Genealogy Chat

Alice, cheated a bit when I went to family history society in Cornwall someone had deposited a family tree that happened to be mine as well, have a Sir in line quite exciting, wish it had carried on down the line then I would not have to go to work tomorrow. lol Carol 430181

Carol. How on earth did you do that??? Well done Mine all seem to go about 1750 - but one line is no further back than my Grandad. Ho hum......

Alice, and all, so pleased that I am not the only nutter on here. I just wish I had started doing this 20 yrs. ago. I feel I do not have enough time left to do all the research that I now realise it takes. Have got back on one line to 1200 but most die in the 1800. Carol 430181

Hi all have just spent the last 2 hours reading lots of threads !!! But found this one very interesting,i was born in London but my mother came from Coatbridge in Scotland, and i can identify with all that has been said, in Feb this year i took a trip up to Scotland with my son and nephew to find where my mother was born and lo and behold found so much more where the house that she was born, is now just a patch of green i could not belive that on that little patch stood at least 20 cottages (miners) and most occupied by my family then had a trip to the old cemetery cost me a fortune in flowers, so many ghosts but my ghosts,sorry if i have rambled on Ann

Just got the photos develpoed so i can show my mum. She is not too well at the moment so I hope it will cheer her up! Still trying to sort out all the information out and make sure I don't lose anything. Time to start writing this part of the FH I think! Glad to see it's not just me who is all soppy and sentimental over such things - thank you all for listening and adding your best Genealogical moments to this thread. Alice

I have London and Suffolk ancestry, and have visited all the street in Central London that my ancestrs were bor or lived at from Soho to Hackney, and I have visited the villages in Suffolk where my ancestors lived, and I tell you they dont look any different to what they looked like over 100 years ago which is good, so I can get a good feel of how my ancesti lives. Ben

Ive been to Newark and Southwell. Southwell is a strange little place isnt it with such narrow roads. Nice tea shop there.

Not boring at all! Maybe I'm lucky that I find other people's families as fascinating as my own. Spent the day in Nottinghamshire yesterday. Crept into the gallery of the chapel in Newark where my great grandparents were married in 1868 (v emotional), then off to the home village and then to Southwell for the Minster and the Workhouse. If you had relatives who ended up in the workhouse you must see this. Even my Ever Loving Husband got interested! Sheila

Alton - haha! I went to college there! Do you know the story of Fanny Adams who died there aged 8 in 1867.... well murdered more like. It's where the saying 'Sweet Fanny Adams' comes from. Also - do you know about the history of St Lawrence's Church on Old Odiham Road? Can't remember which side, but think it was the royalists that went in there during the civil war claiming santuary, but the parliamentarians burnt the church down anyway! It's weird to hear someone talk about a place that you know quite well, I also know Farnham well just not been there in ages - guess that is what it's like when I talk about my villages. Anyway! Glad you enjoyed yourself. Chloe x PS - do you mean Medstead instead of Menstead??

Thank you for your replies. Glad to see I am in good company! The villages I visited were Ropley, Bishops Sutton, Menstead, Bighton and the town of Alton. While driving back to try to find the M3 I drove by signposted to other places connected to another part of the tree - Farnham, Froyle, Dorking - I will have to return another time with the right folder to carry on with that family. So tied up with the FH I only managed a flying visit to Winchester cathedral and missed all the other bits of a lovely city - will have to go back soon! Alice

Hi Thats wonderful Alice! I know how you must feel, doesnt it make you feel good? not only that when your looking at villages that you your ancestors knew cant you just visualise the horse and carts down the lanes I know I do. Great you had a wondeful day. Yvonne

It sounds wonderful Alice! I have never been on an away day yet, I would love to do it one day. All my ancestors on my Mother's side were from Lancashire and on my Father's side it is Lincolnshire. How do you set about organising something like that? Is there an advice thread for it? Margaret

Not boring at all, A couple of weeks ago i did the same in hampshire and dorset. I did have husband with me some of the time (except in the record Office when he took himself off for a couple of hours. Where were you looking in Hampshire? I was in Botley where several generations are buried, although unfortunately no headstones. (as seems to be usual in my family). Ann Glos

A couple of years ago I was in touch with possible cousins (connections possibly back in the early 1800's), the name was Style, (my g grandmothers family) they lived in NZ so it was not easy to look for information. Then they came to Europe and London but found a day when they could visit Surrey I met them at the Station and took them to where his g grandmother lived and worked. His grand mother was getting close to 100 years old. They were so please to have been able to walk the streets and visit the house where his g grandmother worked. Took pictures and was able to tell his grandmother all about it. I have since found the connection which now takes him back to the 1780's which connects my gggg grandfather and was his gggg his family were the eldest son's. I am lucky to live near, but when I go to Wiltshire to visit my fathers side of the family it the same as the rest of you. You would think you would feel some affinity, but just walking the street and looking around is not enough. If there was a time machine I would be first in line. But what to pick 1st. Getting my husband interested in his family now so other places now to visit. Irene

Alice I really enjoy genealogy away days - although much has altered, many original buildings still exist, or the street layouts are the same. I was so excited when I found the listed Georgian building my gt gt grandfather ran as a lodging house in Richmond Green! nell

Hi all, I have just come back from 3 weeks in Cornwall doing research, like you all the thrill of visiting villages and churches still overwhelms me. My husband and I have been visiting Cornwall/Devon for the last 30 yrs (long before I started family research) and it turns out we both come from these areas and a couple of our relatives from the same village, waiting for the day we find we are related. The best thing was visiting the new Devon record offices and finding documents for lease of land & property, l dated 1630 and 1 1765 and seeing our ancestors signatures, makes up for all the times you find nothing, and yes I know what you mean when I showed my daughter copies she said 'not that boring stuff again' Carol 430181

Glad you had a great time, Alice. Which villages did you go to? (I'm in Hampshire myself, and just want to be nosy!)

That must have been wonderful Alice - did they all know you were his GGDx5? When I found my lot in the village near here (and you!) it was so amazingly satisfying. And the bonus was every time I go to any event here, I am trotted out like a minor celeb because the gravestones are still in the churchyard and my GGFx4 was mentioned in a book about the village. I feel quite embarrassed by the looks of awe! Terrific, glad you had a lovely time.

Hi Alice, Its not a bore - I'm glad you had such a great weekend. About 25 years ago I drove through the little village in Somerset where my forefathers came from and the memory still lives with me. These memories are what we live for as genealogists. Best wishes Ian

Hi Alice, It's lovely to hear a of a success like yours, and even better that there are people here who understand how it feels to find something like and ancestral home or a grave. I'm very lucky in that most of my ancestors for at least 6 generations for almost every branch of my family are from the same area of Kent were I was born. I've grown up knowing the same villages and towns that they knew, and it's allowed me to visit just about every church in the area that might ever have set foot in! My b/f can't understand the excitement I get when I find a name on a census, or why I have photos of graves on my computer! On so many occasions when I made a big break through or visited an old grave, just knowing that I've found a relative has redused me to tears. I bet our ancestors never guessed that they would have this kind of effect on future generations! Sharon :o)