General Chat

Do you ever feel you are being pushed into going to visit where your great great grandparents were born and lived and brought up children.

My great grandparents came over to England in 1886 with 4 children and my great great grandmother.

It feels as if I am getting a huge push from rellies that have passed over to go to visit County Cork and County Waterford.

It's not necessarily a push from the grave. Once you get immersed in FH, there is often the desire to 'walk in the Ancestral footsteps'.

There's nothing like the thrill of visiting villages, churches or old buildings and taking a few quiet minutes 'connecting' with your past.
" my grt x parents married in this church, walked this road, could have drank in this pub" etc etc.

Ireland is a good place to holiday and not too far. Go for it!

I have been to where my 3 x gt. Grandfather lived. I really felt as if I belonged there too. I want to go to Gorey, Co. Wexford to visit where my grandmother came from and yes I do feel as if I am being encouraged to go.

We have also been to where OH's 3 x gt. grandfather came from in Buckinghamshire.

I have visited the small town in Gloucestershire where my G.G. grandmother was brought up. I also visited the place where the farm she was born on used to be. It's just derelict buildings now, but you can still see the outline of the old house where she lived. I too have an Irish G.grandmother but so far haven't really felt the urge to visit where she was born and lived in County Cork.

Really interested to see this thread .My Grt Grt .Grandad came from the highlands of Scotland ,.while I still live in Southwest Scotland hoping for a trip up there .& My other side Grt Grt Granddad came from Tipperary .Maybe Sue there is a pull to go & look .Barbra

hmmm... my great great grandfather was a sea captain from Gothenburg and his wife from Ystad. Am I drawn to rush down to the ferry e4very time I heere the dulcet tones of "Wallendar". No, but I do use Wallendar's smart phone called tones.

I would like to go and see "The Bridge" though

I have given up on trying to find where my grt grandfather on my mother's side
was born or who his parents were.
Would have loved to have gone further with my Mum's side.

I was born in the same room as my grandfather was.

I always had a yen to go to eastern Europe, even from a young age. Partly it was hearing people talk about the 'iron curtain', in my child's imagination it sounded strange and scary but fascinating to imagine what was 'behind' it. I also had a strong pull to London, especially the East End and the social history of the place. At this time I had no idea that, on my mother's side, I had ancestors from East Prussia and Bethnal Green!

I firmly believe that our dna contains memories. When I was 15 I went on a school trip, to Malham in Yorkshire but I was hooked on the place. I even started buying the Dalesman which wasn't exactly reading for a teenager. Over the years I have been all over the UK but nowhere else has had the same feeling. My Gtx2 grandmother came from there to Huddersfield to marry in 1817 and she is described as of the Parish Giggleswick. Why she came or what feelings she had, leaving the place of her birth to start a completely new life in the outlying districts of this part of Yorkshire I still haven't found out.

I believe the same as you Janet- Genetic memory. A predisposition to being drawn to places where our ancestors come from.

I always feel that way about Pembrokeshire, where my father's ancestors all came from.

Now I am excited to be visiting the Romney Marsh area of Kent, where my Mum's Mum and all her ancestors came from. Can't wait! :-D :-D :-D



My Grandfather was born in Persia (Iran) as his father worked for the British Consulate..... but I don't think I shall be going there!

I don't have to go far for my Mum's side of the family as they were from Norfolk and I know this area well.

When I started on my Dad's tree I got very interested in Buckinghamshire and next visit to my cousin in Buckingham I want to get over to Gt Tew where my Gt Grandmother came from, and other villages around Bucks too.

Seeing Gawcott village where Dad was brought up and walking round Buckingham 3 miles away where Dad would have spent time, was great.

I wish I could afford those dna tests in case there is more to learn

Lizx

When I moved to Winchester, I thought I was the first family member to live here.
I wasn't.
My gran told me she lived here in 1924. Even my mum was totally unaware of this!

Strangely, once I started doing genealogical research, I discovered that four times in my life I had actually lived in the area where my ancestors had lived, once lived in the actual village, and when I lived in North Essex, and my sister in Suffolk, when visiting her, I regularly passed through the village where another lot had lived for generations! :-S

According to the 1851 census my 3x Gt Grandmother (together with 5 of her children) lived at the bottom of the hill - I moved to the fairly newbuilt houses
at the top of the hill in the mid 1970's. Spitting distance !!
.... and,
we had both moved towns! me from the west and she from the east.

Found this out only after starting my family tree. :-)

I live in the area where my forebears originated - walk in their footsteps most days - it's a good feeling

Me too Ann. My ancestors were all from Somerset and Gloucestershire (the adjacent county to the north).

Hi Ann
Totally agree with the feel good element ... I would have seen her every day, in another lifetime.

All my other branches 'upped sticks' to meet in the middle :-D

I'm going to take my grandchildren on holiday to see where their ancestors lived.
Luckily it's by the sea.

In fact all my ancestors lived near the seaside.
Little wonder that my favourite place is on a beach.
:-D :-D :-D

Me too Von :-D

Mine stretched all the way around the coast, from the very north of Pembrokeshire all around until Carmarthenshire and beyond.

Also a lot of seamen including my Great Great Grandfather and 6 of his brothers.

No wonder I love the sea and the beach :-D :-D