Researching your family history

66Mustang

I suffer from boredom quite a lot and I have just decided to pay £30 a month for membership of Ancestry. It's keeping me busy today and I thought even if it keeps me busy for a month or couple of weeks it's worth the £30.

There were cheaper packages available but because I am interested in military history I wanted to get access to the war records which was only available in the top package.

So far I am up to my great great great grandparents and it is very interesting.

Has anyone else done this?

Hannah_Alumni

I've been researching my ancestry for years. I love it.

It does keep you busy! I love that each month I can cancel the subscription if I'm going to be busy or lower it if I am not searching military records or newspapers and it's all there. I don't have to re-find the links, it's just I don't have access to the record on the site. 

I started downloading them and editing them up so they were clearer and adding them to books for each line  If you are after any 1921 Census records they are exclusive to FindMyPast and you can buy them as and when needed rather than take out a subscription. 

What's been your favourite find? 

66Mustang

Thanks for the info @Hannah_Scope!!  

I can't call it a find yet, but my Grandfather on my mother's side had quite "olive" coloured skin and we believe somewhere down the line his family were immigrants to the UK. I am really looking forward to finding where they came from!

Hannah_Alumni

No problem  

I hope you find answers soon! Have you been in the immigration documents? I always find them difficult to decipher and have to get my mum to read them as she can read the cursive writing better! 

66Mustang

Ha ha I know what you mean about the writing!!

I believe I am yet to come to the generation which migrated, as for the last 200 years or so they lived in the same county!

It's interesting how people didn't move around much until maybe 50-75 years ago - it seemed people would marry someone from the same village if not just the same county. Now we meet up with people from all over the world on a daily basis.

Hannah_Alumni

It is amazing! I found some of my family started to migrate to America from the 1850s onwards which was great for records. When going so far back. you may also have some luck with Historical records. I found more on a local history webpage someone put together for one branch of my family then I did through Ancestry Thankfully they liked to make notes on marriage banns and baptism records! 

Sandy_123

Oh wow love anything to do with this kinda stuff. I'm considering putting my DNA on the data base to see anyone matches , it also tells you where you are from etc. 

OverlyAnxious

I've done a bit through free records.  (One of the sites offers a free trial around Armistice day each year).

Found two war memorials in the UK with direct ancestors on - though I assume that must be fairly common given the scale of the World Wars around 100 years ago.

I've also seen a couple of family trees (just names & dates) created by older family members on each side - though I don't know how accurate they were.

Didn't find anything particularly interesting.  I already knew there was a long distance move in the fairly recent past.  

Hannah_Alumni

@sandy_123 I've done two DNA tests I started with 23andme as they have the biggest database and you get better results on your composition. I then did one with Ancestry. The benefit of the Ancestry one is that you could build a tree from it. And even connect to trees through DNA connections. If that's something you'd want to do down the road, I'd recommend that one. 

Sandy_123

Interesting @Hannah_Scope will look into it

66Mustang

@OverlyAnxious

I was the same when I started, I kept hoping I'd find something like a famous person or war hero or even something sinister like a murderer. But I am now of the opinion that everyone's life is interesting and all worth looking through. I think it was you that said when most of us die no one will remember us, I think we can do our bit to honour our ancestors by taking an interest in their life, however normal it was!  

Wibbles

I have been a member of Ancestry for 10+ years - I never pay the full amount - currently paying £89.99 for a 12 month worldwide sub....I am related to Benedict Cumberbatch amongst others...

66Mustang

Nice one @Wibbles, I will probably try to do the same if I am still interested after a couple of months, just didn't want to commit to a whole year and then go off it after 2 weeks.

Hannah_Alumni

After your comments on the other thread @66Mustang I had an email to say that Find My Past has free records this weekend until the 13th! If anyone is wanting to do a little ancestry research this weekend  

Sandy_123

Ohhh @Hannah_Scope I've been deciding whether to chance to find my past or stay with ancestry for a good week, as find my past is the only one with 1921 census. I'll have to look  on weekend unless you have to sign up. 

GizmoTiddles

@66Mustang
Have had some interesting results on both dad's side and mum's. 
Started by my eldest brother years ago when he was bored at gchq.
We had a family  reunion back in 1990, (my aunts 99th birthday. She made it to the century, got the telegram then passed a couple of days after.
A interesting read if you Google "Growler Joll"
All the family(males) are of Cornish stock from Falmouth and east kernow.
From Verger, taylors to cordwainer and journeymen all interesting reading for us.
I personally don't research but my surviving brother is now sending me updates
Mothers side 
we have traced back to Russia/Poland and Jewish.
The dna turned up we are 30%
Oy vey😁

kreacher

i'm on ancestry and genesreunited, i find it very interesting, sometimes you feel like a detective trying to find that bit of info to link everything together

Sandy_123

I'm loving looking into the past

Hannah_Alumni

Sorry @Sandy_123 I just saw this! Did you find anything over that weekend?

I just had an email to say they have found my great grandads war records Now waiting to receive them! 

Albus_Scope

I know mum went down the rabbit hole on our families history after she lost her mum.  I remember we once had a very dark and gothic name in our family tree, but I cant remember it.  So I'll be asking mum for all the details over the weekend. 

Sandy_123

Oooo @Hannah_Scope interesting. 
That sounds intriguing @Albus_Scope
I've cancelled ancestory it runs out on 19th then I'm going to find my past as it has 1921 census. No point paying for half the info. Be intresting to see what 1921 puts out.