Family History & Genealogy

I've had a quick peek incase there's already another thread about it but couldn't find one.

So ... anyone here into tracing their family tree?
I have to confess I'm a total nuts-about-it addict.

Re: Family History & Genealogy

I already knew a lot as my Dad was a Scottish History Freak...and so's my OH. Seems we were right in there along side the other Jacobites, fighting for our Highlands, and our way of Life lol. One of my Sisters decided to trace Mums Side but she said it was costing a small Fortune.

Re: Family History & Genealogy

It's true ... it's not the cheapest hobby around.

Buying Certificates can soon mount up but sifting through Census Returns (1841 -1911) can often turn up the same information ... and is often much better for telling you what they did for a living.
I got stumped for years because my mum's side had three different surnames.
I eventually found out my G-G-grandmother was an incurable cleptomaniac and spend 8 years out of 15 locked in prison. I've never found her death so I suspect my G-G grandad changed his name first to remarry ... the naughty chappy might have been a bigamist.

Re: Family History & Genealogy

Ive been doing it for about 8 years on & off. Not found anything exciting though. Dad's side seemed to live in the Gutter (Courts & Cellars) in Liverpool & Mum's side lived in the same house from the 1870's till they knocked them down in the 1970's I was born in the same house as well.
I also do transcribing of Parish records of bmd's for LAN OPC, That's very interesting

Re: Family History & Genealogy

Some distant cousin in Hastings traced my paternal line back to the time of Richard 2nd. He supposedly granted them a coat of arms for services rendered.

Re: Family History & Genealogy

Golly I've only unearthed law abiding wheelwrights and a cleptomaniac.
However ... there is one branch of the family down Oxford who claim we're descended from a Norman Baron who came over with William the Conqueror.
I keep doing Gallic shrugs in the mirror to see if it rings true.

Re: Family History & Genealogy

Our son has been doing ours and his wifes for some years.
Interesting points uncovered so far.....one was a druid ...one was a matron in the Whitechapel hospital in London ...one was bigamously married (5th wife!) ...one was in the Royal Flying Corp...(I can hear the tune - Those magnificent men in their flying machines')
He hasn't found any criminals so far..but he has only gone back to the early 1800's..and it gets more complicated the further you go back. Victorian families had so many children and parish records were not well kept.
Our son also had some sort of DNA test The Genographic Project I think.
It fascinates me, and I love reading the graph we have on the computer. He uses Roots Magic.

Re: Family History & Genealogy

Both my parents and their forebears came from Ireland. Dad's side from the North and Mum's side from the south! I know quite a bit about my Dad's side of the family - and know a wee bit about my Mum's!

Other than that, it doesn't bother me whose who in my family!

Re: Family History & Genealogy

In 2005 Mrs PM discovered an elder brother and a wealth of cousins she had never known about by asking a Google question. Apparently her mother had been married before and had children, but then gave them away and had never told anyone in the 60 years since!

It has since been a real emotional roller coaster for my wife, but what a result! We are now in touch on a regular basis with many of her new family all over the world, and she still has to pinch herself sometimes to believe it all.....

Re: Family History & Genealogy

That's a wonderful story Barry. Such a shame they were kept a secret from her for all those years. But I bet she will make up for it, good luck to her