Another newbie here

[Fidgetsmum]

Hi there,

I'm 'Fidgetsmum' (Fidget is our cat, rescued by the RSPCA and rescued by us from the RSPCA!). I've been researching my family - more off than on - for some 25 years, but since the family has grown up and I no longer have elderly parents to look after, I've been seriously searching for about 5 years and have taken on the challenge of my husband's family too.

Apart from some really notable brick walls (with which I fear I shall be asking for assistance), my interest is less in 2nd cousins 5 times removed and more in breaking down those aforementioned brick walls, putting 'meat on the bones' of those people I do know about and although no doubt I shall ask some really daft questions, I hope also, I might be able to help others. I've got 'families' from Kent, London, Wiltshire, Bucks, Northants and Essex but even those in the USA, Canada and New Zealand appear to have been Ag.Labs!

Hobbies? Is there a hobby other than tracing your family tree? 'A quick look on the computer' turns rapidly into a 3-4 hour session, although I do try to do the occasional bit of housework and feed the family.

So, that's me, looking forward to meeting fellow members |wave|

Fidgetsmum

[suedent]

Hobbies? Is there a hobby other than tracing your family tree? 'A quick look on the computer' turns rapidly into a 3-4 hour session, although I do try to do the occasional bit of housework and feed the family.
Fidgetsmum

Hi Fidgetsmum,
you sound as if you'll fit right in, a fellow addict is always welcome:D

Sue

[Browneyes]

Just wanted to say I also have a cat named Fidget (one of 4); have ancestors (Chapmans, Faulkner & Rawlings) from London, Wiltshire, Bucks, and Essex and I was born in Kent. Life is full of little coincidences isn't it?

Browneyes

[Fidgetsmum]

Hi there Browneyes

Coincidences indeed

My grandmothers were in the same class at primary school until, at the age of 8 or so, my maternal grandmother moved to a village 10 miles away - in that village she eventually met and married (in 1925)my grandfather.

Whilst still living in her original home, my paternal grandmother met and in 1921 married, a man from 50 miles away and, after her marriage, moved to live in his home town.

Both of my grandfathers served in WWI and, I subsequently discovered, both at one point served in the same battalion. In civilian life both had been butchers and both returned to it after the war, both opening their own shops, still 50 miles apart.

By chance, my Father, on leave from the Navy in 1944 and caught in an air raid in London, (to use his words) ' .. swore at this idiot of a woman trying to run to the shelter in ridiculous high heels' - that same 'idiot of a woman' became my Mother!

In 1948 and with their respective families still 50 miles apart, my parents married and my grandparents kept all the receipts relating to their daughter's wedding including those for the flowers - flowers bought from a shop which I have discovered, was owned by a great-grand-uncle (or so my software 'relationship calculator' says) of my maternal grandfather's and part of the family I've so far been able to trace back to 1605.

I doubt when the flowers were chosen anyone knew of a family connection since my grandfather told me he didn't know the names of his grandparents.

I wish I'd discovered some of this sooner because I would have liked to know whether my grandfathers knew one another in WWI, although I do know my grandmothers remembered one another since both, fortunately on separate occasions, said '.. yes, I remember her at school and I didn't like her then ... '! My parents 'bucked the trend' by being happily married for 56 years, but I often wondered why they seemed to keep my grandparents apart!!

And - as if that weren't enough, we spent our honeymoon in Wiltshire long before I started delving into my husband's family, if I'd only known then that we were staying 5 miles from the village his family came from!

At this rate, we'll be related before long!! |laugh1|

[Browneyes]

:D . Perhaps our ancestors were standing together in a queue once, outside a shop or something!

Goodness! What a wonderful history you have there Fidgetsmum.

My hubby comes from Ireland. His father (who died when he was nine) worked for the railway and he had responsibility for opening and closing the gates across the line. My grandfather and my nan's father worked for the railway in England. Nearly every house I've lived in has had a railway line a stone's throw away. Neither my hubby or myself have intentionally had anything to do with railways.

My eldest son (a man now) is waiting/hoping to join the Fire Brigade. His great uncle was in the fire brigade for most of his life. My youngest (also a man) is a plumber. His great grandfather was a gas fitter. Neither son knew that when they started thinking about it. I discovered last year our great grandmother was a nurse...my sister used to be a nurse and my mum was a first aider during the war. Again we didn't know that.

I could never understand why I yearn to live in a farmhouse. Now I know that farming was a huge part of my cornish ancestors lives in the 18th and 19th century.

If only I could find an ancestor who, like me, loved to write, particularly poetry. That would be the ultimate coincidence for me. So far...nothing!

Browneyes

[Fidgetsmum]

Ah well - that settles, we are related!

My husband's father died when he was 8, and two of my husband's great uncles worked on the railway, one went on to drive trams the other emigrated to Canada where he'd got a job with Canadian Pacific. I too always wanted to be a farmer's wife, although it's probably just as well I became (and married) a civil servant instead - an almost unbroken line of AgLabs clearly isn't in the genes since I am death to anything with leaves and left to me, the 'locals' would have starved!

I too love to write and, having had an idea going round in my head for years, I finally put fingers to keyboard and produced 91,000 words, the second book was considerably shorter. My husband reckoned I should try and get the first published but I only did it for myself, I doubt anyone else would be interested but poetry is something I'm utterly hopeless at and I always admire anyone who can write it, it's certainly a gift - I know what I'd like to say but somehow I can never 'make it work'.

Who knows, you may yet find that elusive literary ancestor.

[Browneyes]

91,000 words? What an achievement! That's wonderful.

I don't suppose your grandparent eloped did they? I only found out about mine a few months ago. All these years and no-one told me. It's interesting that after leaving Swindon he worked for the railways again once they had settled in London. I just wish they were here and I could find out more.

Browneyes

[Fidgetsmum]

Doh! You've gone and spoilt it now!!!! No elopments so far as I'm aware; just a couple of children whose birth certificate is pointedly blank in the 'Details of Father' department! a great-grandfather who, around 1910 was summonsed for non-payment of debts and the recently discovered 'husband' of a distant relative about whom I, and his immediately family (profess to), know nothing apart from a name but who, I am told, was never spoken about because he 'associated with criminals' - guess where my research is taking me next!

I don't suppose your railway workers were Plants from Bermondsey and Deptford: Bradlys from Peckham or Malchers from Ashton, Northants?

[Browneyes]

Oh dear, no I don't have any (as far as I know!), I'm sorry. I feel very sad now.

I hope you find your mysterious man. That sounds really interesting. The Old Bailey site by any chance? There was a museum or gallery somewhere (I've forgotten which one) that had an exhibition years ago of photos of victorian criminals. Some of them had very scary expressions on their faces. Some were very young too.

Nevermind, perhaps a connection will come to light one day. Meanwhile we have the cat and the writing. Perhaps you could write another book and one day I'll be in the queue waiting to get it signed without realising it's you holding the pen. :)

Browneyes.