Genealogy Chat

Go For it Sarah,
I found a hot match , e.mailed them and found out she was my 1st cousin, she remembered me but I didn't know anything about her or her siblings as I moved away when I was about 5 , we continued e.mailing , xmas cards , and telephoning each other, and then to top it all we met, me and my sister and her and her four sisters in Glasgow in March, it was great we had an instant connection, all because I took a chance .

Good Luck
jean

Go for it, at worst they can only say they're not interested.

While looking for my aunts marriage in the indexes I came across a Louise Tocqueville. Well there aren't many Tocquevilles so I took note of the details and sent for the certificate. (I wondered if it was an illegitamate child of my grandfather) Anyway once I'd got the details I found a death in the USA for her in 2001. From this I got an online obit which gave me all her childrens details. I found one of her daughters in the online US phone book and wrote to her.

It transpired that Louise was the daughter of my grandfathers brother ( a brother I didn't know he had who was born in France)

Louise's daughter gave me loads of family info and a photo of her mum at the age of 7 with her family. She also put me in touch with her cousin in France.

All this because I took the chance.

researching my history I found out that my Grandmother had a son from a second marriage, she had left my grandfather with four children, who incidently all ended up in childrens homes, anyway grandmother had died in 1986 so I wrote to her son (my half uncle) saying that I was researching my family tree & I believed that he was the son of the late........ I explained who I was & said that I would quite understand if he didn't want to get in touch but he did, he wrote back by return of post asking me to telephone him, we had a good long chat as he had no idea that his mother had other children, he hadn't even known that she had been married before until after she died, anyway we keep in touch,he's a lovely man, it's just sad that all his half siblings are all dead & gone now.

Sarah

Do write to your Dad's uncle, by marriage. You've got nothing to lose.

About 2 years ago I discovered my late Irish Mum's cousin, living in Flintshire. Mum's cousin's wife, who lives in the USA had his address but hadn't heard from him in years. After finding him on the Electorol Roll still living at the same address I wrote to him, explained I was researching our family tree, who I was etc and included my phone number.

Boy, was I glad I wrote to him! He phoned me and we had a lovely chat and then he sent me a letter with all of his family details and some photo's too of my Granpops brother..his father. He even sent me a photo of my parents wedding.....but he thought it was my grandpop's as it only had my grandpops name written on the back!

He, Brian that is, never knew that there were so many of us researching our Irish family as for some reason his father never talked about his relations at all, so there must have been some kind of rift in the family back in the 1920's.

Needless to say I've sent Brian all the details I have found out about our Irish family too, just in case any of his children and grandchildren want to know their Irish ancestry.

.

I contacted a distant cousin on Ancestry who is descended from my g g grandfather's brother in Wiltshire. Now we are good friends & I am going to visit her & the family next weekend. May be I was really lucky cos she was so friendly & welcoming!

I haven't done it, but often thought about it. Let us know how you go on.

Maggie.

I would write just stating that you are tracing your family history, and that you appreciate that there may be reasons you don't know about why the family lost contact, but that all you would like to do is find out about your great-gran. Say you would appreciate any help or information he can give.

Give a phone number or email address and also send a stamped addressed envelope.

I have written to a few family members in this way and I always said that if they didn't feel able to help would they please just send the envelope back empty - that way you will know that they actually got your letter and you won't be left wondering whether or not they are going to reply.

I must say that in all cases they got in touch with me.

Kath. x

I wrote to Australia to a distant relation, the letter explained who I was and stating if they did not want to reply then I would understand, They wrote back and I have found out much more about the family. Short and sweet. Hope this helps Sheila

I was wondering what success/problems people have encountered when writing letters to distant family members regarding asking them whether they could be of any help.

I am debating whether to write to my dad's uncle (by marriage). The aunt I have found out died over 10 years ago, but from checking the phone directory, the uncle is still at the same last known address. They lost contact with the family over 20 years ago, and I'm not entirely sure why, my gran appears not to know either.

I would just like the opportunity to talk to someone who remembered my great-gran, as she moved in with them. But I appreciate that I am a stranger, and don't know the history, and if there were any problems.

Has anyone got any advice? Whether it's what to put in a letter, or how to proceed. I would be most grateful.

Thanks, Sarah.