# Any one doing genealogy ?



## Reb (Mar 27, 2004)

Hi,

I am recoverying from an op and whilst I have time on my hands I have taken up tracing my family tree again.  I am a complete amateur.  I know this may seem a strange hobby for people with IF problems as it can sometimes make me feel that I wont be adding to it.  However, family history, archichure and period design has always facinated me.  I even watch progs about how bricks are made....ok...my med cert runs out soon but you can cart me off now in a green van in the mean time  

I started my tree years ago and was just wondering if anyone else is done this.  Have you seen how many kids people had a 100 yrs ago  

If we get enough interest perhaps we could help each other to look up local records (if Tony doesnt mind  )  Its just a thought.  If not, I would interested in getting any tips.

Thanks.

Becca
xxx


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## Cubster (Dec 5, 2006)

Hi Becca

Have only just seen this post   hope your recovery is going well! I too feel sad sometimes that I may not add to my family tree, but we have to believe that we will  

I have only just started doing my family tree, it was something I decided to do to give me a new hobby to take my mind off tx etc and waiting for tx! Have also taken up knitting, photography and card making and am so pleased that I now do all of these!

I'm finding the genealogy fascinating, have just concentrated on doing the easy stuff so far, tracing back the paths that I have more info for, have got back to great great grandparents in two lines, yes they all had heaps of children and seemed to farm them out as lodgers elsewhere occasionally according to the census returns!! I am really luck in that I live near the National Archives so can pop down there, sending off for the certificates takes time though (and money!) so have only ordered three so far, one still to arrive three weeks later lol. 

How far have you got back? I think it will get more complicated for the period before there are computerised records but I'm not at that point yet.

Would love to keep in touch to hear your progress!

Cubster xxx


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## Wraakgodin (Jun 17, 2006)

Hi!

I did my family tree about 10 years ago and after an initial flurry I haven't done much work on it since. I went back to 1680 with my great x7 grandfather!

Have you tried www.genealogy.com or www.ancestry.co.uk ? With both of those you can do a surname search and see if anyone else is researching the same family. I was lucky and found a distant cousin who had done years of research! I also found the daughter of my dad's cousin on there doing research! How about http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/census/ - that has all the online census's.

I know what you mean about lots of children, my great grandparents on my fathers side were both widowed when they married, so they had children by their respective first marriages and went on to have children together - in total there were 19 children!

Most of mine were agricultural labourers. Sometimes you can come across interesting facts. Someone in my tree was fined for injuring turnips, another for cutting and stealing grass! I come from a long line of criminals! One was sentenced to 14 days hard labour for "absenting himself from work without his master's permission", Master? I went back to the newspapers of that time and found out that they were absent because they were protesting at the cuts in labourer's wages. He stood up for what he believed in and got punished for it.

I used to go to the record office once a month. Because my ancestors all seem to come from the same county and because I was the only one doing research who lived in that county, I had requests from about 5 or 6 members of the family doing research!

Hope you have some success and find some juicy bits of gossip along the way!!!

Sue


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## Reb (Mar 27, 2004)

Hi, glad I am not the only one! I think some people I mention it to think I am a bit odd. oh well.

Clubster, I have gone back to GG grandparents too. I have been a bit lazy and not visited any records office. its good that your live so near to the National Archives. It can cost a bit too, sending off certs etc.

Sue, oooh its makes it so much more interesting when you have a colourful past. You have managed to go back so far too. 19 children, bloody hell. do you think big families stayed together more then because CSA didnt exist...lol. Thanks for the links.

you both prob have these links but i'll stick in anyway.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/

http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14&searchFor=casualty

http://booth.lse.ac.uk/cgi-bin/do.pl?sub=view_booth_only&args=530111,180405,2,large,1

If I get stuck I'll come and pester you for suggestions 

Good luck.

Love

Becca
xxx

/links


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## pobby (Jun 2, 2005)

I would love to do it! think its absolutely fascinating..I love looking at all the really old photos of my family.. Dont feel like i have the time to do anything about it at the mo but think it will be something for the future..I know what you mean about feeling that you wont be able to add to the tree..A sad thought.
Best of luck with your endevours!
pobby x


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## mazv (Jul 31, 2006)

Reb,

You're not odd at all  

I've been into genealogy for years (15 or so) and have traced most of my family lines back to 1740's and beyond. It becomes so addictive after a while and you start branching off into GGG uncles etc... I love looking at the census records and finding out how families connected, seeing that you GG grandparents lived next door to each other as kids, or attended the same school etc..

I'm lucky as the records in Scotland are really good and have been computerised for years but it's only in the last 3-4 years that I've maanged to trace more of my English side (only to discover that some of them came from Scotland in the first place).

Don't really have any other good websites to add but getting into local records is really good as you can gather a lot more info from those.

Shout if you need any help as I've got quite a few books etc.. with handy hints and tips.

Maz x


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## Cubster (Dec 5, 2006)

So there are a few of us out there, I think it's so interesting, I wish I had started years ago, but at least all the internet stuff makes it a bit easier now.

Sue, wow you have got so far back and you have managed to find some real stories behind the facts, this really brings it to life!

Maz, you too have done really well, you have both inspired me to keep going! 

Thanks Becca for the website tips, the poverty map looks really useful, it will be really good to look at as some of my family at the turn of the century lived in slum areas that have been pulled down now I think, oh how the Notting Hill area of London has changed    

I have only found London relatives at the moment but hopefully I will find various strands of the family came from elsewhere. I think there are some Irish strands to follow too, from what I have read a lot of Irish records were destroyed so it may be hard to find much info about any Irish family. Has anyone got any Irish relatives they have traced back?

Pobby, hope you get a chance to do this soon, it's really rewarding and a lot of the research in the first instance can be done from a computer  

Take care everyone 
Cubster xxx


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## Lorri (Apr 17, 2005)

Hi,
I have just started tracing my family (and dh's) back, as we realised we knew very little.  I found out my grandfather's actual name, he was know as Harry, but was born as Henry (dont think anyone knows that in my family). Dh's grandfather was "Jim" and his grandmother "Mae" but they were actualy Leonard and Maisie. They had 8 kids !!!!! One after the other.  I cannot find dh's mother's birth though, I know she was adopted, but don't know anymore, and cannot remember how to find out. Any tips ?

I traced my birth family about 10 years ago (not an easy task as both moved overseas). However am struggling to get back into it as it takes up so much time. I have downloaded some freeware family tree software to make it easier, but have also created a tree on Ancestry site. How cool is that site ?? When I searched for my birth family 10 years ago, I had to keep going to London. Went there the other day, hasn't changed much.


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## Hawkeye (Feb 1, 2003)

Hi everyone,
I've been hooked on family tree stuff for a couple of years now.... it really is addictive!
I'm actually on the point of going into business researching others trees, as I've done my own (and dh's) to the limits....
Anything I can help anyone with, please don't hesitate to ask.
Hawkeye.


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## Cubster (Dec 5, 2006)

Hi there

Still going strong on the research, am soooo enjoying doing this, I'm finding it really exciting, hope that doesn't make me too sad  . Have not got far with some branches at all, e.g don't even know where one of my grandmothers was born but I have found out her parents names and can go back from there...but the big breakthrough is that I now have the names of two of my great great great great grandparents !!!! Both born around 1780s how exciting is that!!

Just wanted to share this with you  

And so good for taking my mind off the next round of ICSI!

Cubster xxx


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