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maggiefishblue
04-20-2006, 10:24 AM
Hi All,

Thank you Sally for creating such a useful board - brilliant idea of Chris's.

These are some of the tips which people posted for Chris - I thought I would put them altogether as Chris suggested.

Sally

I would say the book you want to track down is Ancestral Trails by Mark Herber it is just about the bible of genealogy and is very well written and easy to dip in and out of. Have a look on Amazon they usually do it at a good price.

Len

I have a small digital recorder recorder I use in interviews, it is amazing the bits u forgot to write as you both chatted, My second important tool is my digital camera, My hope is to find a living relation who may know something about my Grand mother, as finding out about her was the key that started me on this endless Quest.

when visiting a place I leave business cards (especially printed on my PC stating I am researching Family history giving phone numbers and e mail address) with every one who I think may possibly know some one some where, perhaps leaving a 100 cards in one town, I have had the odd reply months latter, the research of a family member who moved to wales was found by talking to every shop keeper in the town where they lived and is still baring fruit, the beauty of this hard foot slog method is they feel they want to help you. I even leave wanted posters post card size in news agents windows, usually costs 20p a week, I leave them in for a month in each shop, I have had four good replies from this method.

The other tip is leave your e mail address every where try typing in Simmonds Hanley castle and you will see what I mean, (Simmonds is my Name) as I believe if a simmonds out there eis trying to research there history and they put Simmonds in the search it will connect with me, I have over 70 sites where my mane and e mail is shown, I know the old story well any one can contact me, Ok if you ever get a nut u can use your E mail controls to shut them out or even use a hot mail address as there must be a conection point, there has to be a way of other members of our familles contacting us it makes sense. Imagine how u would feel if you found the persome on the net u wanted and could not e mail them.

Maggie

1. www.lostcousins.com - I have used this to look up people on the 1881 census and have then included them on the site - to date I have had two responses, both were from people who are researching ancestors who married into my family. The first one gave me some additional info. on her family (I did likewise) but the second one proved extremely helpful. His research was of a family, again, who married into mine - my Hanley Castle family in fact - and he sent me some photographs of some of the family taken at the turn of the century and in the 1930's. He was also able to tell me that descendents of my family still lived in the farmhouse that appeared on the 1881 census in Madresfield - and that he had visited them. I have now made contact with them too - very exciting!!

2. www.tribalpages.com - I have put my Family Tree onto this site and have had several people contact me who are researching the same names - only one turned out to be the same family but I live in hopes for more.

chrisg
04-20-2006, 06:39 PM
Perfect!

makes it quite explicit where to find the information - was telling a colleague today at work about this brilliant web site - passed to her a 'copy & paste' of the info. into an email to her for her husband - she whizzed off to her husband who thought the information was perfect for his researching - so just shows people out there really do appreciate the support :cool:

Chris

kaye
04-20-2006, 10:57 PM
Hi All,

This board is a great idea, thank you Chris and Sally. :wink:

I'd just like to add something to Maggie's information about www.lostcousins.com

Lostcousins also have a Buddy Scheme, which is quite unique and so helpful when you have a really troublesome 'brickwall' that you just can't solve.

I just could not find my G Grandmother and my Gran on the 1891 census, My G Grandfather had died in 1888, so I knew they weren't off somewhere in the 'Empire' with the Royal Artillery.

I sent an email to the Buddy Scheme and within 24 hours I had so much information that I was almost speechless. :eek:

There is no actual direct contact with the buddy that your request has been assigned too, all contact goes through lostcousins, so privacy is guaranteed.

What happened to G Grannie ? well, she remarried, but my Grannie was mistranscribed under her stepfathers name with her own surname stuck in the middle......Great Grannie actually remarried twice . :rolleyes:
I received all the marriage and death references, also the '91 and 1901 census entries. :smilie:

I have also had three contacts through lostcousins, two of whom I'd had contact with from another website and the other a bit removed, but it does work and the more people who join and add their 1881 ancestors, blood relatives, and related by marriage info, can only make it even more successful.

If your stuck, try the Buddy Scheme. :biggrin:

Kaye. :wink: