Genealogy Chat

I can agree with people wanting to have the fun of their own research, but fancy turning down family portraits, letters, funeral cards, newspaper clippings - you'd never find that lot yourself. So may people burned/chucked that sort of stuff years ago. It's not all doom and gloom a very removed cousin and I are in touch and we have shared all our memoribilia and I was able to provide her with the exact time of the birth of her Gt Grandfather, funeral card, letters - she sent me some wonderful stuff abouth the New Zealand branch, so it wouldn't put me off seeing how things go. Jacquie

Swapping photos means giving your email address to someone you don't know and receiving attachments that take a long time to download. Me, I'm thrilled to bits to get a photo. I now know which ancestor is to blame for my less than perfect looks! But I can understand people being wary, or having less than sympathetic partners who hog the computer and don't want old junk downloaded. I have finally bought myself a scanner, so I can return the favours and the HUGE cardboard box is taking up a large chunk of my office. I can hardly wait to take it home and play! B

Hi Jacqui - I have had this problem too. I have sent off packets of stuff to people who were very enthusiastic to start with when they wanted something but did not even bother to say that they received it. I know that everyone doesn't have quite the same level of enthusiasm but if they are not willing to help other people with their research they should not ask for help in the first place. It is really annoying and only common courtesy. I think that some people are only interested in adding another batch of names to their tree. This is really sad as they are missing out on the more interesting bits.

Hi Jacquie Not everyone is like that. Ive made a really good friend off this site who has sent me some copies of wills of my Chryst rellies that i never knew exsisted and copies of some original marriage and death certificates. In return i have sent her copies of all the certificates i have. I have had some negative things too but not all are bad. Regards, Claire

If people are not going to be bothered to get in touch why spend your time doing something like this? I love researching my family and my partners family, even though looking for Harrisons in Durham is a Headache. Looking at my mothers side has been really good fun, and I have spent many a sunday afternoon walking round cemetaries thanks to my mums knowledge only to get back home and tell her got the gravestone and mum telling me there was another gravestone round the corner from that one! I really enjoy it! cant wait for the summer! Dont worry Jacqui, chin up carry on!

Half the fun is hunting your ancestors, if you give them all then the fun goes out of it. Maybe if you only let them have a bit at a time that would would keep them interested. When I first started I met a 3rd Cousin we share the same gg grandfather, never met him before but we do stay in touch now. We compared our trees and found they were the same, as he had already check them out that saved me a job. Another on my husbands side offered me the tree but I wanted to find them myself and he sent his to me when I had done it just to compare. Ok if you hit a brick wall that would be handy but when I think of all the fun I have had travelling and meeting distant relatives I wouldn't change it at all. So fellow researchers don't give it all at once leave them something to find and enjoy as well. Irene

Some family do help one of my family gave me pictures of my grandparents with my dad and his brothers and sister on it and another with my gr granmother which I never had before now my sisters and brothers want a copy. If you were my relation I would help no problem

Hi Jacquie Just spoke to my uncle about his mum and dad as he is the eldest remaining member on my mums side & he cant remember anything, My dads only remaining brother thinks its a game and keeps throwing me red herrings, And then like you I have living relatives who are doing their family trees & once they have found out what info I have for them dont speak, But what the heck I am doing it for me & I love it, lol Happy hunting Neil

Jacquie.. I wish you were my rellie...lol You have to remember that not all are as nuts as us about our past. If I have a good nights research and get a result, however small I have to tell someone...ANYONE! The guys at work say...."oh no! she's off again!"....lol Enjoy your hobby Jacquie. Same as I do and everyone else on here. Keep searching... Gerri :)))

I had made contact with definate relative (she's the daughter of my Grandad's cousin), I gave her some information about her Gt Grandad and opened my tree to her (the lines that interest her go back to 1500's) I suggested we could swap piccies if she like - I could have given her some prints of her Gt Gt Grandparents etc. What do you recon - got no reply after her initial email!!! I'd bite someones hand off if they offered to do me some free piccies of some of my relatives - as we've no pictures of some people in the family at all. I've shut my tree to her now. It's a funny world! Jacquie