General Chat

Can You Believe This? Some years ago while clearing the attic in my husbands old home in Ireland we came across an old scrapbook with some scant details of his father’s family. His (my husband’s) father was born in South Dakota, U.S.A. of a Welsh father and Irish mother. Also found was a dusty old journal which must have laid there for 60 yrs, it belonged to a Mary May Griffiths. We learned Mary was my husbands g. aunt. As we are both retired, we decided to do some tracking and see where it would lead. We drove from our home in Manchester to Wales to try and find some of the old homes where they had originated from. We had gained names of some places and areas from the scrapbook. We went from place to place spending our nights at B+Bs. One night we had left it very late and finding it hard to get a place to sleep for the night. By this time we were in the middle of nowhere!! A very kind lady directed us to a farmhouse where there were 2 houses, mother and daughter who both did B+B. As we were getting into the car she said, “Tell Mrs Griffiths Mary sent you.” I smiled at Mary and said, “How strange, that is our name” On arriving, the daughter told us she was fully booked up. Her mother and father had gone to Salthill Galway on holiday and their house was closed. Another coincidence, my husband’s sister lives in Salthill.” Are you on holiday? Asked the daughter?” Not really I replied, we are researching my husbands family. She said her mum was really into genealogy and had been researching her Griffith’s family for years. I smiled as I said there must be thousands of Griffiths in Wales, ours came from. --------. As it sounded familiar to her she went to her mums house to get her records. After looking at the papers and finding names matching our records, it turned out my husband and her mum shared the same G.G.Grandmother!!! Needless to say we left our phone number so the mother could get in touch when she returned from holiday, which she did first day back. We were able to send her a copy of a beautiful old script type family tree done on parchment in the mid 1800s.(also found in the attic in Ireland) We exchanged lots of information and very old photos of family members going way, way back. We have gone back to Wales and spent a week with the family who very kindly took us around all the old family farmhouses where different family members had lived. A big bonus was going inside the home of my husbands G. G.Grandfather (courtesy of the present owner) It really was wonderful putting a place and home to the pictures in our research file. Sorry G.C. members if I have gone on a bit, what is the old saying about “Fact been stranger than fiction”

What a lovely story! How lucky you are!

P.S I forgot to say " I should be so lucky! with my Irish research. Love Bridget.

It is always a treat to read something like this - gives the rest of us hope! [Mind you I've had some good luck to, all been recounted on this board some while ago. Good luck for your future research Badger Bill

Well someone was certainly guiding you to the right place. Do I take it that you had had no prior interest in genealogy? A wonderful story. As you say, truth is stranger than fiction. Norah

what a wonderful find, its nice to try and see some of the places are rellies lived, and to travel on hols with yoiur hobby, your guardian angel was definatley guiding you that day love sandra

It's stories like yours, Bridget, that keeps us all going ........ we live in hope!!

Hi Bridget, Thanks for sharing! Lindy:-)