I have spent the last ten days, off and on, sorting out a huge extended family to create a sketch tree.
One lot gave me particular trouble, parallel families. Fathers both called John, born same place, same year, mothers Margaret and Mary, similar ages, same birth places. Children with same/similar names.
I doggedly followed them and their ten children (each) through each census, battling with mistranscriptions and lies. Both families were involved in making wallpaper and both families all but disappear around 1871. Eventually, thinking outside the box (!) I trace them to London, oh joy.
I get to 1901 and both sons called John are in London doing wallpaper things - but hurray! One has his widowed father living with him (John) and the other has an unmarried sister with an unusual name (mistranscribed) living with him. Sorted!
No, actually, because at that point I realise I've gone wrong somewhere and killed off the wrong dad called John and married the wrong sons called John to the wrong women.
I've got bits of paper all over the floor...and shopping still to do.....
OC
One lot gave me particular trouble, parallel families. Fathers both called John, born same place, same year, mothers Margaret and Mary, similar ages, same birth places. Children with same/similar names.
I doggedly followed them and their ten children (each) through each census, battling with mistranscriptions and lies. Both families were involved in making wallpaper and both families all but disappear around 1871. Eventually, thinking outside the box (!) I trace them to London, oh joy.
I get to 1901 and both sons called John are in London doing wallpaper things - but hurray! One has his widowed father living with him (John) and the other has an unmarried sister with an unusual name (mistranscribed) living with him. Sorted!
No, actually, because at that point I realise I've gone wrong somewhere and killed off the wrong dad called John and married the wrong sons called John to the wrong women.
I've got bits of paper all over the floor...and shopping still to do.....
OC
Comment