Anyone get as far as me without using Record offices

[Sooziecats]

Great website, stonechat - what program did you use?

I managed to find about 300 of my ancestors without visiting a record office.  I must agree though it is really exciting seeing the actual signature and entries in the records.  My Mum was amazed when she saw her grandfathers handwritting.

Sue B

[Gadget]

The most recent strange happening was yesterday.

Last July, I went on an Ancestral Tour of my North Wales homeland counties and visited most of the churches and graveyards that ancestors might have been buried in. Not many stones. I took photos of all the churches and uploaded them to PC when I came home. Haven't looked at many since. They're there for nest stages of WS.

Anyway, Keith put up an image on the Photo Rest board last night where he'd superimposed a young girl's first communion photo onto a church background. I recognised the church immediately. I hadn't seen it or my photo for 13 months but it was Hanmer Church. Went to my photos and there it was. Strangely it had a diamond shaped clock. It hadn't registered when I took the photo but there it was - a perfect match.

These particular ancestors were late 17th - early 18th century.

Now explain that 

Gadget

[JDGen]

I agree that it's great to go to the records offices if you are able.  I have seen the signatures of female ancestors in the 1750's and it's a great feeling to know that they were able to read and write then - interesting that there are more X's in the 1800's.

But seeing the original lease for my 3xggrandfather's first farm in 1844 and currently debating whether to send for a copy of my 5xggrandfathers 3 life lease from 1757!!  Have alot of wills, they have proved very useful (see my website).

Jean

[Necromancer]

I've got a couple of examples of 3 lifetime leases - I expect they will reappear soon as 3 lifetime mortgages !

[kerryb]

I've only recently discovered wills.  Wonderful documents, they can be enlightening as well interesting just as a will

Kerry

[JDGen]

Scroppers, my problem is which one to send for  - as they had more children (and sadly lost some) they kept revising the 3 lives!!  Even the first I can see is a change of the lives.

Never mind, might bite the bullet and send for it anyway!

Kerry, wills are my weakness - if they made one, I want it, even for the twigs!! It has paid back though as legacies sometimes come back into the main branches! (but not often enough!!).

Jean

[bungleberry]

I am perforce a considerable user of the net. But I'm surprised that nobody has pointed out the incidence of transcription/indexing errors. The biggest and most heavily used services (no names, no packdrill) are, probably by definition, the worst offenders. Some of the booboos are quite laughable once you get your head round them. And certain service providers don't seem to welcome being told of suggested corrections.

[kerryb]

I take errors as read so didn't bother mentioning!

Kerry

[stonechat]

Hi

Re Website

This was done using FrontPage 2003
THe Picture pages were done with  Photoshop Elements

I do have two pages from a book dated 1750 ish with name of James Douglass written in
This is 4 x gt grandfather almost certainly (unless the name was written later by his son)

I have got several documents sent from record offices though.
I recently found that the ordination and some related papers of a priest in the family were at an RO I would not get to. Must admit they charge a minimum charge for the copying, but this would be a lot less than petrol costs.

Bob