family trees and roots

[Deleted User]

I thought that I would start looking for my paternal roots as I have no knowledge whatsoever, having a father from Poland who fought in the Polish army from 1939 to 1947. He was exiled and couldn`t return home and never spoke about the dreadful times he had, fighting his way through Normandy up to Germany.

What a long time-consuming journey this is. £10 here and there £30 elsewhere etc. So expensive and also very emotional

What I am saying is maybe, if you are contemplating doing the same, have a think re the costs in money and in emotions. I have learnt that my gentle kind father had to battle his way out of Falaise probably with bayonets and he never ever got to see his parents and two siblings again before they died. Very sad stuff and it keeps me awake when I think about it.

Sometimes it is best not to know about the past when it is so personal

Farway

What you say is so true, however without researching it you can never know if your ancestors times were good or bad, you really do have to keep an open mind and try not to get too emotional about somethings turned up

One of mine was a pauper in Devon, apprenticed at 8 years old to local Rector, had boots & trousers provided by the parish and was blind by the time of the 1861 census, however his son became a shoemaker, Methodist preacher and shoe shop owner

Really was rags to riches, and demonstrated how lives can change for either better or worse

Another had fare paid by parish to go to Australia, sounds like he was bit of a yob, fined for throwing stones at old man and parish was glad to be shot of him

Finished up as pillar of community in Australia, another preacher, but old habits die hard, fined for driving carriage where forbidden

Another distant relative was Milvina Dean, the youngest survivor of the Titanic, who died recently, who my duaghter & I met last year

Just shows really how the research is essential and who knows what may turn up

Whiteknight

I have been researching my family tree for just over twelve months and yes I would agree that it can be an emotional journey but one that I am glad that I started and only wish I had started my research when some of my older relatives were still alive.

TravellingAbuela

I know what you mean Whiteknight. I have been researching various lines of my Tree for a couple of years and time and time again I have cursed myself for not asking questions when there was still someone to ask!! Suddenly I am the eldest surviving member of my family! Eeeek! :eek:

I have had some emotional upsets along the way. One thing upset me so much that I just lost interest for a good six months. But it's all in the past now and no amount of worrying is going to change anything.

scotsbob

Not sure about expensive and time consuming.

Anyone can go to the Registry Office and go back to 1832 in a couple of hours. I doubt the current fee is any more than a few pounds.

The town where I live has just set up an ancestry research place and the maximum charge is £10 and that includes assistance from the staff there.

Farway

scotsbob wrote: »

Not sure about expensive and time consuming.

Anyone can go to the Registry Office and go back to 1832 in a couple of hours. I doubt the current fee is any more than a few pounds.

The town where I live has just set up an ancestry research place and the maximum charge is £10 and that includes assistance from the staff there.

The expense arises if you do not live where your ancestors lived, so if living in Hants no point visiting Winchester records for Exeter

And access to Registry records is only by fiche at library here, and that is just the idices, not full records as on certifiacate, so more expense sending for certificates at about £7 a pop, some registry offices may assist, others just will not

Mojisola

https://www.rootschat.com is a free site with lots of experienced family historians ready to offer help and advice.

You can get a lot of information through the family history centres of the Church of the Latter Day Saints - https://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp

Their website can be searched online.

There's also https://www.freebmd.org.uk/

Most libraries have assess to https://www.ancestry.co.uk and you can search for lots of information on it.

It does get more expensive when you start to send for certificates but you can find out lots in other places.

Liz33

Any one know the best way to search in Ireland i understand that a lot of there records have been lost i have be thinking about doing this for a while now?

milla

You might find this helpful

http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_start.php

scotsbob

Farway wrote: »

The expense arises if you do not live where your ancestors lived, so if living in Hants no point visiting Winchester records for Exeter

And access to Registry records is only by fiche at library here, and that is just the idices, not full records as on certifiacate, so more expense sending for certificates at about £7 a pop, some registry offices may assist, others just will not

Sorry to hear that, but it doesn't apply in my area.

Maybe you need to have a word with your local council/registry office/library or whoever runs the show where you are

Lulubelle17

Have just enrolled on an evening class to get started on tracing a family tree, so reading all these threads was interesting.Only hope I haven't left it too late, as others have found! It must be extremely interesting to find out who and what kind of people your relatives were, but yes I can understand how difficult some revelations have been to understand. I have been warned..thanks folks!