Comments on: Family Tree Maker 2012 is here!

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:19:53 +0000

Some years ago, after a weeks researching in Aberdeen’s Spital cemetery and on the day I was due to go home, I found a family grave with inscriptions on it revealing a wealth of information regarding my Scottish ancestors. This last minute discovery made my whole journey up to Aberdeen most worthwhile.

By: Sean Brown

Sean Brown — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:40:47 +0000

My greatest ‘eureka moment’ (still not surpassed) was the first time I visited a local parish church, opened its original leather bound parish record book and discovered my grandfather’s baptismal record. I would advise everyone to follow up their online research and to go to parish churches and see the actual documents for themselves. They are living history.

By: Colin

Colin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:33:38 +0000

Well I have not actually done much of my family tree, however I found a “Family Bible” which belonged to my late granddad which informs us we had ancestors who moved to India and the mother and 4 children died from an epidemic of cholera leaving the father and 2 children behind.

I can’t wait to get started to find out about these possible ancestors…

By: Peter Mason

Peter Mason — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:36:33 +0000

Finding out that some of my aunts and uncles are only half aunts and uncles because I have found out that they were fathered by a different partner my grandmother had, after who I thought was my grandfather died. Established this by confirming who was living with my grandmother on the UK Electoral Register as her partner which proved my grandfather was no my grandfather

By: Steve Bosley

Steve Bosley — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:26:53 +0000

My favourite family history story has to be the one about Grandad Sydney Hankey which demonstrates how tenuous the circumstances can be that form the branches of a family tree.
Sydney was shot in the leg in WW1 at the Somme and unable to move. A German soldier happened upon him but instead of shooting him he comforted him and they exchanged souvenirs – the German giving Sydney a postcard from his family – which I have to this day.
Later that day one of Sydney’s mates found him and dragged him to the road, where he accosted a French cart full of wounded soldiers and convinced them they had room for one more.
Consequently Sydney survived the rest of the war and married my grandmother 6 years later.
As a postscript, I saw just last week (in the 15 collections in 15 days promotion) that Ancestry are part way through adding the Bavarian war records. I just had to look up the German soldier to see if he too survived the war – unfortunately, as he was in the 47 reserves I will have to wait a little longer … but I do hope so – so I can try to find a way to say thank you.

By: Alison

Alison — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:42:29 +0000

I get a thrill from discovering that I’ve found anyone from my family tree that I didn’t know about. I’ve always known that Charles Dickens was related to me, but have got unstuck trying to find who my great-great grandfather was as he was some Lord or something who had his fun with a worker of the house (apparently very common back in the day). Also found out that another relative is Charles Talbot, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury (now where Alton Towers theme park is). I’d most like to find the descendents of my maternal grandfathers brother who emigrated to Canada, also my maternal grandmother’s descendents as apparently there was a family rift and my mother didn’t know them either. I found one distant relative on my father’s side who now lives in Australia, and was so thrilled just to find one person

By: John Todd

John Todd — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:35:18 +0000

I found out my maternal grandfather was an army deserter after being found unshaven on parade in 1910.

By: Michelle Grant

Michelle Grant — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:14:26 +0000

My favourite discovery was that my Great Grandfather served in the First and Second World Wars! After being gassed and surving the First, he signed up as a volunteer in the second, lying about his age, so that he could join. A true patriot, and a brave man!

By: Wendy Davies

Wendy Davies — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:55:59 +0000

Every discovery is a favourite — discovering my 3xGreat Granddad was a tightrope walker and never married my 3xgreat grandmother – tracking one of their sons to Canada (my 2xgreat granddads brother) – the subsequent tracking down of cousins from 3xgreat granddads first marriage — including a Barnado’s boy who was a home child (to Canada) and his escapades – now in close contact with his children & grandchildren (they live in California) – organizing a ‘reunion’ for this branch (legitimate & illegitimate) of the family and finally getting a headstone on the grave of 3xGreat Granddad (buried with his father) with help from many of his discovered descendants…

By: Angela Donovan

Angela Donovan — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:03:08 +0000

Finding out that my Great Great Uncle Tom Jones who was born in Wales and lived in Boston USA and finding him on the USA 1920 and 1930 census. I’d love to know what made him leave the UK when most of the rest of his family stayed in America! I also thought it was fascinating that one of our welsh family was adopted by a relative, again living in Boston and she went on to become a Nun!