Don't be deceived - Research isn't always easy!

[kerryb]

Welcome mytree

and don't worry about any unnecessary questions, you have an excuse, your first day, some of us don't have that excuse any more just senior moments and forgetfulness 

Enjoy Rootschat 

Kerry

[midlandslass]

Hi,
Just joined this site having just started to look into my husband’s origins and mine.
I have managed with lots of luck to have gone back to the early 1800's on some links in just under 2 weeks, but this is where the fun begins!
What were our ancestors playing at, no helpful census data before 1841 and how inconsiderate to be born illegitimate!!
It seems to me that even with census information it is often a best guess to start with before finding other clues.
I have a feeling that this is going to be a hard slog and I need to get organised.
I think that I need to read the beginners board for helpful hints!!

[Arranroots]

Welcome Midlandslass! 

If your hubby's folk are from the Midlands you have access to some great free BMD resources there.

If there is anything we can do to help, please give a shout!

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Lydart]

Hi MidlandsLass ... welcome to a wonderful site !  There are people sitting all day at their laptops just waiting for you to pose a question, and racing to help you ... so do ask anything you want to know or how to find things !   Have a great time with us. 

I agree its not all easy, but when you suddenly get a whoosh back 100 years or more, my goodness, is it exciting !  And you never know when that 'whoosh' is coming ...

[Emjaybee]

I trust you will believe me.

Yesterday I was asked to research the Major family tree for a family friend. All he new was his grandparents cam from Kempsey Worcs. I have already got a family tree back to 1685!

So sometimes you just strike lucky.

[BettyofKent]

Over on the BBC Family History message board, we get a number of newbies each time a new series of WDYTYA starts.  Some stay the distance, but most seem to disappear when they realise how much work is involved.

I realise that the programmes can't show every minute of every search, but the way it's done is very misleading, they should make it clear just how time-consuming & frustrating it can sometimes be when you don't have a tame expert on hand!

Betty

[Lydart]

But we DO have tame experts at hand ... they are RootsChatters !

[Uncle Reff]

I would like to add to Mogsmum's original point by saying that I have heard Nick Barrett give an excellent talk about (amongst other things) the way that television presents our little hobby. Of course it is condensed, watching someone researching is probably not much up from watching paint dry, so it has to be viewable to a sizeable audience - some of whom will not be remotely interested in genealogy.

However, the down side is that apparently there are a large number people out there who think that they can wander into the Family Records Office and ask for their 'brown envelope'. 

Perhaps better that than not generating more people to the subject...

John

[rancegal]

I certainly second what Betty says about the BBC FH message board! We've had more than one person who thinks it is backed by a team of 'BBC experts', and one of them was taken aback by all of the strange 'nicknames' who were answering the query!
     Unfortunately, that board doesn't have a 'sticky' facility; we have to keep bumping our 'Message to new members' to the top.