Making contact with strangers

[D ap D]

I've just finished putting a book together on my paternal line. Its not only names and dates, but info about the towns, and living conditions at the time, with a list of queries I'd like to have answered. As an appendix, I attached all the relevant census information, info from the NBI, Parish records etc. and finally the family tree.

I have a fair few names of people of my parents generation, mostly cousins of my dads, but all strangers to me and my dad.

I printed off the particular branch where their name crops up, wrote a letter introducing myself, what I'd done and asking them to have a look through the file. In an envelope and in the post.

Altogether I sent off 8 packages.

Within a week I'd had a phone call from all but one (and that one is excused, as he's dads uncle, nearly 90 and lives in Oz)

Since then I have been sent back the files I distributed, with corrections and amendments and have been inundated with photos, church orders of service, copies of certificates, but also with phone calls from other cousins wanting to get in on the action.

So all in all it has been very worthwhile. The responses have been excellent and I've doubled my Xmas card list.

D

[Michelle Kemp]

Hi Kerryb

I know that in this game we want answers now, but be patient i am sure she will reply soon, maybe she is on holiday somewhere.

Hope she replys soon.

Michelle

[kerryb]

Michelle

Of course you are totally right, and I am trying to be patient, I'm just champing at the bit with this family line!

kerryb

[Shaztoni]

I have no problem contacting people, recently I contacted a man in the States that was researching my husband's line, it turned out that he was also married into the family and that his wife was my husbands second cousin, it's a small world. We have share an awful lot of information and it was defiantly worth getting in contact.
I too have found that patience is a necessity when contacting people as some take a long time to respond and others never do. I often think that some genealogy emails go straight into the junk mail boxes (well that's what I'm going to keep telling myself )
Sharon