Genealogy Chat

Have read several success stories on the success board on how people have only been a member or reseaching for a few months and have thousands of people in their database. I joined Ancestry earlier this year and have spent nearly every waking hour on the computer since. I have sent off for dozens of certificates and haven't added anyone to me tree who I cant PROVE belongs to me......I have several hundred people in my tree and have hit brick walls all round......Thing is I KNOW that my tree is correct.....I am sure that people just add in ancestors willy nilly, but I cant help feel a bit fed up at the mo.....sorry moan over and back to hitting my head against those walls!!! Fuzzy

Don't get depressed. You're doing it the correct way. I'm sure some people subscribe to Ancestry, search on a name and then add everyone with that name to their tree without checking any of them out. You can't possibly get thousands of names in a couple of months and verify them all. Kath. x

Dont feel depressed .I,ve only added to my tree anyone i can verify only have about 142 on my tree at the mo but i know they are all OK. Got brickwalls anyway for some not registered at birth and German paternal ancesters that i cant go any further back on cos dont know where they wre born & thats only my paternal grt grandads familiy. You dont have to compete with anyone its your tree to build as you want

Hi Kath and Shirley Thanks for that, I suspected that I was going about it the right way, but as I haven't found any new info for around a month now I was getting a bit down. Will be heading off to the surrey history centre when the kids go back in search of pre 1837 rellies born in Carshalton....fingers crossed!! Fuzzy x

You so right Liz, people on this site are absolutely wonderful and I feel as if I have made some real friends. I think it is quite common as you say to have a barren stage where no info turns up, it is just so frustrating when you put in hours and hours and come up with nothing! I have resorted to helping others on the site with their trees and I must admit I get an awful lot of pleasure out of it. Fuzzy x

Hi Liz, I couldn't work out how people were so quick to start with, until I realised they were cutting and pasting and not typing like the clappers!! Luckily I used to work in computers so good at that if not the genealogy LOL. Fuzzy x

Thanks for that Bel, I know you are right about having a few true ones and i will keep at it. Fuzzy x

Bless you Liz, hope your research takes off again soon too, good luck with the meeting. Fuzzy x

Don't worry, Fuzzy. I have 1792 people on my tree, but it is mine and my OH's joined together, so I would guess that about 1000 are mine. (Also, some of them are on there twice for marrying their cousin or whatever.) And I have been spending every waking hour (when the kids aren't hogging the computer!) at this for, oh, about 2 years! Or is it three? So don't worry. It's the quality, not the quantity, that matters. And as for brick walls, on one branch I haven't even got past my paternal grandmother (well, she was German.) Then there is the Irish branch which I have got nowhere with either... but of course, one day there will be a breakthrough! Don't forget that more stuff is coming online all the time. Those people with thousands added to their tree in a few months have not researched them themselves, so their trees are probably a load of rubbish. Kate.

Thanks kate, I know I am impatient and 6 months in this business is nothing, my friends describe me as being like a terrier with a bone (very flattering) and not letting go of anything, or giving up on anything. I think the problem is that in this tree building lark no matter how many hours you spend on it and however hard you try some relatives do not want to be found and this is what I find so hard to take!! Normally if I am doing a project I put in my all and end up with a good result, doing this nothing is guaranteed. Still she says pouring another glass of wine as the stir fry is burning in between pouring the wine and nipping back to the tips board, I will not give up!! Fuzzy x

Wrong priorities here somewhere. Genealogy is top of the pile but food comes first. The very thought of burning a stir-fry makes me shiver, apart from the blue haze in the kitchen. J