Hi Esther, one of the joys of Family history is not just tracing dates, but having information about the person. There is something rather special about visiting a place you know someone in your ancestry spent a great deal of time, or knowledge about the occupation from which they made their living. For me, the background information is invaluable. Wills for instance can provide glimpses into peoples lives, what they felt was important, as well as interesting snippets reflecting relationships. For some family members, little information is collected. Others, I have a strange affinity for - and want to know more - much more.
The knowledge of why members of the family moved is intriguing. Sometimes there are obvious reasons, closure of a mine meaning miners move on, end of a lease on a farm for the farmers. Others are less clear cut. I have a Jane Thomlinson, born in the Harper Hill area, West Maitland, New South Wales about 1839 in my family. She travelled to India, where she married George Fitton. She also seems to have had a sister who married someone in the same regiment. George was in the army, and eventually they moved back to Lancashire (outside Liverpool) where he was born and with the passing of time became my Gt Gt Gt Grandparents. For me, it is not just where she was born and married, but why did she travel. I believe her father may have either been in the army, or associated with it - but it is not so easy to obtain birth records from NSW in England, which may give me the clue I need. I really do sympathise with those trying to trace their family from outside the UK. Now as yet, I haven't found a lacemaker in my ancestry - but you can be sure that if I found one, I would follow that link avidly. I live in hope of finding a lacemaker as some of my family appear to originate from agricultural labouring families in Wiltshire. To date I have to content myself with yeomen farmers, miners, workers in the cotton industry, shepherds and labourers. Karen, In Coventry To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
