General Chat

Is it just me ? I get so excited when i find a new addition to my family tree. But what do i get when i tell my family ? My husband responds with something on the lines of 'thats nice love '. The children - who's ages are 11 , 15 , 17 and 18 usually drag their eyes from the t.v and say something like ' yeah right - can we watch the t.v now ? ' I'm nearly wetting my self with all the excitement and no-one else cares............ Who's going to carry my tree on when i die ? Is it just something we take an interest in when we hit a certain age ? My need to find out about my family came when my grandma died. When did every one elses need to know start ?

Connie I was always interested in my parents' stories about their childhood. Now I am aware of how much material there is to research. But my husband is only vaguely interested and my children not at all. I tell them one day when I am dead and you can't ask me about it, you will be glad I've written it all down for you! nell

Hi , I was looking for my Dad and after getting nowhere fast switched to my grandparent after my Mum sent old photos. I am now hooked and have also started a memory album scrapbook as well. My husband is like yours!! xx:) Jill in France

Hi connie, I have exactly the same problem in my house, they all think I am obsessed with tracing my family back. I lost my mum 15 years ago and my dad 8 yrs ago, So it feels really important to me to do this. My husband says what do you need to know the names of people that are dead for, , but then he has both parents alive, there are so many questions that I wished I asked my parents but it's to late. Mandy

Mandy , i couldn't agree with you more. In 2001 my uncle died and i helped my mum sort through everything. We came across letters that had been sent over the years (some dating back more than 50 years ) from relatives up in Sunderland ( we come from Manchester ). Anyway i wrote to one of the people and it turned out to be a cousin of my mums who she hadn't seen since she was 6 and he 18 ( his name was Walter and he was now 84 years old ). We continued to write and phone on a monthly basis for the next 3 years and last summer me and mum arranged to go and visit him in Sunderland and he said he would fill me in on all the ancestors during our visit. To cut a long story short , on the day we arrived , we got no answer when we knocked on Walters door . Because we knew he was expecting us and would not have gone out , we kicked the front door in . We found Walter dead in a chair . The paramedics said he had been dead about four hours. The moral of this story.................. Don't take it for granted that ' they ' will still be here tomorrow and you will ask them then .

some 25 years ago I asked my father what his grandmothers name was and he didnt know - no one knew. She was illiterate and couldnt sign her name. That spurred me on. This poor woman who had 10 children and no one knew her name My family just glaze over, but I have a new daughter in law who is interested brenda

Hi Connie My lot are just like yours. I threaten them that if they chuck all this in the bin when Im gone.....I'm coming back to haunt them. lol I went for a leg wax today and started telling the girl (briefly) about my addiction. Conversation started while having 1st leg done....second leg was finished in record time!!...summut I said? lol Maybe we should have a thread for when we recieve a cert? You HAVE to share dont you? Gerri x

My mum started about 20 years ago and I was her chauffeur to get her from archive to county hall to LDS centre etc. Of course I helped her out a bit on those days. When She died 13 years ago I thought it would be a shame to let all that work go to waste so I have carried it on for her. Little did I realise what an addiction I was letting myself in for. I have finished her side of the family, have got a long way back on my dad's side, and nearly finished my husbands tree who I met 6 years ago. I also dabble in friends trees to give them a start and show them how to do it. Can't stop now!!!

I must have 'started' my family history in the early 70's... I was still at senior school. I quizzed my Dad on one or two points and wrote them down. In the mid 80's when I was pregnant with my first child I asked again...not much...a name here a fact there but I wish I'd have pushed him further as he died soon after. Did nothing until my daughter had to do her family tree for school in the 90's. Noted bits down. Had another dig early in 2000 and again wrote bits down. When my Mum died in August 2003 I became more interested. Since December 2003 I've become hooked. This is as much for my older sister as it is for me. It has filled a lot of gaps and is helping me to build a picture of my father who lost his mother at the age of 4 and left home at 12. He rarely spoke about any of his family and we never met them. Viv

My family react a bit like yours Connie, hubby thinks I've lost the plot, my daughters more interested as I plan to give everything to my grandaughter on her 21st (shes only two) I'm actually searching for my ex's granny's family as she reached her 100th birthday a few weeks ago, and he knows I'm hunting ( he's my best mate by the way) this morning I was squealing with excitement and my lot just looked at me and said ' are we eating today then?' Magi

Have you really listened to the family tales ? I have been told that my great grandma was born on the ship coming over to England from America. I proved it wasn't just a story. I was also told that my gg grandfather was a Swedish seaman . Ive proved that to be true. Another story goes that my ggg grandfather was hung for smuggling on the Cornish coast.............. This i'm still trying to find proof of. My mum says , if it wasn't true - her grandfather told a dam good story !!

I think they are all the same families I mean at least you get a reaction my son says i don't want to know ok Mum and my husband says found any dead people today when he comes in from golf sprouting about handicaps pars holes in one nearest the pin etc and I feign interest as I would not hurt him when I go to answer re the dead people as he calls them he says gotta watch the news now love , after I have just sat and listened to all about golf for at least ten minutes grrrr never mind I have you lot to tell about my success's and problems Lara xx

Sorry Connie didnt answer your question re when did I get interested well it was sort of when my dad passed away it was a wake up call to me and having to clear his stuff as he had all the letters from his parents and all tthe letters to them while he was in the navy during ww2 and photos of my nans brother who died in France and that started me off and then gr joined up in Australia with school friends and that was it hooked for life id' say Lara x