think its not bad going to say i only started my tree in late january. tracy

Tracy, Both Jill and I were nervous the day we met!! We both had completely wrong ideas about what the other would be like!! I had her down as a little grey haired old lady (as she is the same generation as my dad) when in fact she is only 10 years older than me!! Hope your meeting goes well. Give my love to Waddow - have fond memories of the summer I worked there in 1974!! Maggie

hi maggie i have been trying to picture in my mind, as i dont know her age , dont you imagine silly things, she probally thinks im older than what i am. i dont live that far from waddow about mile down road tracy

HI MAGGIE how lovely for you, reminisicing with rellies is always great, i wish i had started this in my teens, so i could have asked lots of questions with my grand parents. A few of my uncles and aunts are also tracing the trees, and i speak to my mum reguarly, with updates and some new names so she gets time to search as well. and we talk about some of the stories about those that have passed. i Had a contact this week send me a photograph of my gr gr grans, brothers son, and i emailed him some of my gr gr gran and her children, i love the old photos, to be able to see what they looked like, and here someone elses tales i s always so interesting. so enjoy your time, i'm sure you will have fun sandra

Linda, That sounds brill!! I got a lot of info from my Grandma, but had the biggest thrill when Jill confirmed a lot of what she had said - Jill's husband's grandfather was the youngest brother of my grandma's brother. Lots of original info had come down his side of the family - including the family bible, and a family tree drawn by my great great grandfather in the late 1800's, also photos of great great grandfather and grandmother!! Hope your info proves just as interesting. Maggie

Thanks Sandra, I am lucky that I did get interested while my grandma was still alive. I went back to the place she lived in as a teenager and met a person she knew as "Little Jimmy Lott" when he was about 10 years old. When I met him he was about 90 years old!! He was the son of the local undertaker and remembered where they had buried my Grandma's uncle!! Yes, the photos are great aren't they - amazing how the family likeness can come out many generations apart. It was weird to meet someone so distantly related to me, and yet who looked like someone who was close to me!! Maggie

hi maggie when i found out where my gr gr grandparents gr gran and grandparents had lived i went to see the houses, silly me forgot the camera, so will have to do it again, but the strange thing was i went to the cemetries and put flowers on the graves, and went into the church, it was a really precious moment to know that they were baptised married and buried there and being in villages in those years they would have been regular church goers. i know your memories will be just as touching sandra

Sandra, Yes I do have touching memories of visiting churches where I know my ancestors had been - if only the walls could talk!! Also have a less "touching" memory....... whilst visiting a church in devon - which had better remain nameless - small son got caught short. No alternative but to leave his DNA in the churchyard - 300 years on!! Hope you get your photographs. Maggie