Main motive in starting my Family History research

[apanderson]

I voted 'Other' too.

It suddenly dawned on me a few years ago, just after my dad passed away, that he was the last of a whole generation, there was no one left on either side, my mum's or my dad's.

I had thought about doing the old family tree 'thing' for years but never quite got around to it. Like Lloydy, I inherited bits and pieces of family paperwork and old photographs and thought I'd have another wee look before I packed them away . . . . .

My daughters (20 and 22) have absolutely no interest whatsoever in their ancestry - they think I'm quite bonkers! Mind you, they think I'm bonkers at the best of times.

Anne

[Nadine Moore]

Can't say what my motive for starting was, it just happened.

3 of my grandparents were dead before I was born, the 4th died when i was 4 or 5 so no real memories. My dad died when I was 9 and there are none of his siblings alive either. I used to ask my mum a lot of questions about Dad and, I guess, it's just grown from there.

Now addicted and can't believe the amount if basic info I now have.

Dinie

[MarieC]

I voted "other".

A cousin in Tasmania had been to a free presentation on doing family history, and decided to start researching a part of the family that was virtually unknown.  After a little while, she decided that she needed help, and gently and persuasively niggled at me till I stuck my toe in the water. 

There was a particular mystery I became interested in solving, which turned out to be a false trail, and by then I was hooked!  Obsessed would be a more precise word.  I am not sure whether to bless or curse her for getting me into this!

Anyway, we have now found out an amazing amount about this previously unknown family, though there are still a couple of huge brick walls in our direct ancestry - we've found out more about the aunts and uncles, cousins etc!  But of course you never know - the next little piece of information might just be what we need to demolish a brick wall!

MarieC

[Sahara]

Only having ever properly known one of my grandparents (on one side they died when I was 5 and 6 years old, the other side I never met my grandfather at all) I became curious about my heritage as I knew very little about it. I started fishing and asking my Nan for info on her side and then decided I needed to know more about the other three branches so I could complete the picture. I started dabbling when I was 18, and have got into it full swing since I finished university and actually have time to work on it (an engineering degree does nothing for your social life or your family tree!!!).

Now I am so hooked I can't stop!!! And my Mum and Dad have been dragged along for the ride too 

[duckcharm]

Hi Paul,

I voted 'other'.

I was always curious about my roots because my Mom's parents didn't like talking about their British life to her (died before I was born) and my Swiss born Dad died when I was two years old. My genealogy obsession started with our Internet access in 2000 when I vainly did a google search on my surname to see what would pop up. Holy doodle! I was completely surprised at all the hits!

Great stories everyone.
Donna

[marionjl]

My mother found a photograph in amongst my grandmother's things - showing a family group of elderly parents and their 7 adult children.  Mum recognised her grandfather as one of the children and we decided to find out the names of the others in the photograph and find out what was the occasion.  It turned out to be the parent's golden wedding celebrations, and 25 years later we've got a wonderful tree stretching back and sideways on many branches.

But we still don't know what happened to one of the children in the photo!!  I guess that this is like doing a jigsaw - sometimes one without a picture on - and there are no edges or boundaries, you just keep fitting pieces where you can.

Marion

[AnneMc]

As a child I remember spending time with my grandmother and her sister talking about their childhood memories.  Then when I was 9 years old we left England and moved to Canada. My great aunt (my grandmothers' sister) had left England and had come to Canada in 1924. So we were the first of her family to come to Canada I remember many visits to Aunty Lizzie's and Uncle Ernest's that they would sit around the kitchen table talking to my parents about their lives in England. So the thought was always in the back of my mind that I would like to trace my family history. I stared in 1990 to get serious about doing some thing about it. As by then I had two children and I realized that they were the first generation of my family to be born in Canada.   

As I thought that when they
 have children they would not know about their English relatives.  They good thing for my children is that we have taken them back to England a few times so they know all my living relatives over there. But my brother has never taken his children over which is a shame as when we get together and start talking about family members they have no idea who we are talking about.

I love the searching for relatives sometimes you have to be like a sleuth to figure out what happened to people.  After many years have finally found my grgrandfather who left his first family and ended up in Wales with a second family.

I have now started researching my husband's family they came from Ireland and France to Canada


Anne
Canada

[Jaki]

I mainly started because there was no one left to tell me about my father's family. My father died when i was 3 and his parents had been gone a long time before that ... I had names and that was all. I now have his paternal line back to the 1600s thanks to a cousin  who had no idea that my father had married. His maternal line is another matter ....

I am now addicted and if i can't move further back on a line i am researching i started moving outwards.

Jaki

[wotty]

My grandfather told me and my sister some amazing stories about his life in Ireland but as I grew older I became suspicious about them. My research has now led me to the conclusion that he was probably never in Ireland, and that he was telling us the stories that his father (who almost certainly was Irish) had told him. Sadly, I haven't got any further in finding out about the Irish side of my family because they were all such great storytellers!

My mother used to tell me that we were descended from a famous engineer. Well, it's not on the direct line, but he is definitely there. She also said that we were "related" to Grace Darling. I would love to find out if that's true.

So I voted "other" because it was my suspicion that I was being told a tall tale or two that led me in to family history.

Wotty