Genealogy Chat

Been speaking to my aunt this evening, about her great aunt who was a WW1 widow, & as I have come up against a massive brick wall on another line, thought I would distract my self by looking for this poor fellow. Armed only with his surname, I searched C'wealth War Graves Com site. First checked all Burts who served with Dorset Regt, but nothing even gave me a clue, so as an after thought checked other regts (eg RE, RM) & as I was chatting on the phone, only half paying attention to the screen, he leapt out of the page at me, or rather the first thing I actually saw was his wife's name & address! But the bizzarre incident doesn't end there, William Edward Burt, husband of Ellen Burt of 208 Shapwick, Dorset died 88 years ago to this very day & is buried in Suffolk. How terribly, terribly sad. I wonder if Ellen ever got to visit his grave. The couple were childless, despite having been married for 4 years, & Ellen never remarried. She lived on in the village, until her death, I believe in the 1960s, with her spinster sister Kate, who had lost her fiance in the war too. His name, sadly is lost in the sands of time. Just had to tell some one, as no one here is that interested! Thanks for listening! LIZ

Elizabeth I had something similar the other day. I'm staying with rellies at the moment and went to the crem to put flowers on the grave of a schoolfriend who died when she was 19, 15 years ago this week. I happened to pass the War Memorial, stopped to have a look and found a name that matched my ggrandfather. Knew it wasn't him cos he didn't die till 1935 but was curious. Had a look up done on the board and it's my ggrandfather's son, Grannie's brother and no-one, not even my dad, knew he existed. I've been onto the National Archives site and downloaded his medal card. Tragically his body was never recovered so he has a memorial plaque at Tyne Cot Cemetary in Belgium. It's lovely when you find someone like that but very sad as well, especially the thought that they never got to give him a proper funeral and would have never had the opportunity to visit his memorial. No-one here is that interested too, other than Dad. I've printed off the info about Tyne Cot to show him when I see him over the weekend and although Dad's disabled, I'm hoping to get up to the war memorial with him too so he can see his Uncle's name on it Lou

This sounds silly but I sometimes wonder if we find them when they want to be found. Heather

Thanks Mea I was a bit worried about saying that, lol. Heather

It reassures me about my brick wall! We cannot find a birth for my mum's grandmother, & I just keep reassuring myself that one day she will turn up, when more info comes on line, or (& I agree with Heather on this one!) just when SHE is ready to reveal herself, so to speak! I keep reading about people who have been doing this for over 30 years. I can't wait that long- I want to know it all now!

There are some people who would never be remembered if it were not for us fanatics! In my search for my "lost" grandmother, I happened upon her brother Thomas. b. 1891. He is recorded on the cwgc site---Thomas Shipley, s/o James and Bertha. Address given was in Liverpool! The family were from South Shields, but Thomas and other members of the faimily had moved to Liverpool. I have his death cert and his burial. If I had not researched his sister Daisy, he would have been forgotten as he never married. Do not forget the unmarried brothers and sisters---they too have a story.

Hi Elizabeth I pleased for you, makes you wonder!! Hope I get to the bottom of my brickwall!! soon

Hi, I think you're right they pop up when they want to!! I was always told the story of my grandmothers brother dying in WW1, but until today was unable to trace him. Getting bored hitting brick walls on other lines, I thought I'd have a go, and lo and behold on the British Legion roll of honour for Northamptonshire, there he 'pops up' Trudy

I am sure you are right - they pop up when they want to. Sick to death of not finding my 2 x Grandfather, I said to my brother, lets forget him and concentrate on another line. (We had been looking for 5 years!). The same week, I was idly trawling Lancsbmd - and his elusive marriage popped up! The same week too, my brother was looking at Death Records for someone else - there was his death! (Neither of these Events, incidentally, appear on the GRO index, how odd). I sent for the death certificate, which arrived 106 years to the very day that he had died! The marriage certificate arrived, showed he had been previously married - we didnt know that. Something inspired a wild guess at this first marriage, I sent for a cert - it is right! A pure guess on my part, or was it? Now, if he will only tell me where to look for his Baptism....

Pauline, If you just type in cwgc, it will bring up the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, amongst others. That is the one you are looking for. Paul

My son went to belguim last month for 11/11. He visited lots of War Memorials, Museums and was at the Menin Gate for the last post. He found the experience very moving. On his return journey I rang his mobile to tell him I had located His Gggrandad Benjamin Langford on the cwgc. He was actually buried in Essex Farm Cemetary, one of the Cemetarys my son went to visit. You can imagine all our dissapointment. So close yet so far as they say. I wish I had searched earlier. My son is hoping to go again next year and this time he will be ready!! Sue

Marjorie Reverse psychology do you think? You gave up looking for him so he came to find you. I'll have to try that with some of mine, lol. Heather

Liz I am with you on this one. My gt Uncle really captured my attention, don't know why as he was killed in WW1, and as everyone says don't expect too much when it comes to WW1 records, and who's was there? I was talking to my friend and just looked at the screen and Yeah it was his records! but ironically, and don't know why again, I definately feel he was really my gt grandad, but do not know anything about his fiancee Jen. Will never know the truth now. But feel , gut, fate, instinct, all have a part in this research! Good luck everyone and hope you all have a brill Christmas Kim

Very sad story, and yes we are interested!! ;-) A friend died a year ago last Thursday. She was 19. It's weird. I don't like to look at the FriendsReunited page for my school cos she's still on there, like she's still about, but she's not.

The most memorable breakthroughs come when you least expect them. My gt-gt-gt-grandfather's family were solidly rooted in the village of Hackleton in Northamptonshire. Last week, at a loose end, I entered Hackleton and their surname into Google and top of the list appeared a RootsWeb message asking for information about the very family I wanted. Now I am in contact with one of his gt-grandsons who lives in Australia and has been able to provide me with no end of information about various lines of his descendants, as well as extending the line back definitely one generation, possibly four. And I have finally found someone else who has an interest in the box of 19th century photographs which my grandmother hoarded so carefully :-)