My family tree is a real SNAFU

[Colin Rowledge]

Am I alone or do others experience the same feelings????????

Everything seems to end in a cul-de-sac. Leads lead nowhere, public trees are on occasion "garbage" and when I do 'find' a connection, they cannot be bothered because my family is too far distant from theirs.

Just a 'whine' from Canada.

Colin

[christanel]

Of course you aren't on your own Colin, there are hundreds if not thousands of us in the same situation.
My paternal great grandmother with her mother and sister appear from nowhere in the 1881 census, absolutely no record of them anywhere prior to that even though both girls were supposedly born in England (mother Irish).

Maternal gggrandmother had 5 illegitimate children, including my ggrandfather, no known fathers for 4 of them.

As for others trees, they have the information I have given them!

Oh and let's not forget my Dad was adopted, even though his mother and father were married, and knew nothing about an older brother and sister. He did know about the younger one who's 1920 birth cert we have and a photograph age 9/10 but no trace of him since. Was he another one who changed his name as my paternal great grandfather did for he and his family in 1881/91? Some reverted to correct surname some didn't.

Then there is my Dad's natural father who enlisted in the army 3 times between 1904 and 1915. Only the first time did he use his own name and next of kin names, due to the fact he deserted twice taking all his kit with him!

You just gotta laugh.

[stepives]

I'm with you Colin, as are loads of others. My 3x Grandmother had six children....no fathers names anywhere to be seen, she married when she was nearly 50 years old, to her younger sisters father in law.

My 2x Grandmother decided to drop her first two christian names in census, and marriage, and was baptised by her Aunty.

I've had tree bandits asking access to my tree, with no please or thankyou's and wanting the photo's I have of my rellies. I will give willingly if asked with some civility.

My 3xGrandfather had 3 places of birth in census, and none match up anywhere. His father appears once in census, and on the marriage cert and never appeared to have died or been born.

Yep......and more dead ends than than a graveyard.

One day I'll find answers, but until then we fight the good fight.


Steve.

[Nicolina]

you've just got to keep chipping away Colin. Even though I knew my maternal Grandmother (born 1884) for 26years I couldn't find her anywhere until the 1911 Census came out. By then she'd married my Grandfather, a chap called GREEN, and it was him that I found. Finding their marriage, thanks to Grand-dad's unusual middle name, I sent for a copy. Great!!! I don't think so. Her father was listed as George William who I managed to trace back to his marriage but not before. His father, according to the marriage certificate was called George and one of the witnesses was John, possibly a brother, but can I find any combination of them before 1882 - no way. I'm beginning to think that Great Grand-dad was found, fully grown, under a gooseberry bush.
It is so frustrating especially with the more common names.

[Colin Rowledge]

My gripe is about how people 'seperate' members of their family and the 'fly in the ointment' never gets a mention beyond their birth - it is a though they never existed.

A great uncle of mine was British and moved to the U.S. He had a colourful life and married a lass in 1938 or so. Tracing her has been an interesting journey - primarily because I am interested in wars! It would appear that her 2XGt-grandfather fought the Brit's in the War of 1812. He survived that situation, but his descendants cannot seem to get over the fact that his GGGranddaughter married one of the enemy.

Can you believe that a War that ended in 1814 - Dec. 24, to be exaxt with the Treaty of Ghent - that neither country really wanted and whose ancestor survived, would begrudge sharing their family history?

This is the 21st century for Pete's sake!!

Colin

[Nicolina]

My biggest mystery also involves a war. WW2 to be exact. Family lore has a death in Russia but the only evidence is a letter, which I've not been allowed to see, supposedly written by an officer who was present at the time. With no date or place of death we often joke that he might have met and married a Russian and started a new family. Why it's all such a secret I don't know, it's been 68 years after all.
I suppose it's one of those things that will never be resolved unless I can get to see that letter. The CWGC appear to have nothing on him either. He's a real mystery and all the digging has only got me where he was in April 1942 and early 1944.
Isn't it fun?

[Liane Hawes]

Oh Colin I know how you feel. My 2 x great grandfather appears to have been beamed down by aliens, allowed to sire a child and then beamed back up again - no record of him before or after the child was born. His wife was illegitimate and no record of her after the child was born, the child went to live with maternal grandmother - aggghhhhhhhhh but hey ho if we didn't have these mysteries to try to solve what would we do with our time.........

[sueannbowen]

Can you believe that a War that ended in 1814 - Dec. 24, to be exaxt with the Treaty of Ghent - that neither country really wanted and whose ancestor survived, would begrudge sharing their family history?

This is the 21st century for Pete's sake!! Colin

Yeah but we did burn down the White House Colin and scoff their banquet to boot! war, big or small is an emotive thing!

[IreneH]

Rallies who won't share or pretend something did or did not happen are a right pain in the you know where. I two lots who want everything I've got but won't give in return.
The good thing is that my stuff is right (looks smug).
Theirs is a load of old cobblers most of the time. They never seem to check anything! Unfortunately there is usually some truth somewhere in what they have. Makes it interesting to sort out.