Find Ancestors

Well said Heather!!

I've only just seen your thread but even this afternoon, I was thinking to myself "I really can't be bothered to reply to yet another person who hasn't even given an approximate date or place of birth!!"

Most of my replies start with either 'Have you checked Freebmd' or 'Approximately where/when was this person born?'

In fact the best one was this afternoon. Someone asked for help finding family, someything like "Help Finding Family Required*. Need to find the family of John, Fred and Joe". When asked for more info, they said,''Well they come from Milton Keynes if that is any help'.

I replied 'Well a surname would be a start...' and we still are waiting fo that surname!

*names and places have been changed to protect the innocent!!

Sam x

...also a small pet hate of mine...

If you DON'T get any reply within say 2 hours, please don't start a fresh post, please nudge the original post... you may have been unlucky and we all either went for a cuppa at the same time or there was a rush of queries and you slipped off the first page fast!

If you must start a fresh post, say for instance you have changed your query, please reference the original thread and let us know whats been proved or disregarded

Thanks x

LOL Jill, I think we all have black lists.

Freebmd is very easy to use and its so much more exciting to find things for yourself. Do remember you need to buy certificates to ensure you are following the correct line. Otherwise you could end up hundreds of years back on a completely wrong one. It happens all the time. Apart from that, who would want just a long list of names without using other facilities to put flesh on the bones.

If you are new, do nip over to the Tips Board and read up on the Thread Tips for Newbies (and other tips threads)- it will give you tips on all the other sources available to find more info on your ancestors.

Please also make sure that you have searched free sites - like FreeBMD - for the info already. And say that you've looked there. It does not go down too well if you "couldn't be bothered" to look for yourself. I don't keep a very long blacklist but I do keep a blacklist ...

You may also find, if you don't come back and check within the hour, that any posters will lose interest and not bother helping further. That is a shame but it will happen!

Please check your thread within a very short time after posting it -- if someone is going to be able to help you, help will usually come within the hour.

And very often, no matter how complete the information you give, further information or confirmation will be needed so that the person(s) helping don't go off on pointless tangents, or search for things you do already know.

x

Oh and please acknowledge/thank those who have spent time and sometimes money looking for the info for you.

Read and bookmark! --

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.asp?wci=thread&tk=717892

"TIPS FOR NEWBIES, PLEASE READ"


Giving all the salient details to start with will ensure that people who answer don't treat you like you're a dunce who wouldn't have actually investigated the obvious before asking for help. ;)

Due to GR's new system, I cant find the previous thread so Ill start another.

People on here are more than willing to help you find ancestors/rellies but so many posters fail to give full details of what they actually know already - this leads helpers to wasting time researching wrong lines or covering information already known.

PLEASE help us to help you by giving ALL the salient details that you know already.