Genealogy

[Maggie1]

I to had the same experience. I thought before doing the Family History that my Grandad was from London but found he was born in Corfe Somerset and his Dad and Grandad was the miller there. On our holidays we visited Corfe and Pitminster and found a lot of the family graves. We then went into the pub for lunch and got talking to the landlord who showed us photographs which was on the pub wall. There was a pub outing and sitting in a charabanc was my Grandad and Great Uncle. I could see who they were as they looked like my Dad. Luckily their names had been written on the back. The landlord told us to go down to the Mill House which was the original Mill.
We went down there and a man came out and asked us if he could help us and I told him the story. We also was invited in and shown around. It had also been refurbished and the water wheel removed but the buzz it gave just going into the kitchen with the range burning and feeling the buzz of knowing my family was in that house right back to about 1804. I've got the family back to 1600's but I know how you feel.

[julie62]

I love reading all these stories - that must have been amazing Maggie to see the photo's and everything.

I haven't done much family tree stuff but my grandad and uncle played rugby league for Great Britain in the 1920's and I found some footage of them being greeted by Maori's in New Zealand in 1928 and footage of them playing on the Pathe website. Amazing to see moving footage of them and in what must have seemed to them as working class men as a very exotic place.

I often think it would make a great film - when they used to go on rugby tours they used to go by ship of course and were away for months - I'm sure all those miners and mill workers must have got up to all sorts of stuff!

[p.penn]

That's very exciting!

[albertajune]

If I was asked to give a bit of constructive advice (I know I'm not, but will all the same), it would be, that if you find an address for someone on your tree, don't be shy about contacting the present owners if the house or shop etc is still there. I did this in my reply a few letters back and was made very welcome. I also did this with an ancester who was an inn landlord in Horncastle, Lincs. The present owner was delighted with the copies of the cencus that I sent him and in return sent photo's of the inn how it was in 1830, taken at the time, and with quite a bit of detail of the area at that time. Another lady in Lincoln sent me photo's of the house my mother was born in, now a toy museum and where I was born. The house where I was born is no longer there, so that was of great interest.
If I have made contact, I have always sent a copy of whatever certificate or cencus that I have, just to show that I am a genuine researcher. Where this has been very helpful is in seeing just how the people in the area would have lived. For instance, in Horncastle at the time of the inn, horse fairs were held with people coming from all over.
Although a very small town, brothels were very evident, so far from being the stylish inn it is now, it was probably a very bawdy place.

[Lillia]

If I was asked to give a bit of constructive advice (I know I'm not, but will all the same), it would be, that if you find an address for someone on your tree, don't be shy about contacting the present owners if the house or shop etc is still there. I did this in my reply a few letters back and was made very welcome.

Very interesting, June, and very good advice too~~Thank you

[Maggie1]

Since Christmas I've been doing a fair bit of my family history. The new released 1911 census has revealed quite a bit as it states the details of the wife i.e. how many years they've been married. How many children she's had and how many have died and still living.
I knew my Grandmother had a few children but didn't realise she had 16 and 9 of them died. From that census I've found all of them and their baptism's and deaths. I have got that family right back to late 1500's but finding that last bit of info has really got me into it again

[Spreckly]

Maggie - is the full 1911 census available on all the genealogy sites now? We've not done anything to our trees for a couple of years now. I have to admit when I want to update, I get a month's subs to an.....ry co.uk.

[Maggie1]

Maggie - is the full 1911 census available on all the genealogy sites now? We've not done anything to our trees for a couple of years now. I have to admit when I want to update, I get a month's subs to an.....ry co.uk.

I use Ances...co.uk all the time. As its hard to get info here. Yes its got the full lot on now. They also do the war records so thats helped as well.

[Spreckly]

Thank you for your reply, Maggie.

[Americanlady]

I too have Irish ancestry. My grandmother, Edna Bruce, was a direct descendant of Robert the Bruce. My nephew has done extensive research into the family history. We have Irish connections through the Grogan and Bracy sides of the family too. It's pretty interesting stuff to some.

[Americanlady]

Lillia, it's good to hear from you again. Several of us were wondering if all was well with you and your husband. Hope it's true. Anyway. welcome back.