Genealogy Chat

This is to encourage you in those dark moments when you feel you are getting nowhere - persevere. When I started properly researching my family tree, my Mum was very encouraging and supportive and told me lots of useful [and sometimes inaccurate] info. I kept her informed about progress and stayed a weekend going through some family papers and [unlabelled!] photos which weren't much use. Then I mentioned before my Easter visit that I'd like to see any certificates she might have, and on my arrival, she showed me a very old portable writing desk. It contained my grandfather's war medals and [on the other side of the family - labelled photos and the rent agreement for a shop my dad's family kept in Stoke Newington in 1916]. We got to discussing the first world war and how my grandfather had met my grandmother after they'd become penpals while he was in the army. My mother then produced a stout Harrods fruit box containing 100s of letters my grandfather had written to my grandmother 1918-1923. Wow! You can imagine how fantastic that was. BUT - later that evening, when I'd gone home, my brother began cleaning my granddad's medals, which got my Mum wondering where my dad's war medals from WWII were. So she had a search and found them - and while searching she came across an old box which she thinks she took home when her mother [grandmother who received the letters] went into a nursing home. She had never opened it and had forgotten all about it! Inside is a copy of my great-great uncle's will, in which he names a raft of relatives I didn't know existed, more letters and certificates! Now my Mum has been helping me for about 2 years and had never remembered this box, and wouldn;t have found it if she hadn't looked for my dad's medals, which she wouldn't have done if we hadn't found my grandad's medals, which we wouldn't have done if I hadn't happened to ask if she had any certificates I hadn't seen! So just keep on keeping on!

Helen - I personally know of another few members of GC having major breakthroughs on their trees over Easter . What a treasure trove you have there - enjoy every second of looking through it and savour it all she

Helen I know just how you feel, these are now real people, not just names. I too now have copies of letters my g grandparents wrote to their cousins in the USA, but for finding this cousin I would never have got these letters, she also included copies of other letters from distant relatives so I had been given in one go so many names I have lost track. But that does not make up for losing pictures of my granddad, my Mum's cousin who is elderly said I could have copies this was a few years ago so I thought last year I would phone and ask if I could get copies of them. Only to be told they have all gone she had moved and could not take them all with her. So now they are in a land fill somewhere and I will never get those copies. Granddad died when mum was 5 in WW1 but I do have one picture of him with his Boar war medals. Just wish I had thought to ask sooner. So everyone don't put off asking for copies of pictures, get them before its to late. Irene

Irene What a shame - I also think about all the old personal stuff my relatives must have had that they have parted with. I think my grandmother held on to so much family stuff because she was an only child and had no siblings who would share it. Now I am typing up my grandfathers' letters I only wish I had her side of the story too. Mustn't ask for the moon, I have the stars! My Mum also unearthed some old photos, some of which we could identify, but some we had no idea - they could be friends, relatives, or left-overs from my grandfather's frame shop. So another tip would be - label all photos. I got mum to jot down names and dates straight away, and I have tried to do the same with my current photos.