RootsChat.Com

This evening I was reminded that nearly ten years ago, I was sitting feeling very lonely, and was surfing the internet trying to find something to hold my attention.  My husband was terminally ill, and descending into dementia and I was at my wits' end.  I was working on my family tree, and I had got to my Blomfield family of Woolpit, Suffolk and had hit a brick wall.  So I googled 'Blomfield Woolpit'.  And that's when a door opened in my life because I found a thread on Rootschat about Woolpit and the Blomfield family.  I responded - albeit that the thread was a couple of years old - and amazingly I got a reply - and I so wish I could remember who it was who so kindly welcomed me onto the site and responded to my post.   And thus  I tentatively stepped into the arms of the Rootschat family, without having any idea of what I was letting myself in for.

Almost immediately I found I was making contacts with people, which meant that not only was I building my family tree with the help of all the clever Rootschatters, but because of the ToT boards and the Lighter Side, I was making friends too.  And when my husband died, one of the friends I made on here came to his funeral to represent Rootschat,  the kindness of which still brings tears to my eyes.

And now it's ten years since I joined.  I have met quite a few of the people I have met on here and firm friendships have been established.  And I was thinking, I wonder how many people's lives have been changed by finding Rootschat.  I certainly know that my life has been enhanced immeasurably by this site, not only in terms of FH, but in terms of companionship, friendship, lots of love, lots of laughs and lots of kindness.

So I'd love to hear other people's stories of how they found Rootschat, and what the site means to them.  And at the same time saying a big thanks to Trystan and Sarah and all the mods for all the hard work and for creating and maintaining such a brilliant site.

I have a rather sad story in the Garnham part of my FT and wonder if anyone can throw any light on what happened to Edith Grace Johnson, who was born 5 Oct 1919 in Ipswich, so we need to be aware that she might - just might - still be alive.  Her parents were Rose Alice Garnham born 7 March 1888 Ipswich, died 14 June 1924, Ipswich when Edith was five years old, and  Richard Johnson, born 1877, Camberwell, Surrey.

Before my mother died - many years ago now - she told me that after Rose died, Richard Johnson brought up  Edith, but that in 1941 (by which time Edith would have been in her early 20s) she visited my maternal grandparents, and she had a baby  with her who was her daughter.  No other information is known, other than that Edith left with her child, saying she was returning to London, but promised to keep in touch  And that was the last that was ever heard of her or her child (whose name I don't know).

I have tried to find out what happened to them, but with no success.  Jan (Groom) has helped me in the past and she found Edith as a patient in the East Suffolk Hospital, Anglesea Road, Ipswich in the 1939 census, but other than that I can't find anything about her.  Family speculation was that Edith and her baby died in the blitz, or Edith married and went abroad, but it would be good to solve this family mystery, if at all possible.

A lass from Brettenham in her prime,
Had three husbands at the same time.
When asked "Why the third?"
She said "One is absurd,
And bigamy, sir, is a crime"

(This lady had two children out of wedlock, married, left children with parents, had another child.  Left husband  (who returned to his mother), married another man, left him,  and finally found a peaceful life - one hopes - with Husband No 3 in Bury St Edmunds.)

William Thomas James, born 1895 Rotherhithe, was in the 22nd Btn, London Regiment, his number being 1252.  At some point he transferred to the Labour Corps where his number was 659568.  He is listed amongst the 'Soldiers died in the Great War' as having died at 'Home', whilst on the CWGC site he is listed under his original regiment, which I believe is standard procedure.

It appears that the officers and men who served in the Labour Corps were generally either judged not sufficiently fit to serve at the front, or they had been previously wounded and subsequently transferred to the Labour Corps.  However, I can't see any way of finding out why he was in the Labour Corps and indeed whether or not he had been wounded in action.  I was therefore wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to whether this kind of information might be available somewhere.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Kind regards
GS