It’s going to be a bad winter

[pagey]

Lots of leaves to clear up and more still coming down!

Going to pick ours up shortly oh how the bored survive

 

[Just smiffy]

One of my boiled eggs cracked this morning.... oh can life get any worse..

 

[Puddleduck]

How are you doing that? What site do you use. I was hoping to make this into a winter project but I don't know where to start?

It's expensive, but start with something like Ancestry.co.uk and work backwards. Easy to get to the 1840's with the Census and Births, Marriages and Deaths. Then it's a hard slog through Parish and other records like Wills and Poor law, Apprenticeships etc.

I got stuck because too many of mine have no records of their Fathers

Cheers

I found a trawl through newspapers gave one father's name as the lady took the father to court for maintenance!

Before you spend any money write down what you think you know, talk to family members and then "prove" what they say.

General Register Office (GRO) - Official information on births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths

gives you an index of births and deaths although it is not complete and the searching is a bit quirky. Some of the indices on Ancestry and FindMyPast are free so you can find out quite a bit without spending a lot of money up front. The probate index is also free

Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales)

probatesearch.service.gov.uk

but not everyone made a will of course. There is also often more information contained within a will than on a death certificate - post 1858 copies of English / Welsh wills are only £1.50 so a bargain as these things go. Even the free to search index can provide you with a lot of useful stuff.

One thing that is (in my opinion) essential is a program for you to keep all your findings in order. There are lots about and it is a matter of personal preference. I use RootsMagic at the moment (new version due out soon). Other "names" are Family Tree Maker, My Heritage and there are also free programs. Make sure they have the ability to export a gedcom, which is the way different systems talk to each other and allow you to upload your tree to websites. I also make living people as anonymous as I can.

If you do a DNA test I suggest you test with Ancestry as they have the largest database but I also tested with MyHeritage and have had "hits" with both companies. If you do test DNA remember that you are also testing part of your parents' DNA and their parents and so on. Once the genie is out of the lamp it doesn't go back in and you will find secrets - some welcome and some less so.


An example:
We were always aware that one of my Great-Grandfather's was a mystery. He married my Great-Grandmother the month before she gave birth to his twins and there were several other children born after that - she died 3 days after the birth of my Grandmother and her twin brother and her father re-married. I had been unable to find out anything about him prior to his marriage ...... I was told he was from South Wales and I had a date of birth (which may or may not be correct) but that's it. Two different names for his father on the marriage certificate which also doesn't help. I got a DNA match and after working with my DNA cousin we found that my Great-Grandfather had left his Welsh Great-Grandmother pregnant and run out on her. So another piece in our respective puzzles but neither of us are any further forward in finding out who our Great-Grandfather is. I went through everyone with the name he claimed for births in the area he said he was born and discounted everyone so I now need to widen the search to the area where the deserted lady lived and search 5 years each side of the date of birth he claimed then trace evry child born with that name through the census returns and death registers.

I have also found out where some of the family money went as one of my relatives divorced his wife which at that time required a private Act of Parliament, a costly business. I have copies of the papers and they make fascinating reading ...... the wife walked out on her husband taking their daughter and leaving their son. It was claimed she was "habitually drunk". The divorce papers name another man with whom she was having a relationship and he admits that but claims it wasn't just him as she was little better than a "common prostitute". She ignores the court papers and I can find no trace of her (probably did a runner and changed her name). The husband refutes the allegations from the co-respondent. Anyway the divorce was granted and the daughter handed over to my relative (the son was already with his paternal family) but my family ended up with hefty legal costs even though the wife and her lover were suppost to make recompense. A bit of scandal always makes for interesting reading!!!!!!

 

[Puddleduck]

Today we pressure wash the chicken house

Strangely enough I like cleaning out the chickens. Just waiting for the sun to get round to the back garden this afternoon.

 

[Just smiffy]

Today we pressure wash the chicken house

Strangely enough I like cleaning out the chickens. Just waiting for the sun to get round to the back garden this afternoon.

Isn’t a pressure washer a bit harsh on the chickens...

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[Puddleduck]

Isn’t a pressure washer a bit harsh on the chickens...

Well if they insist on "helping" ......

 

[Janine]

Ancestry is great for researching and starting your family tree. You can pay for just one month and, even when you aren't subscribed, your tree stays available for ever.
I buy a month's subscription a couple of times a year to add any newly released records.

 

[Puddleduck]

Today we pressure wash the chicken house

Strangely enough I like cleaning out the chickens. Just waiting for the sun to get round to the back garden this afternoon.

Isn’t a pressure washer a bit harsh on the chickens...

All done, I got soaked After begging for treats and generally getting in the way all the chickens but one went to sit in the sun once the pressure washer was turned on. Lazarus (aka Almost Dog's Dinner) decided that sitting on top of the pressure washer was a great place to be. Even after being chased by a neighbour's dog she still goes to steal his food ........

 

[movan]

One of my boiled eggs cracked this morning.... oh can life get any worse..

Yes it can young man. I can't get out of my house and I woke up this morning thinking I could murder a boiled egg. I don't have any eggs.

 

[B-well]

View attachment 437371

HE WILL BE ALONG SOON

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[movan]

For any of those alone who are struggling, I think you will understand the message a lovely friend, who is also struggling, just sent to me... Keep strong all. We're in this together.

 

[Eggs]

For any of those alone who are struggling, I think you will understand the message a lovely friend, who is also struggling, just sent to me... Keep strong all. We're in this together.

We're in this together?, I think not. If those who advise take absolutely no notice of the rules how are we in it together?

 

[movan]

Tho

We're in this together?, I think not. If those who advise take absolutely no notice of the rules how are we in it together?

Those of us wishing to support others going through it are in our support thread together. . Without which some of us wouldn't get through the day.

This isn't an argument thread.. It's a support thread.... See the opening post.

 

[Mikey RV]

For any of those alone who are struggling, I think you will understand the message a lovely friend, who is also struggling, just sent to me... Keep strong all. We're in this together.

Thats great a real live mermaid.

 

[movan]

Just smiffy and everyone else on their own, just checking you all ok. ?

This last month seems to have been particularly long... Have you all done anything of interest?

Xx

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[Coolcats]

Just smiffy and everyone else on their own, just checking you all ok. ?

This last month seems to have been particularly long... Have you all done anything of interest?

Xx

Have tried some Japanese recipes and that have come out quite well mushroom and tofu Miso soup with egg noodles and Katsu curry with sweet potato covers in bread crumbs. Normally have whole meal bread but made a white loaf so could make the breadcrumbs, couldn’t resist a fish finger sarnie ( not the same day as the Japanese cooking though)

 

[Janine]

Just smiffy and everyone else on their own, just checking you all ok. ?

This last month seems to have been particularly long... Have you all done anything of interest?

Xx

Thanks for asking, Joy xx

The only thing I have done different is take out a subscription to Netflix as I have watched everything of interest on Prime.

I have also taken a degree in being a Couch Potato and passed with flying colours

 

[AnnB]

Evenings are long but at least I have work so that gets me out during the day.

How are you, Joy?

 

[jonsea]

This month is a bad month for me will be glad when its over i hope it starts getting better hope you are keeping ok Joy and everyone on there own think we all need some of these

 

[Just smiffy]

I’m good thanks Joy movan, nice of you to be thinking of us all. Only another week till lockdown ends and other restrictions start.. but at lest some of us may be able to get out and about doing things...

this year has made me incredibly lazy when I’m normally on the go doing nothing sometimes.... I’ve got plenty that needs doing but always putting it off til tomorrow... guess I should be down in Spain... Mañana....

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[Conal]

When I retired nine years ago I was determined to lose weight and get fit(ter). Eight years later I was doing more exercise but had put a considerable amount of weight on.
I had a couple of post retirement jobs that involved unsocial working and sort of blamed them.
Finally retired last year with worsening hip arthritis but still didn’t do much about losing weight.
As more was discovered about COVID-19 it became clear that obesity is a large factor in the life or death lottery and my wife started a diet in early July and I joined in to support her. I also upped my exercise.
I am onto my second exercise bike as I ruined the bearing on the first.
Hilary has lost 11/2 stone and I have lost over 4 stone.
I would not normally tell anyone, as I have Yo-yo dieted, but I feel it is important to realise that we can take some control back over our lives and think and act positively during this terrible time.