What's your SHORTEST branch?

[Josephine]

>> Mine!!!,My mum was married in 1959,I was born in 1960.  Unfortunatly,mum was an alchoholic,,and there is a query about my fathers identity Sad....................,I dont know his name,Everyone who could help,has passed, and most of the family kept there mouth shut. <<

Chrissy,

Do you have cousins on your father's side?  If so, could you have DNA testing done to rule out (or in) your mother's husband as your biological father? 

Have you talked to any cousins on either side?  It's possible someone's parent said something to one of them.

Just a thought, based on my own queries about the identity of my grandmother's father.

Regards,
Josephine

P.S.  For example, I know of a relative who got at least three girls pregnant before he was married.  I am sure the children from his marriage don't know anything about this.

[jillruss]

I have 2 branches ( or, rather, twiglets!) contesting for 1st place in this illustrious competition - they're both greatx3 grandmothers.

1. BATHSHEBA BOOTHROYD - I've asked that many people for help in finding her baptism that I think she must be famous! For the record, acc. to 1841 census and her death record (1844) she must have been born in Yorkshire in about 1800. She married and lived in Almondbury, W Yorks but she might just as well come down to earth with the last meteor shower!!

2. JANE BARNETT - She's in the Keyingham, E Yorks marriage PRs for 1814 as Jane Barnett marrying James Barnett. Acc. to the 1851 census she was born in Weeton in about 1793 - except, she wasn't!! I'm beginning to think the parish clerk had a bad day that day and gave her the wrong surname.

The pity of it is that most of my absolutely dense 100 ft high brick walls seem to be on my mum's side ( mostly in the North). I've got back to the 1600s on most of the branches of my dad's tree (mostly in the South!). perhaps they kept better records!

Jill

[Sylviaann]

Did you watch the programme "Found" on BBC last week.  It was about babies who had been found abandoned, one at Gatwick airport.  Those poor people were searching for any clue to their parents.  I felt really sorry for them.  One lucky one actually found a brother who had also been abandoned but neither could find anything about their parents.

I am lucky.  I am only stuck with my fathers side in 1812

Sylviaann

[jillruss]

Yes, Sylviaann,

I saw one of those programmes and, when you look at it like that, we should all count our blessings.

Jill

[Tjapaltjarri]

My shortest line is my first wife's grandfather: Harold Patrick Brookes born 'at sea' ca 1896. It seems he and his sister Adela b ca 1898 were adopted in Durban South Africa ca 1902/3. I obtained the adopting parents marriage certificate from South Africa: They give their names as John Wesley Brooks aged 30 and Florence May Hill aged 32 married in the parish Church, Durban, on 2nd April 1902, but it states that the witnesses names were illegible. He is said to have been a commercial trader between Durban and Delagoa Bay.

Harold's death Certificate says he was 65 years old when he died on 21/1/1962 and was born in London! and had emigrated to New Zealand immediately after his marraige in Holborn in July 1920. (A witness to the marriage was Fabian Higgs aka Fred Raynham of silent movie fame - Hound of the Baskervilles)

To have two siblings adopted suggests that something happened to the parents  and that it was not simply a question of illegitimacy (?)

Harold volunteered, it is said aged 16 years for Service in WW1 and was a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery. Every certificate gives different names for parents, and his father was said to be deceased when he married - but which father? He even altered his own name on his marriage certificate and crossed out an additional Robert.

According to family tradition his birth family made a bequest to the children but their 'parents' deemed they were doing okay and would have nothing to do with it - thus the link to the birth family was lost. Obviously some dark and terrible skeleton was here obfuscated. I interviewed every family member except Harold P Brookes (sic) who died in 1968 and could get no further.

How might one trace this neglected will?

Any clever ideas?

TIA

Howdie

[teap78]

The shortest is my dads side im only doing him which is 1934. the longest is my mums paternal side 1815. Maybe when ive finished my mums side i might tackle my dads. dont know yet as there is a touch of sour grapes with them and me 

Colette

[kerryb]

My shortest line is my biggest brickwall.  My great great grandmother Helena Lorraine Lovekin Stanford Smith.  I can't find anything about her apart from her marriage and death and census records for her whilst married.  Anything else I have is pure guess work.

Kerry

[Keith Bateman]

My shortest line is my biggest brickwall.  My great great grandmother Helena Lorraine Lovekin Stanford Smith.  I can't find anything about her apart from her marriage and death and census records for her whilst married.  Anything else I have is pure guess work.

Kerry

Hi Kerry,

I bet her mothers maiden name was either Lovekin or Stanford!!

Cheers

Keith

[kerryb]

Keith

Yes I think it is Stanford and have found a woman who fits the bill in the right place.  Trouble is she is there at home for census with her parents when if I am right she should be at the other end of Sussex with several children??

The whole family are out to get me!!!

Kerry