What made you begin to research your tree?

dingsy · What made you begin to research your tree?

In my case, it was the realisation that I was-at 46-the oldest surviving blood member in both branches of my family. In conjunction with this, an elderly friend died, before being able to start her tree, which was a dreadful pity. Her family used to refer to her as "the telephone exchange", as she was the repository of so much family history. Sadly, it all died with her.A combination of these two factors made the decision for me to collate as much info as possible.

Davbro

Much the same as Elaine but I was in my 50`s and all older relatives were dying, or had gone and I knew nothing other than my parents and grandparents. I also thought it would be a nice thing for the children to have and hopefully one of them would keep it going.

It has come in handy for my youngest granddaughter because on her christening I was able to produce a 4 generation chart which is now saved with the rest of her trinkets.

angelfruit

I started because my Dad (76) wanted me to find out about his mother's line of the family.

He has now got quite bored by it, as I have researched the lines of all of my Grandparents on both his and my Mum's sides. Add to that I am trying to do the boys' Dad's tree (which is difficult as I have no contact with my late husbands family)! O/H's side is even more difficult because of the "big fire" in Ireland.

Guest

I'm not just the oldest but the only surviving member and as I have no kids the line will end when I go :(

I guess having lost all my family, I wanted some sense of family continuity and I am very interested in history and just wanted to be able to picture my ancestors going about their daily life.

Iam as much interetested in where they lived, what they did etc as who they were.

MissMuppet

I started my family tree when I was about 10/11, Dad had an envelope which contained some old documents to do with a relatives estate, in there was some family tree diagrams. I got to work on a long piece of wallpaper and connected everyone up and then since then have been adding to it bit by bit.

I now have it all on my PC and have gone back to the 1700's, mainly on Dad's side but I have started Mum's as well and done quite a good job. Have even been contacted on GenesReunited by some second and third cousins...

I really need to pick it up again but there's so much else in my life I never get the time.

Guest

I started as the result of a long chat with my mother when my dad was in hospital once. Got me wondering, and so I got me researching

I find it very addictive - but can't do much now as I can't afford the Ancestry membership to do the lookups. I'm on Genesreunited, and am in touch with dozens of distant cousins - even found a first cousin I'd never met due to a family feud!!

Since then, I've researched my husband's tree, too - and have lines going back into the 1600s. Very satisfying.

Guest

A chance remark 15 years ago started my fascination with our family tree. Someone who had the same surname had already researched into his ancestry and together we cobbled together a link between his family and mine....the link then tied my family to a complete chain ,right back to 1611.

The structure of the tree is amazing....families spent mostly 50 miles from my place of birth, but who had survived poverty, religious persecution,large families with multiple child deaths., work house deaths, disease.....all there for me to read at will...

It was such a gift to be given 'my family'.....all now gone but no less valuable....

Guest

Fascinating, isn't it, Jobar? And addictive

angelfruit

Do you think that for those of us with an interest in family history, it might encourage us to "take up the pen" and write some of these stories down

Guest

Guest

The problems are what keeps it interesting

if it was all straight-forward it wouldn't be half so much fun

angelfruit

Absolutely - I love the way that you think you're going in one direction and then all of a sudden, you can be somewhere quite different