Family trees

Tipsntreats · 29 July 2016 at 12:58PM

I am starting this new thread, as having asked about other peoples experiences. The discussion nearly took over the thread. That was not fair to the others. So, having traced my own family back to the 1700s. Oh I made loads of mistakes, I would like to hear from others. I have a good friend who is a genealogist, so I am a lucky one. However, I found that I am really good at tracing church records. I really hope that we can all share our experiences here.
It is a costly hobby using many of the different sites available, but I found very rewarding anyway.
Tips

SailorSam · 29 July 2016 at 1:34PM

When i started doing a family tree i came to a full stop on my Grandads side. He was born in the 1890s in a workhouse, similar to Oliver Twist. From what i could find out his Mum may have got herself pregnant as a teenager and been thrown out on the street by her parents. I couldn't find any details of who his Dad may have been, and the workhouse has been long gone, so there are no records.

C_J · 29 July 2016 at 1:40PM

I started my genealogy voyage after my Dad died 25 years ago, and it has been totally fascinating.

Mister CJ's family tree was comparatively easy to trace back through parish records, as both sides of his family had lived in the same area for many many generations - but my side was quite complicated.

I discovered lots of incredible things about some of my ancestors (I'm a direct descendant of the Edwards' Millions, and the farmer/minister/architect who built the bridge at Pontypridd), but learned some very sad things too. I haven't done any research for ages but curiously enough sent off last week for my father's RAF records which I'm hoping will prove interesting reading. He never spoke much about his war service (many didn't) and I'm keen to fill in some of those blanks.

THIRZAH · 29 July 2016 at 1:53PM

I was lucky with my family tree as most of my ancestors came from the same part of Cambridgeshire-I didn't even have to go down to look at Church records but just bought them all on fiche from the local family history society. I've managed to trace most branches of the family back to the 1600 or 1700 hundreds. One great-grandmother came from Kent and had a surname that is very common in Kent so I am having more difficulty with that branch of the family.
I've uncovered a couple of scandals -one great great aunt was sent to prison for housebreaking and a several times great grandfather had children with his first wife's niece.

DH's family are mainly Irish and I'm not having much luck tracing his family tree although I have been in touch with a few distant cousins that he didn't know existed and who have sent photos etc.

Tipsntreats · 29 July 2016 at 2:07PM

SailorSam Who told you that workhouse records were destroyed? All birth records had to be registered. The birth would have been registered in the Mothers maiden name. Do not put ANY personal info here. But you can message me privately, and I can ask my genealogist friend to help, if you want? The only clue, to who the Father was, would be looking at the census returns.Could be a lodger or a neighbour? I managed to find a Father this way, and many years later, he did marry her.

C J that is wonderful. I am a descendant of the Huguenots. Have you looked at the one name studies? Do keep in touch.
Tips x

Farway · 29 July 2016 at 2:49PM

Sailor Sam, there may be a clue in the Chritian names of your Grandad, sometimes the father's name is given as a middle name, also works with mother's maiden surname as middle name

I have done reasonably well with mine, mother's side originated in Devon and small villages
Father's side vanishes, well choice of four, on 1841 census for Soho, London, so stuck there at present

Grumpelstiltskin · 29 July 2016 at 4:10PM

SailorSam wrote: »

When i started doing a family tree i came to a full stop on my Grandads side. He was born in the 1890s in a workhouse, similar to Oliver Twist. From what i could find out his Mum may have got herself pregnant as a teenager and been thrown out on the street by her parents. I couldn't find any details of who his Dad may have been, and the workhouse has been long gone, so there are no records.

Sam Some workhouse records have survived even though the buildings may have gone.

Start with this website.

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/

When you find the workhouse he was born in it will tell you if any records have survived and if so where they are.

Problem is if the birth certificate doesn't give a father's name and I guess it won't you can find you can't get any further with the father's line.

There is a slight possibility the mother may have applied to a court for maintenance and the records may have survived but that is a long shot.

Tipsntreats · 29 July 2016 at 4:16PM

This is going great. I am so happy I started this thread. I love to read your stories. x
Remember, a free genealogist that may help. Just going to invite some more over to this thread.
Keep in touch.
Tips x

SailorSam · 29 July 2016 at 4:33PM

Thanks people. The family tree got kicked-into-touch, i haven't looked at it for a few years. I think i'll dig it out and start all over again. The thing that disappointed me when i had a go was........ It's nothing like when they do it on the telly. When the Tv series was on they had all sort of stories about what all the ancestors had done. I had a list of names & dates, and only a little on their backgrounds. 'Cos of that i started writing a sort of life story diary, with tales of me and my more recent family. Our work, schools; what it was like where we lived; even when we had fights. I thought most of it is pretty boring, but someone looking at it in 100yrs time may be glad of it. It's easier now with the Internet.
Tips, i think this is a good idea for a thread.

PasturesNew · 29 July 2016 at 4:49PM

SailorSam wrote: »

When i started doing a family tree i came to a full stop on my Grandads side. He was born in the 1890s in a workhouse, similar to Oliver Twist. From what i could find out his Mum may have got herself pregnant as a teenager and been thrown out on the street by her parents. I couldn't find any details of who his Dad may have been, and the workhouse has been long gone, so there are no records.

Although the workhouse has gone, it's possible she went to court to get maintenance from the father. Check the local Assizes records in the 1-2 months after the baby was born.

It's also possible the local vicar might've made a note, so check the local archives for any Minutes Books for those dates at the church.

PasturesNew · 29 July 2016 at 4:53PM

As you say Tips, it's expensive. I can only work with free weekends and freely available information. I can't afford any of the certificates, so no birth certificates, no marriage certificates, no death certificates.

I've only splashed out once so far - for an index of the Assizes records ... where I found my mother's father's name when granny went to court for maintenance. I'd always been told his surname, but finally had his first name. From that I traced him through the records and all of the information of the man I was tracing in the records matched exactly with the few bits/bobs mum'd told me about who/what he was.... except one tiny detail. She never mentioned (no idea if she knew) he was already married with a child and a wife who wanted a separation PLUS he'd already fathered a previous b4st4rd ... and, who knows, maybe had more after that (he went abroad).

Never found his death as I've no way of ever knowing where he ended up and his name is too common to take any form of a guess.

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Family trees

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