Who am I?

My version of the question in the BBC programme tiled 'Who Do you Think You Are?' Several years ago my wife was becoming increasingly curious as to her past family because she knew almost nothing about her ancestors even as recently as her grandparents. In most families of our generation family relationships and many other things were certainly not discussed with children as they are today. Again, like many others, it has been in later life that a desire for knowledge has grown with the almost inevitable situation that most of those able to explain matters are no longer here. Thus it was in our case and made all the harder because we had by this time moved from the UK to live in France.

One really useful tool today is the Internet and the World Wide Web where all manner of information may be found with relative ease. Having signed up with a well known genealogy website the search began using newfound knowledge to build a family tree. That is a relatively simple matter for the living generations, then there came the first difficulty. There is much info on the Web with many government records readily available, such as Censuses up to 1911 and much more. The problem was, and is, that there is a gap of roughly one hundred years from the last available Censuses until the present day. Yes there are birth marriage and death records available but they can be expensive to access and do not always have much useful information.

It was decided to go back in time from around 1900 and fairly soon relatives from the late eighteenth century were uncovered. There is always the slight question on the mind as to potentially famous ancestors as well as the frisson that skeletons in cupboards may be found. Probably the most interesting link for my wife that she is related to a number of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, founders of the trades union movement. To date her earliest family dates to the early seventeenth century.

Naturally I became curious about my family too, nothing remarkable there except that I have positive links to a French count born in 1010 AD who was part of William the Conqueror's invasion force.

What began as mild curiousity has blossomed into a major interest which now the winter days are here passes many hours of discovery. It's a bit like a treasure hunt in some ways, instead of corners to turn there are web pages and just the next one could unlock whole new chapters!