Genealogy Chat

Hello, just thought I would share this spooky story with you. I am lucky to live next to Manchester city centre which has the wonderful Central Library. My sister and I make full use of the library which holds numerous microfilms of many local churches covering the area. Our searches are usually centred around the same churches - Manchester Cathedral, churches in Salford etc. On one particular day, getting nowhere fast, I opened one of the drawers, and felt myself drawn to a particular film. I had looked in this drawer millions of times before. I felt very strongly that I should have a look through this film. (St John, Byrom Street, Deansgate). My sister and I are researching both sides of the family, and so when we hit a brick wall, we have another to concentrate on. As I sat back at the microfilm reader, I joked to my sister "If I find anything in here, somebody or something has led me to it" not expecting for a minute to find any of "ours". After looking through it for some time, I came across a Joseph Tonge marrying an Eliza Jervis - Tonge being one of the names I was looking for. Looking closer, the witnesses were Thomas Tonge and Christiana ??????? (the writing was very hard to make out but looked as though it could be Henderson. The date was 08.02.1829. Very excitedly we came away and started to delve more into this line. Just received my latest birth certificate of Charles Tonge, parents Thomas Tonge and Christiana Henderson!!!! This will take me further back. Myself and my sister were totally spooked out at the events. This chance finding has unlocked lots of possibilities for us. Do you think, for once, instead of having a laugh at all the obstacles they left in our way (wrong names, false ages, moving all over the place, etc etc,) one of mine felt a bit sorry for me and led me to this church??? I would like to think so, what do you all think?

I can feel some spooky stories coming on!

Carol, I think someone felt you needed some help and gently guided your hand. I hope my ancestors are watching over me and will guide me when I am hitting that brickwall. Although, saying that, there have been the odd coincidences... Best of luck Kathy Epsom, SRY

hi carol I think your rellies from beyond are definately giving you a nudge in the right direction. I have recently been to see a clairvoyant medium, just for general stuff, and some of the stuff she came out with was very strange. I am going back in November to have a specific family history session, to see if any of them can tell where on earth they are! Apparently my great uncle Bill who died in WW1 is going to help me , cos he is so pleased that I have found out about him and his memorial, and I have his photo. (come on all you sceptics, you can now tell me how I am a simple minded fool who is being fleeced for their cash! lol - I don't care whether its true or not - I just enjoy it!) Regards Maxine

i too have been to see a tarot reader,because of sceptism! she kept coming up with the name sophia.saying "sophia says it was tb". i dont know of any sophia. but last week i got a new census record and low and behold my grt.grandfathers sister was called sophia,so i done some digging at the records office and she did die of tb!!! im no longer a sceptic...lol

Carol Good story. Some things are just inexplicable and it would be great to think it is our ancestors giving us a hand. Maxine Your session in November sounds fascinating. Keep us posted on that one. And you spend your money on what you like girl! I have been asked by numerous psychics about a Mary on my dads side. I haven't gone far with his side yet so I'm still looking for her. I'm off to see Derek Acorah next week so hopefully he'll have a message for me! Jeanette

Hi Maxine - when you go to the clairvoyant, could you ask for me please? I'll willingly split the cost! Having not much luck with my families - I suspect that most of them were too pickled to generate any vibes (or perhaps it's the other way around!!) Good luck with it anyway - let us know how it goes Jacqui

I too have had a lucky guesses/inspired choices. One rellie was born in 1898 and I had no idea who his parents were. This was back when the 1901 census site kept crashing, so I searched the surname on 1881. One family of four jumped out at me so I printed off their details. When I finally made it to 1901, lo and behold, that family of four turned out to be my rellie's parents and elder siblings!

I went to see a medium just after I started my research. He mentioned a child of about 6 or 8 and I was later told by an uncle that his sister died aged 7 from drinking bleach by mistake! The medium also asked me who the other Margaret was (the person I went with was known to him and her name was Margaret). I didn't know of any other Margaret but later discovered from a baby book my mum put together that my dad's grandmother was supposed to be called Margaret. I have no evidence of this yet and I haven't found her on the 1881 or 1891 census although I found her family including very young children. By 1901 her husband was widowed. I am still trying to find out if the wife's name really was Margaret and where she was on the census nights. Mel

I went to a Staff Conference from work on Thursday at Pontefract Race Course. The same night I was bored, looking through the 1881 census, put in the name of my one of my ancestors. I did finally find one that I hadn't seen before, the address was the Grandstand, Pontefract Park, which is where the racecourse is!! I also went on a day trip to Bridlington with work in July. On the way home we stopped off at a pub, the George and Dragon, in Whitley, a place which I had never been to before. I knew that some of my ancestors were born in Whitley, but found out later that my ggg grandad had been an innkeeper. I am still trying to find out if there is anything to connect him to that same pub. Maggy, West Yorkshire