Find Ancestors

I joined GR some 5 weeks ago, a total novice but very interested in building my family tree. I am now on a pension and live in Australia so all my research has to be on the net. Whilst browsing through GR in my early days I noticed lots of lovely people offering to do lookups. I took advantage of these offers, not for the free ride but because I really did not know where to go. I received a lot of help from Mary and Jess and to these two guys in particular I would like to say a very special thankyou, I love you both. However I now have browsed and read a lot of the messages and gleaned a lot of info on where to go to find the information myself, and might I say with some success. My point I suppose is to show that there are probably a lot of members in this early predicament and rely (possibly too much sometimes) on the generosity of others when it is offered. Being on the pension I can't afford to join too many of the other sites but I tried a couple. So if I get stuck, with your blessing (and in the words of Arnie) I'LL BE BACK..................................... MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY FROM DOWNUNDER.............. and thanks for winning the Ashes at last, life has been intolerable in the past few years for us ex Pats when the Oz/Poms matches were on. Norm

I think this needs nudging up again for somebody who keeps making this kind of request. Kate.

with regard to 1837 credits, when i first started doing my tree, over a period of months i have downloaded every quarter of every year, Birth, Death and Marriage form 1837 to 1982 for the name BETTS, cost a fortune, but it still keeps throwing up new family.

Nicola, From the sound of you as a person, I very much doubt that anyone had you or anyone like you in mind when they wrote all these assorted disparaging comments. Some people LOVE this hobby and they enjoy helping others. Some people need a push and a bit of help in the right direction. They may need help reading census sheets etc. These are NOT the people that I was talking about. I'm talking about the people who come on here because they are too crafty and mean to pay for their own genealogy. As another poster said, when I CAN'T afford to pay for my own genealogy, I would wait until I COULD afford it. I wouldn't dream of asking anyone to subsidise ME. As they so rightly said - your ancestors aren't going anywhere - what's the rush? Lookups on Ancestry are fine because if you have a subscription it doesn't really cost anything to help others - only a bit of time. I enjoy doing this myself; but I prefer to pick and choose whom I help. When people take it upon themselves to PM me asking me to do their research for them, that is quite another matter! 1837 online credits aren't cheap, but I have never had one of my credits expire because when I purchase them, I need each and every one of them. You get far more thrill doing your own research than getting others to do it for you. No I am not talking about the genuine people who love sharing and enjoying this hobby with others. I am talking about a few parasites on these boards who will take the p**s if you let them. It's an expensive hobby. If you can't afford it - wait until you can, but don't expect kind-hearted others to pay for your pleasure. Cheers, Horatia

well jess i have just paid for a years subscription on ancestry and its great to be able to look up things for yourself & help other people if you can - but sometimes you still have to ask for some help if you get stuck, and some people like myself, do very much appreciate the help this site & people on it give you - dont tie everybody with the same brush because i myself, and i'm sure alot of others do appreciate that this kind of hobby DOES cost.

I was trying to find the death of one of my own rellies a while back - my grandfather's grandfather. I have a photo of them together when my grandad was about 2. He was born in 1909, so I started searching in 1911. I eventually found gr-gr-grandad in 1930! He was nearly 90yrs old. You can't do that for others though. I will look on the Familyrelatives site before 1920, cos I usually end up losing my credits on there because of the expiry. Helen

Jess, Well said! I am amazed how people are sooooo helpful on here when you can obviously see that many people are total freeloaders (by this I mean they have no intention of helping anyone else). Looking up on Ancestry is one thing if you have a subscription (I have and have been happy to help) but anyone requesting 1837 online look ups very rarely gets a response from me. I have an enormous family tree and I need every one of those credits. Besides, I feel if people are TOO helpful these people will never learn how to research these things themselves. I LOVE the concept of helping people in genealogy; but there are too many parasites on GR and they are starting to pollute the place and annoy! I had to change my user name because someone PM'd me asking for free help (what a bloomin' cheek). Genealogy seems to bring out the BEST and WORST in people. Cheers, Horatia

The only annoying thing I've found on here is when someone says they have searched all the censuses online and cannot find so-and-so - they give the name, place and birth year etc - and you think you are in for a hard slog trying to help trace the person down, but when you enter the details on Ancestry they pop up straight away and you think to yourself 'hold on...did this person actually look this up or was it a ploy to get someone else to do it for them..?' Even worse is when they don't even come back to thank you! Still, on the whole the people I've helped have been genuine and I've made some friends through it and really don't mind helping out as I've got a full subscription to Ancestry and various other sites. In return, some people have helped me with a few 1837 searches, for which I was very grateful and I try to be as precise as possible with dates. I would say to those with 1837 credits - if someone is asking on the boards for a look-up with a very wide year range - just don't do it - unless you're happy to use up lots of leftover credits. After all, none of us on here is obligated to search for anyone if we don't want to. Leah

Looks as though somebody didn't get the message... Kate.

It does make sense to look at all the resources you can, but so many do not they exist, especially if your just starting your family tree.Please look and learn through the numerous threads on here, they are so helpful. I have helped a few with request help, but recently not as much, there are freeloaders that want you to do there research for them, can I just say, it's so much more personal and fun to do it yourself. Good luck! Heather

A good point raised Jess, I would just like to add my thanks to the people (Including Mary) who have so very kindly helped me in my search. I do hope I haven't over abused anyone's generosity, I do at least try all avenues first, which is the least any of us can do. Christine

Hear,hear Jess . There are now so many freeloaders on this site expecting to get all their lookups done for nothing whilst providing only scanty info to go on. Eg can you look for XXXXX on 1901 in XXXXX ,her son was born in 1930s!!!!! Obviously expects a Christmas miracle!!!!! Had this yesterday in a PM. Mary

I have a family member who we are having trouble finding details as no body can remeber Philip Le Couture Kicke born 1866 Newport ,Gwent(monmouthshire) married? had children we know of 1 another philip le couture kicke born 1918. Any details would be helpful.Amanda

I quite agree with regards to your comments on people either not realising that certain lookups are not for free or they do not want to dig deep into their own pockets. I will put my hand up as a person that has on occasions asked for a lookup that I know is not free, bearing in mind that if no one wants to help there will be zero replies. I do make sure that my request which I have researched extensively requires limit rummaging. The only reason I ask for help is when I have run out of credit and the last snippet of imformation would required just one credit - bearing in mind I sometimes run out of units whilst looking for others - always give back what sks has made available to me - to them I am very grateful. Lin

I do agree with you. I must admit that I've done some look ups for people who are very grateful and as others had done look ups for me I wanted to give something back. I've made one or two friends along the way and that's been good as well. I've also got a very bored (retired )Dad who likes to spend his time in the PRO on wet days and he has been briliant. He even got some fan mail from one delighted lady. There is unfortunately a very small element that does abuse peoples kindness - I thought they perhaps didn't know how long it can take to do a search in the PRO or what is can cost on 1837. I've spotted one or two people who seem to take advantage of others good nature and now I don't respond to their requests. Sad I know but I think if you know of a serial offender this is probably the best way to deal without causing any embarrasment. Trish :)

nudged

I quite agree, Jess. I am surprised how many people post up a request for this kind of thing, and how many people do the lookups instead of just telling them how to use 1837 online etc. Though I did a few the other day to use up some credits that were about to expire.... Kate.

When all said and done, doing your family tree is a hobby. If you collected stamps or anything else you would expect to pay for the stamps etc. So, why do people think they can do their family tree for free? If I can't afford to send for a cert or cannot afford credits on 1837 online etc. or Ancestry to look up the census (which is so cheap over the year), then I wont ask others to use their money for me. I will wait until I can afford it. After all, these people are long dead, they aint going nowhere. Margaret

Jess, I feel I must agree 100% with what you have said ( and how well you have said it ! ) I just wish people would do a little research on what is available and where. I accept that some poeple don't realise the cost of things but some do !!...... Esta

Here here Jess ......... There has been toooo many people asking for look ups after 1910 ... expecting it to be FREE ... but not realising that it does cost. Elaine :-)