eileenb
03-04-2009, 9:45 AM
Thank you to everyone who helped in flattening my 15 year old brick wall. Being unable to trace grandad John Dillon's birth I was at a full stop on my paternal line and although I went back to it many times over the years I was going over and over the same ground.
Then I posted my problem and Karen came up with his birth for me within minutes. I had had the information at my fingertips but overlooked the fact that on one census grandad had a middle initial. That together with the fact that I had overlooked one variant of the surname - but Karen didn't! meant a 15 year wait. Within a very short time of posting, with the help of Jeremy and others, not only did I have grandad's birth but his mothers and sister's too.
Fantasic you may think - done and dusted BUT oh no. Off everyone went again and filled in some gaps on the gt grandparents. As it turns out, the guy I had been researching (Richard Dennis Dillon) as John's father probably wasn't - but it appears Richard WAS descended from the Earls of Clanricard in Ireland. It's made quite a change, looking at Debrett's instead of chasing travellers and ag labs and I'm having a ball. Richard may not have been my gt grandfather but I still reckon I am on this earth because at the age of 16 and for whatever reason, he took to the road. So, politically correct it may not be, from a FH point of view but I am still researching him and he will remain a part of my family.
I have learned a number of valuable lessons from this.
1. Re-visit my research notes more often regardless of how yellow with age.
2. Don't assume anything - although I didn't realise I was!
3. Never underestimate the power of Brit-Gen posters and especially Finbar's ability to find sites others can only dream about.
Many, many thanks to everyone involved. You have all made an old girl very happy!!
PS If anyone has a fairy godmother with a hoover going spare.............
Then I posted my problem and Karen came up with his birth for me within minutes. I had had the information at my fingertips but overlooked the fact that on one census grandad had a middle initial. That together with the fact that I had overlooked one variant of the surname - but Karen didn't! meant a 15 year wait. Within a very short time of posting, with the help of Jeremy and others, not only did I have grandad's birth but his mothers and sister's too.
Fantasic you may think - done and dusted BUT oh no. Off everyone went again and filled in some gaps on the gt grandparents. As it turns out, the guy I had been researching (Richard Dennis Dillon) as John's father probably wasn't - but it appears Richard WAS descended from the Earls of Clanricard in Ireland. It's made quite a change, looking at Debrett's instead of chasing travellers and ag labs and I'm having a ball. Richard may not have been my gt grandfather but I still reckon I am on this earth because at the age of 16 and for whatever reason, he took to the road. So, politically correct it may not be, from a FH point of view but I am still researching him and he will remain a part of my family.
I have learned a number of valuable lessons from this.
1. Re-visit my research notes more often regardless of how yellow with age.
2. Don't assume anything - although I didn't realise I was!
3. Never underestimate the power of Brit-Gen posters and especially Finbar's ability to find sites others can only dream about.
Many, many thanks to everyone involved. You have all made an old girl very happy!!
PS If anyone has a fairy godmother with a hoover going spare.............