Why family history / genealogy?

[louisa maud]

These stories are fascinating

I started hunting my daily tree quite by accident, it was something  my mother said which started me off, my gt grandfather was Swedish, my gt grandmother was already married when they met, somewhere around 1874, she never married him as she was still legally married, had at least 9 children with him, 2 by her legal husband and another, this last child had her first husband's  name and shown as "dec"  on his dertificate, he wasn't  he was very much alive,  she then took another man to court who paid up being  as father, to this day I wonder how she did it, no DNA  in early 1890's but she won her case, her Swedish "husband " was left to die in the workhouse, then she married a  completely  different  man with a
different surname, she had enough to choose from, all fascinating stuff

Louisa Maud

[ThrelfallYorky]

Like others on here I was aware of my paternal line to a certain extent, as my grandfather had drawn out a tree, although I later found out that many dates were wrong, and a few facts, but as my paternal line was a fairly unusual name, and very much linked with one fairly small area, when I started looking in detail myself, it was fairly easy. I also had help from a cousin of my father, still living in the "ancestral area" who had already researched very well, and documented those researches. I had almost no other useful surviving relatives, as had my OH on his ancestry...
When I'd spent a few years "sorting out" my lot, grinding to a halt over Irish ancestors on my maternal line, and taken that paternal line of mine back to the late 1500s, I took up my OH's line.
At that time I knew, apart from his mother's name, and more-or less his father's name, exactly two facts: His mother's mother was called "Tabitha", and she had the same birthday that I had. I was pretty sure of the close area of the country involved, and within three years I'd "got" OH's maternal line back to early 1700s, paternal line - with a few interesting "jumps" almost as far, and found out a great deal of interesting stuff by the way, as well as a couple of living relatives for each of us, both very nice people.
No gateway ancestors on either side, for either of us. All done with blood sweat and tears - and internet and county records and church records .... oh, the fun of the chase!
Since the main lines have stalled, I've pottered here and there along the generations, finding  - not in my direct line, but related, a hangman, missionary, several assorted clerics, a Scottish politician, several brewers, links to a shipping line, and indirect links to a couple of well-known actors!! It all adds interest, poking around the branches of the family forests!

[Braindead]

Like others on here I was aware of my paternal line to a certain extent, as my grandfather had drawn out a tree, although I later found out that many dates were wrong, and a few facts, but as my paternal line was a fairly unusual name, and very much linked with one fairly small area, when I started looking in detail myself, it was fairly easy. I also had help from a cousin of my father, still living in the "ancestral area" who had already researched very well, and documented those researches.

That's almost word for word my story too!

[coombs]

I was armed with some details from grandparents. Nan said grandad's maternal grandmother was called Wallaker Taylor and she had the unusual first name of Wallaker. She actually was Gertrude Taylor nee Wallaker.

I just love doing genealogy and the thrill of the chase. I recently found a gateway ancestor called Chadd Cockayne whose father's family have Irish, Welsh and Norman French blood, and some ancestors from Turin, Italy, who were of Frankish stock. The Cantilupes and MacMurrough's of Leinster. For years I searched for any Irish blood and I found I do have a drop or two. Doesn't matter how distant I still have some of the Emerald in me.