Then and Now

[Bertha]

I've found quite a few distant rellies along the way and we e-mail each other in a friendly,cousinly fashion. Sometimes not just about our common goal- finding another twig - but just wee notes to say how we are doing. So far, all I have contacted have been interested and helpful, whether it be on GR, Rootsweb or any other board.
The most recent is the most distant so far and its her husband who writes for them both, full of wee snippets of family now and back then. They have even invited my daughter to pop in when she is in their part of the world. This has made me want to find out more about this branch of which my middle name comes from.
So go for it you may make life long friends if not find new rellies.
Bertha

[Muriel]

Agreed Bertha. I've got one very very distant cousin who has become a good friend - helped by the fact that she lives in Tranent & I'm in Edinburgh! - with whom I'm happy to swap any info I get. Conversely another much closer (2nd cousin) I contacted via GR was happy to take what I had but has never reciprocated. So it's all a case of building up trust and then deciding a) if they're interested (pearls/swine etc ) & b) if you trust them with the information. We have a family website and one member, when given a copy of the family tree (about 10,000 names ) promtly put the whole thing on GR - something we've never done. I must say I was not very happy to find my father's name listed as soon as we hit 2007 as there is no direct link between him & the posting member.

You lives & you learns

Muriel

[StewL]

I have just been addicted to this family history caper for nearly three years now. Up until recently I only had one 4th cousin connection, and we are both stuck in the same spot We communicate by email intermittently, even though they live here in the west also. We have never considered a meet up, and I accept that is the way it is. Thanks to my having my arm twisted, and being dragged screaming and fighting, I joined GR and just over the past couple of months I now have another 3/4 4th cousins down different lines. The latest match is a Airdire born lady who now lives in Sussex, who has been doing the family history thing for about 18 years now, with a match to my Robert Phillips/Marrion Walker line, her connection is through Jane Bruce Phillips and mine is through Margaret Phillips her younger sister. it is early days yet but she has said she is happy to share what she has. Who would believe that not too long ago I thought I was the only one in the world researching my lot of lang deid punters

So far there is only one contact I am having troubles with, and it is not through any problems with 4th cousin, just getting the information she passed on to my to fit into my line (not trying to make it fit ) it is just that I really need to get back and really look at what has been sent to make the match due to one individual in the line.