Find Ancestors

I have been a member on here since day one (well that's what it feels like lol), a friend has asked me to research her tree and 2 people have connections with her mother, I have sent them a message to ask connection but no reply, guess they gave up checking on GR :-(

Are you asking for help to find your friend's ancestors?

You'll know from experience that there are lots of reasons why people don't reply to messages -
They've died; are now too old or unwell to be involved with tree research; have just lost interest; have changed their email addresses and not informed GR; haven't checked their spam mailbox; etc, etc.

Or maybe just haven't got round to replying YET. Sometimes it can take months for someone to reply. Patience is required!

Whereas we're all here, leaning over our computers, waiting with bated breath for the next puzzle to solve.
Give us some details, and we'll have a go!

I don't think there are too many people who use Genes (despite how many members they say they have.

If someone has stopped using the site but left their tree on here they will only be informed that they have a message if they still have the same email address that they registered when they joined Genes and many people change email addresses now and again.

Kath. x

There are all kinds of reasons why someone does not reply.

First, check your Sent Mail to see if the message has been opened .... if a green envelope is to the left of the message, then it has NOT been opened.

If no envelope is showing, then it has been opened, and s/he may or may not reply.

Although I presume you know most of the following, it might be worth repeating ..............


Reasons for no response include ...........

member is dead or incapacitated
member has lost all interest
member has changed email address but not notified GR of the change
member does not wish contact with you

If a member does not wish to reply to you, it may depend on what your message said .............

did you use the automated suggested response of "open Your Tree" ? ............ many (if not most) of us NEVER respond to those messages.

did you say "I am connected to you by xxxxx xxxxxx", without any further explanation? ...... again, many of us do not respond to such messages


If requesting contact, you really should explain how or why you think you might be connected, eg by saying "I note that you have xxxxx xxxxxx born ca 1750 Oxford in your tree. I also have a person with this name and birth date, and wondered if we might be connected. My xxxxx xxxxxx was a (occupation), married yyyyy yyyyyy and had 6 children."

This indicates that you are not just merely a name collector, and lets the person know quickly an easily whether there might indeed be a connection