Who Do you think you are?

[Two_Sheds]

I started tracing my tree a couple of years ago. You can get quite a way on the Net, but can't trust everything you find on sites like genesreunited.com, because facts aren't checked for accuracy.

You need hard copies of Births, Marriages & Deaths (paper records), which can get expensive.
I got as far back as the 1500s, and found vicars, wealth, property, teachers, writers and castles in my ancestry: how exciting. I got stuck though, with a big gap - but apparently my father's tree is at Northampton Record Office. One day I will get there to see it all; there are 100s of pieces of paper to sift through.
I love detective work (aka research)

[MaureenHall]

A few members of my family (Mum's side) have been trying to get to the roots of the family tree. The most notable thing we've found out is that one of our relatives, John Lyth, was hanged at York for harbouring a Catholic Priest. The rest is really interesting from a family point of view, but probably not to anyone else.

I wonder if I'm a distant relative of any of you northerners

[Flummery]

My son-in-law has been tracing the family trees. It started after their first child was born (my No 1 grand-daughter). I think you feel that you are just yourself until your children come along and you realise that they are at the pointy-end of all that genetics. It's a bit awsome when you think about it.

[Hilary B]

My OH has been researching both his family tree and mine. We have found a few bits which have their funny side.
My father's family for the last few generations have been Methodists, and strict Teetotallers, so the number of innkeepers in earlier generations is a matter for mirth. THAT is the kind of thing I find interesting about it.
The other aspect is that we found the ship on which another ancestor was one of the 'specialists', a ropemaker. Crafts and skills are nice to know about.
If you know where you came from, it gives you an insight into where you are going.

[Flump]

I'd love to look into my family tree but wouldn't have a clue or the time to start. I've always dreamed of having the money to get a researcher to do it and learn a bit more about it from them. I was first intrigued by it when I did a small thing about it at school and found out that my great, great nan, Madame Guerin was involved in starting the poppy, I feel quite proud and make sure i have a poppy to remember

Poppy Story

[Alison]

Started tracing mine after the first series of this programme. Within a few days had found that I had a half aunt and a load of cousins that we knew nothing about and my mum was able to meet the sister that she had never heard of. No money, nothing glamorous but it answered questions that both of them had dating back almost 70 years. Was quite remarkable. Since then have found various other more distant (and deceased!) relatives and discoved that in the early 1900s, my husbands great grandad lived 2 doors up from the house where my grandad was born despite us not realising that his family had ever lived in that part of the country! Currently trying to work out why my grandad's step father was receiving correspondence from somebody in Brasil when he had never left the country himself! It's absolutley facinating, as somebody said, a bit like detective work but much better than Miss Marple.

Also disproved some family stories in OH's family, proved that the story about the love rival murderer was totally untrue and the bad guy in question wasn't remotely related but just had the same name.

Not found money, just a load of farmers, weavers and a fair bit of illegitimacy!

[OverWyreGrower]

My mum has done a bit of work on ours... turns out my dad's side of the family was french (great, great, great grandparents) and quite well off

However, my mums side of the family were Yorkshire and Northumberland miners, and the paperwork mentions families with 15+ children, men with 2 or more wives and even a murder!! Apparantly my G,G,G,G grandfather kicked his pregnant wife off a stool and killed her, so he could marry someone else. Ah, the intrigue....

[broadway]

Hi,

Started doing my family tree when my grandad dies a couple of years ago.

Thought it would be good to find some dirt, only problem is I found it and it was all mine!

I was born out of wedlock and my mum had been married before!! Not something you expect to find out a 47

[Alison]

The most confusing thing about my lot is that they didn't have much imagination on the name from, lots of Sarahs, Johns, Arthurs etc. Even worse, if one died as a child then the next baby was called the same name as their dead sibling.

[SueA]

I enjoyed the Boris Johnson episode but I do have a soft spot for him even though he is a bit of a rogue. I haven't watched many of the shows but I remember watching the Bill Oddie one & being really moved by it.
My half sister has researched our family tree back a little way, she's managed to do a lot of it on the internet as she lives in Australia & has been over here to visit a few of the sites where our relatives came from. Apparently a few generations back we were in the workhouse & she went to see the site & was very emotional when she saw it. Our father was apt to spin tales, he was born in Ireland & must have kissed the Blarney Stone, so we never really knew the truth about our family & it's interesting to find out. I've tried to research my mother's family but haven't got very far, no one ever spoke about the past which is a shame as it's nice to know how you arrived in the world.

[bluemoon]

I haven't traced anything, but I was once going through Derbyshire with my dad and we passed through a village. 'I'm sure your great Gran came from here'. he said, so we stopped, wandered around a bit then called in the pub for lunch. He got chatting to the barman, told him what had made us stop there and the next thing a chap wandered over. 'Hi, I'm your cousin Harry'. he said, then pointed vaguely round the room; 'And that's Uncle Bob, Uncle Jack, Uncle Tom, Auntie Doris, cousin Fred.......' No we're not from a long line of alcoholics either, it's just that we're related to the whole place and anyone in there at any time would have been a relative. Good thing Great Gran got out or I might have been born with two heads or something, I'm sure that level of in-breeding can't be good for you.

[quark1]

7PM TONIGHT BBC2 for those who missed yesterday's broadcast.

I love these genealogy progs - and this one is excellent imho - he is well connected - if only by other side of the blanket!

I'm trying to trace important peeps in my family tree. Had some luck - some humbling revelations of what mine and probably your ancestors gave to their country in blood and guts fighting various campaigns of behalf of the governments of the day.

Am now in touch with who I believe to be a 2nd cousin and hope to get specific important details soon!

Let you know if successful - can't say too much more just now - except no royalty involved!.

[Mikey]

My sister has done a bit of scouting into the family tree, my family has a few bad eggs sort of speak, and a bit if elicit relations with land owners. Two brothers sent to Australia for murder, you know the kind of thing. All in an average friday night out if you ask me to be honest.

[MrsC]

I have with the help of my uncle traced my mum's parents back to around mid 1700s. Fascinating subject, very addictive. My uncle traced his family back to early 1500s. The stories we came across were funny, some sad but oh so interesting. We're not looking for some long lost rich relative just the people who went before us. On my grandma's side I managed to solve a family mystery, my mum once asked her mum (my gran) why half of her brothers and sisters had a different surname, my grandma didn't reply just gave my mum a swift slap across the cheek and told her it wasn't true (which it was). It turned out that half of my grandma's supposed brothers and sisters were in fact her aunties and uncles, my grandma's mum had taken them as her own from an early age when her parent's died. My mum even told one of her cousins (fairly elderly lady) who would have none of it and didn't believe my mum. It totally altered the family tree. Enough waffling from me.

[ugly gourd]

I watched Boris's programme with great interest last night and when the silver was mentioned the interest increased then the royal conection even more interested Why I hear you asked my maiden name was Johnson!!! we must be related somewhere along the line!!!