RootsChat.Com

And I thought I was the only one!
A few weeks ago I was thinking about a university friend of mine who died quite young. I knew her parents’ names and was able to go back a few generations in Canada. It made her memory stronger.

I think it is a mix of nature and nurture.  When you get back five or six generations, there are so many other gene contributors that the odds would be slim that a specific gene is passed down, but it does happen, but it would be rare.  It also begs the question - how many genes are involved in artistic talent?  I doubt if it is just one gene, so genes from other ancestors must play a part.  They do say musical ability is connected to mathematical talent and I do see this in my former in-laws.
My mother was a published nonfiction writer and I enjoy writing as well, and while I don't have a flair for creative writing, I have a large repertoire of educational resources that almost all include nonfiction texts.  On the other hand, neither of my brothers have ever pursued anything in that field.  Two of my three children are good writers. 
Then of course, that raises the question - do you become a good writer by training and/or by reading a lot?  The latter certainly helps if you have the kind of brain that absorbs sentence structure and grammar.  BTW, I had very little grammar in school, but I usually know what is right or wrong, so in my case, a lot of absorption.

My relatives who went to Fall River from Burnley, Lancs., were Mary Alice Pollard and her husband James Sharples.  They arrived in the US in the late 1860's and James worked in a cotton mill.  At times they lived in New Bedford.

So, what is the relative cost of a BNA subscription (for a year, say), versus a FindMyPast subscription giving access to the same content?

I don’t know the exact figures, but it is something to think about now that the 1921 is on Anc, for me, anyway.  I don’t use FindMyPast much otherwise; I should have a good look at what else they have there.  I believe my subscription goes until October.