Getting sidetracked by something you've seen

[Stanwix England]

I was wondering if anyone else ever finds themselves looking at records and getting sidetracked by people who are nothing to do with you or your research?

Tonight I'm looking at marriage bann records for a so many times removed aunt.

The bann below theirs, 19 May 1903, is for an Arthur Mercer and an Edith Postill. Arthur's father is listed as being (deceased) but Edith's is (dec?)

I'd love to know the story behind that question mark! What happened to Edith's dad and why did they think he was probably dead, but were not certain enough to say for sure?

It's one of those things that are really interesting, but because it's not my family I haven't really got the spare time to look into it.

Anyone else ever find that sort of thing happening to them?

[GUT]

I was wondering if anyone else ever finds themselves looking at records and getting sidetracked by people who are nothing to do with you or your research?

Tonight I'm looking at marriage bann records for a so many times removed aunt.

The bann below theirs, 19 May 1903, is for an Arthur Mercer and an Edith Postill. Arthur's father is listed as being (deceased) but Edith's is (dec?)

I'd love to know the story behind that question mark! What happened to Edith's dad and why did they think he was probably dead, but were not certain enough to say for sure?

It's one of those things that are really interesting, but because it's not my family I haven't really got the spare time to look into it.

Anyone else ever find that sort of thing happening to them?

Frequently.

Currently spending way too much time trying to link

Charles Pope VC with Charles Alfred Witting Pope (from Dorset), if you look at photos of them you assume they are related. The second one married my Gradfathers cousin. So no real close connection. I stumbled on the VC winner because he served with the nephew of one of great grandads brother in law. Talk about off track. But that then lead to looking at a cousin of grandads second wife, the cousin was another VC winner.

So might say I'm a little off track at the moment.

[clairec666]

I'm frequently distracted by an interesting name. If I spot a Caractactus or an Ermintrude I'll forget my "proper" research for hours!

One relative often had lodgers who were actors or musicians, and I got sidelined in tracing their movements. Another relative was a servant to an Italian artist and a quick googling revealed some of his work.

[3sillydogs]

I've also done it numerous times, gone off at a tangent that has nothing to do with my research. Have also checked out lodgers on census forms that have interesting or unusual occupations. 

No wonder our family trees never reach completion!!

[Finley 1]

Sure do   thats part of the fun

I am often way off track, and so deeply involved with whoever or whatever, I totally forget who I am really researching...

 

xin

[Jebber]

Sure do   thats part of the fun

I am often way off track, and so deeply involved with whoever or whatever, I totally forget who I am really researching...

 

xin

Snap.

The worst time is when looking for someone in the newspapers, there are so many interesting snippets to be found, I can waste hours forgetting my own research

Jebber

[3sillydogs]

Newspapers are the worst for getting sidetracked.  There's always some interesting piece that catches your eye and off you go.

[SmallTownGirl]

I noticed the other day that the Registrar on a 1909 birth certificate was a woman.  Unusual for those days, I thought, and off I went to see what I could find out about her.  Seems that her father had been parish clerk/registrar before her; she died a spinster and was buried next to her spinster sister in the village churchyard. 

However, someone has her on their tree in Ancestry.  According to them, she married two men with the same surname as her own, one old enough to be her father.  With the first of these two men she had 10 children - six of whom were born before the woman herself, including one born 112 years before, and the other four before she was 10years old.  She was indeed, then, a remarkable woman.   

Absolutely nothing to do with my family, but fascinating (to me) nonetheless.

STG

[3sillydogs]

That is interesting. Followed in her dad's footsteps.

And someone has not done their research thoroughly