OOoh!! Novelty cakes sound good I know what you mean about frustrating getting nowhere - my Dads side is the bit I'm most interested in - being my surname; but absolute zilch before 1809. I do find trying to do it all online a bit limiting though, and a day up at the Lancashire Record Office wasn't nearly enough! Could have lost myself in there for years!! Has the Bangalore side unearthed anything yet?
Nothing yet,I am waiting for him to tell me how much the churches over there take to do a search of their records, as they won't let anyone else do it. I also believe my grandmother was a little bit shy of the truth when it came to her age, which is posing more problems.
I empathise with her-I've been 29 for years :D :D Does make it difficult though :( Must be really frustrating to have to hand the search over to someone else - that'd drive me mad!!
I have done a little research, not much, only got back as far as 1800-1810. Don't know if I am a direct decendent of a highway robber by the name of James Godbolt who was tried at the Old Bailey in 1771 and sentenced to death, but as he was short like me, it's possible! :D http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/html_units/1770s/t17710911-7.html
Check out the asian genealogy web site http://www.rootsweb.com/~asiagw and its links - you may get lucky. My mother's maternal family came from Ceylon - and I was not looking forward to that research - but found a researcher there - and through his research I'm back to the 17th century. Bless him for sharing his work - and I was able to add to it.
I remember that years ago you could write to Somerset House to get info on your family, but this does not exist any more. Where does one write to now? My oldest grandson is doing a project in school call The Family Tree. We have some information on both the British and the German sides, but we need more. I'd be grateful for any help.
That is a very big question and it has a complex answer. To get started - go to this website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/get_started/family_history_overview_01.shtml
As its for your sons school project then the main information sources to find information on ancestors is: 1. Your living relatives, who can provided invaluable help in respect of families, names and such. 2. Census information - there has been a population census every 10 years since 1841. Names addresses, ages, birth places and family in the residence. 1841 to 1901 are now available. There has to be a 100 year gap between the census and becoming part of the public domain. 3. Birth, marriage and death records - there are held both in the registration district and the National Archives. Each record is indexed so there is a need to know either the index details, or the exact date and name. Copies of records can be bought or you can go to the National Archives and search for and view them. 4. Parish records. Registration of births etc only really occurred after 1838, prior to that there was only the handwritten parish records, and of course grave yards :D Scotland has most of their records on line - and they can be accessed at a price. Hope that helps with your sons project a little.
You could also try the IGI online, which is a good free site compiled by the Mormons. It's by no means complete but worth a go.
Hello Fran yes very interesting and so happy for you to be able to carry on your Dads tracing. My own dad had been in th emiddle of tracign the Burns family tree and then he sadly took his stroke so for 11yrs tried so hard with him to try to get info from him. Not to be and sadly dad no longer here. We were at a family reunion on my h side. My sons wed page is wwwbittrees.com He did a presentration for them to add family name on to his web site for each family member of ur surname only would have a password to get into his site to add their own info and family history photos. this also go tme thinking to try an dfinish what my own Dad started and now with the passing also of my brother on my own. I did not enjoy history at school but family history is so much different and its the wondering of what people did or clothes they wore just everything. Has there every been a post of old black and white photos of the past (people)on GC.
I've started my husbands family tree but not got very far yet. A cousin did my sides family tree and was very enthusiastic when he found connections to some duke or other but put the research to one side when he found a sheep stealer in the branches. I believe he has now resumed his investigations. Did find out one or two interesting skeletons on M-in-L's side. I have my grandmothers wedding certificates. it would appear that she married the same man twice in two weeks! Any ideas why? It was during the first world war, would this have any bearing on it?
OOh that's interesting Celia! Was it at the same church or different ones? Was her husband in the Forces? Never had any of mine marry twice in such a short space of time, but have had one marry before and after her hubby went off to war, but that was 10 years apart!!
Skotcat - you do it, there's so much you can find out on line now. My father had died by the time I took it up - but he had made a good start. Interestingly when going through his papers a lot of blanks in his life were filled in, as he didn't talk to me about the war - and there was his log book and photograph albums. A letter to the Services produced his service record and chat to pilot friend of mine fleshed it out. Unfortunately destroyed a couple of my mother's family memories, as they weren't accurate - but twas and is really interesting. For instance some of her ancestors, signed the Capitulation Treaty to the British in Colombo Ceylon.
I started doing my tree a couple of year ago, I also hit a brick wall on my fathers father, I have his marriage certificate and death certificate but cannot trace his birth certificate, as you all probably know, they often used different names also they lied a lot about their age. On my mothers side I linked up with someone through Friendsreunited whose tree intercepted mine, turns out that my GGG grandfather was one of 12 childred 6 of whom emergrated ot Utah, one of them DeGrasse Webb was a founder member of the Mormons. A very frustrating, costly but adictive hobby that I would love to spend more time on.
Good gracious, how fascinating. As you say highly addictive, and I know what you mean about ages, though I've not come across many people who called themselves different names - however did run into trouble when people of the same surname married - great occupation on a rainy winters day :D
