8 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

Does anyone here know much about their family History?

i'm ashamed to admit I don't but I'm going to investigate.

Anyone with interseting stories?

[Sarum]

I know very little beyond grandparents I must admit - up my mother's side we have a fair few records because my maternal grandparents did some investigating but much much less is known on my paternal grandfather's side. Hardly anything.

I do however know that at least three of my grandparents helped in the Second World War - one was in the army medical corp, one worked on the ground in the RAF and my Nan did bus conducting - I've got a picture of her - in Birmingham. I also know I have a history on the sea with relations in the merchant and royal Navy. I know I've had at least one relation somewhere up the line who ended up in the workhouse!

[alissejay321]

I dont know much at all. My pternal grandfater fought in WWII and was Help captiveby the Germans (I Think) When he got freed, they took his name and totally misheard him which resulted in our family name being changed. he cannot remember his original name in order to trace back our family.

[Remembrance]

My father, my grandmother and my grandfather are all very much into family history, and all have collected stories for many years by now. And when my parents married they started researching my mothers side.

When I was about twelve they started introducing it to me, and loving history, I throughly enjoyed reading stories about my ancestors. And there are quite a few interesting ones.

My grandmother and her family are from Germany, and my great grandmother actually wrote her memoirs of the second world war, and my grandmother also wrote what happened to my great grandfather who fought in the German army. My grandfather and his side of the family is from Denmark, and have worked hard on genealogy for many years. I had always thought that that side was purely danish, but not that far back there were gypsy ancestors, and English. Also really, really far back were also some Russians and other random nationalities.

But to my families great surprise, it was my mothers unexplored side of the family that proved to be the most interesting on. As far as I know it is purely danish. Her uncle was a freedom fighter in Denmark during second World War. If you go further back in time, her family name actually came from a succession of priests in the local church, which took upon themselves the name of the town in which they served. Her family we have been able to trace really, really far back, and there are loads of cool stories about her family!

[historygirl]

it is very embarrassing but i do not know anything about my family tree. does anyone know a site which might be able to find out?

[MrJohnDClare]

http://www.genuki.org.uk/gs/ gives advice on how to go about it.

I would avoid the commercial websites.

Finally, try your local Mormon Church - they will be able to advise you how to use their records to trace your immediate ancestors.

[Remembrance]

http://www.genuki.org.uk/gs/ gives advice on how to go about it.

I would avoid the commercial websites.

Finally, try your local Mormon Church - they will be able to advise you how to use their records to trace your immediate ancestors.

My family are Mormons which partly explains why we know so much about our family history. Mormons believe that family history is very important.

Also if you want help with studying your family history, their are usurally always loads of books at the libraries, also for beginners like me.

[Thích Quảng Đức]

My Grandfather was put in concentration camps in Poland such as Sobbibor and Auschwitz during World War II, and he was one of the rare people that survived. He was a few days from dieing when he saw tanks to come and free them. He's my hero, and he's still alive today. I need to ask him loads of questions about it because when he dies I'll definitely regret not asking him more about it, he's one of the last real sources to tell the world what the camps were like. I'm a bit apprehensive of asking him though, as he's been interviewed on TV about it before and he broke down crying during the interview.

[Mr. D. Bryant]

Does anyone here know much about their family History?

I know this all began a long time ago, as it were, but I thought this thread was worth updating.

Mr. Clare's advice was:

I would avoid the commercial websites.

Nowadays these sites can be fantastically helpful in finding information, but you usually have to pay an annual subscription, so best to leave this until you are earning enough money. Fortunately, there is a huge amount of free information on the internet. Not all of it is necessarily accurate, but it saves an awful lot of time and effort.

However, as mentioned in some of the posts mentioned on this thread, there is one great free source of priceless information: your own family. This is especially true during the holiday season when many families get together. So, now is the time to start taking notice of what your grandparents say when they are reminiscing about the 'old days'. Or finding out if Uncle Fred or Auntie Doris (other aunts and uncles are available) remember what life was like during the Second World War, for example. Your parents will also have a lot of useful information, even if they haven't done any research themselves. Then, write it down before it gets forgotten. I never talked to my grandmothers about their lives and I've always regretted it. They were interesting people and I only found that out after they had died.

A caution: as good historians, you need to use the evidence you find carefully. Many families have stories which may be completely true, based on fact or just legends. So, you need to use the sources you can find (beginning with the site listed by Mr. Clare) to check whether what you have heard is true. Be careful not to upset anyone. As mentioned by one poster, some areas can revive painful memories.

You never know what you may find: my father always believed his family were dyed-in-the wool Geordies from the North-East of England, but found out that they originally came from somewhere else entirely.

To anyone considering looking at their family history, good luck.