Genealogy Chat

I know we all have skeletons in our closets, but since I started this research I did not realise how many. I have found some very short pregnancies as I am sure many of you have!! My husband was shocked when I told him I had found out his parents were married 2 months before his birth in 1952. They celibrated their 50th?? Anniversary in 2001!! I am sure we have all found out things we did not want to since starting this....what say you????? Gail.

I just found out that my gt gt gmother on my mums side was widowed from gt gt gfather and them mysteriosly had a baby 4 years after he died! found her the other day on the 1861 census and the man she was 'lodging' with had the same names, including surname, that she had chosen for new babys middle names! baby had gt gt gfathers surname tho coincidence or skeleton I wonder???lol

I'm waiting (im)patiently for a marriage and death cert for the same woman - the two events were registered in the same quarter and year, and she married the father of her two illegitimate boys...I'm hoping the certs will help me unravel things....did they marry because she was dying, or did he marry her then bump her off! lol I find that aspect of the research fascinating - gives a real human touch to the names.

The family secrets are great! I've discovered my 3x great grandfather tried to murder my 3x great grandmother. He was senile at the time so I suppose he doesn't really count as a would be murderer but his prison record and the newspaper accounts have made fascinating reading with lots of extra information about the family. Sue

My Nan always said only the pregnancies after the first took nine months the first took always took less time , and yes have found all sorts of secrets its hard to know what to do with some of them but none really concern me so will write my tree as it is and if other family want to see it then they will have to face the truth as is what is the point of all the research etc if you are going to tell untruths , surely in this day and age there is nothing shocking enough to hide if you are a grown up ,regards Lara

I discovered that my Gran had been married before and had 3 children. She married my Grandad at 25 and then had my Dad and another daughter, I saw my Gran almost every week till I was 16 when she died and never knew. My Mum and Dad never said anything. I only found out when my Mum and Dad died and I discovered lots of papers including BMD certificates. On my Grans birth cert. it said she was a widow and I knew her maiden name and of course it was different. Since I have found an address for (I presume) one of the grand daughters who lives in Canada, Have been trying to decide, for about a year, whether to make contact or not. Linda

Hi, I have found a relation who was a bigamist! He was only caught because his brother-in-law was at a rugby match in Bristol and by chance saw Charles and arrested him, he being a policeman!!!! If Charles hadn't been the match he may never had to serve time in Leicester gaol. I am now reasearching like mad hoping to find more skeletons, it makes the trawling through documents worthwhile. Liz

I have found a few skeletons which would hurt the living - i'm not revealing those until they will hurt no one! I'm not offended by them but they have been secrets for years so why reveal them now? All the dead ones are revealed - hope they forgive me if I meet them later... Alice

A few skeletons going back a fair few generations. But that was normal, wasn't it? After my grandma died in '99, my mum told us the 'family secret'. It is to do with my grandad (who had died in '93) and his adopted brother. But then again, they were only human, and we all make mistakes. Everyone in the family knows the secret, but no one mentions it to the individual involved, even though he knows too! I don't think he likes to talk about it. I've written letters to him in the past asking about his adoptive parents, my great grandparents, what kind of people they were, but he's never replied. BUT he does send his great neices (and one nephew), up until we marry, £5 every Christmas. It's so sweet. Anyway! I'm sure by the time I leave this world, I'll have a few secrets to keep! Chloe

my grandad mum went of with. my nans dad they added another 3 to our tree