Genealogy Chat

Just a question, I am not sure what I believe but since starting my tree about 6 months ago I have had so many strange things happen, some I won't go into for fear of sounding totally insane! But on several instances taking photos for my tree of the people I am still lucky enough to having living, there have been orb like things on the photos. These were taken on digital cameras, taking 3 pictures at a time or each person, the orbs are on 1 picture but not the other 2. Pics of my children have never had such a thing on them but pics of myself and my dad do have them. Upon spotting this, and as we had all the pictures taken on the stairs in my parents home, I took random pics of the stairs, and on 1 picture there is 4 orbs going up (or coming down) the stairs. I know there are many explanations for this but we really did check every possibility, light, glare, dust on camera and nothing explained them. Another picture has the faint image of a man sitting on the stairs behind me (I took the picture with the stairs behind me at my mums shelves covered in family pictures, she has a mirror in the middle and the reflection was in that mirror, could have been smears on the mirror, yet it was crystal clear, so I am looking for other possible explanations or am i mad? :) Thanks

I think that there are a lot of spooky things that seem to happen when you really look into family history. I moved a long way across country shortly before starting my tree,without knowing it i had moved to within 10 miles of where my 2xg g/f lived and worked,and where a whole generation of my family where born. I often feel like i am being watched from a certain window in the town and subsequently found out that the building in question is an old residence for my family. I also know someone who used a clairvoyant to help solve a mystery from her families past,don't ask me how it happened,but i got mentioned by her long departed ancestor!! Glen

Jean, I don't think you're mad at all, I've had too many things happen to me and my family to think anything other than there is life (of whatever sort) beyond death. It's not that I want to believe in it - I've just had too many things happen to prove that it does exist. Snowdrops

Jean I’ve always said things happen for a reason – about a year ago I was completely stuck on several parts of my tree – I am the eldest living rellie on my Dad’s side of one part of the family and only have my childhood/teenage memories an d a box of photos to go on. Anyway, I moved into my current property about 12 years ago. There is a cupboard under my bed that hadn’t been cleared out for about 9 years, so one Saturday morning I decided to have a go at it. I would add at this point that when I moved my mum had already been dead for 9 years and my dad for four, so it’s not something I would have acquired after that. I totally emptied it out and there, hiding in the bottom corner was a little cardboard box, that I would swear on my husband’s life I had never seen before. I was puzzled by it and carefully took it out, brushed off the dust and opened it – there were all the present tags, cards and a sample invitation for my parents wedding – I burst into tears there and then!! I spoke to my younger sister, described the box and the contents and she was as convinced as me that she had never seen it before either – so the question is who arranged for me to find it that morning? Once I had examined all the contents, it lead me to the surnames of people that I only had nicknames for, and whole new addresses to try and fit people into. Needless to say, it gave my search a new lease of life and through it I have managed to find a second cousin I knew of but had no idea of his surname, that I now correspond with. So, do I believe in the paranormal – you bet I do!! Looby

Hiya Looby Spooky!!!!! I haven't been about much over the summer, but have just come back to the boards and some of the first things I reply to, you do too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take care Looby

Hi Jean, I am the world's biggest sceptic. However, it's not that I don't believe it's just that until it happens to me I refuse to believe. Just call me 'Doubting Thomas'. However, if you are certain that something odd has happened who am I to say it hasn't. It may be worth having a word with the neighbours to see if you can gleam the history of the house or information about previous owners. Bye Paul

I know what you mean. I think its great when our dead rellies try to help or guide us. I was visiting a cemetary with my daughter, checking for headstones etc. As we left, towards the pathway opposite is a farm track leading to Home Farm. My daughter says Mum there is a man over there watching us, I could see nothing & we just joked about dead rellies spying on us. Two weeks later on the census checks guess which farm my rellies worked on? Yes Home Farm opposite the church. Spooky !

Ooh Ang! Just the same thing as i mean,weird sometimes isn't it? Glen

Wow Looby and Looby - TWINS!!!!!!! Didn't know you could have two people with the same name on here - could cause hilarity for people thinking they were speaking to one but really it was the other!

Hiya Snowdrop I believe that myself and the other Looby have corresponded in the past - and it is all down to a childhood nickname for both of us - you can have two the same because it saves your surname as well - it's just the same as having two Margarets or two Sues!!!!!! Looby

Yeah but the two Margaret's and two Sue's usually have something else to distinguish them (like Sue from Colchester as opposed to Sue from Liverpool) - but I understand what you mean, GR distinguishes them because of maiden names. Ooh you two could have fun!!!!!

I believe. I got ill a few years back and really felt down. I don't know what else I would've done, but something told me to find out about my family. So I started researching and with something to focus on, I started getting better. I believe there is a reason why people research into their tree's, and I believe that was my reason. They knew I was at my worst and focusing on my family gave me something to hook onto, and now I'm gradually climbing uphill, instead of down. I think things will happen when you become open to this sort of thing. You look into your past, it can open old wounds, and you are, essentially, looking at 'death', albeit on a tree, census, or record. In that sense you do become more open to your paranormal side. I once heard that everyone has one, but many don't choose to believe or use it.

I believe in the paranormal, ever since my grandmother died in 1970 I was only 10 then, and its carried on for many years, I wont go into details but Ive always felt nan has been with me, Ive smelt her as well, she doesnt come to see me all the time just from time to time. I know her first husband (before she married my grandfather) died due to being gassed in the first world war, and I wear that wedding ring. When I was going to the cemetary to find the grave mum said its between to the 2 churches, but when I got to the churches I was lost and all I said is 'Daniel where are you' and I seemed to have been guided to his grave, same with his parents mum said after I got home his parents are not far from him and again all I said is 'Daniel show me where your mum and dad are' . I have seen a ghost and I do believe, wish my nan would pop in havent talked to her for ages. Yvonne xx

Looby - you're not the same one I was speaking to a few minutes ago!!!!

I feel much more comfortable now knowing im not alone so I will spill the rest of why I started this thread. It started when I was a kid with my dad, he would make these weird predictions, nothing major, but I remember them mostly happening, he is still that way today but scoffs at anthing paranormal refusing to believe in its exsistance. When in my teens I had many strange things happen, items moving around the house and not being where I left them, things like that. When I became a mum, myself and a friend decided to go to these mediums, it was 3 separate places and we decided if we put our foot down in the car we could just about make all 3 in a day. I got picked out at each one, each medium told me I was psychic and had a sister of mercy with me called Helena. I just took it with a pinch of salt. Years later I worked at Lakeside in Thurrock and after a late night girly chat about all things spooky we decided to hold eachothers rings or necklaces and just say the first thing that came to us for a giggle, where I then described each of their houses having never been to any of them, even to where they had photos and what was in them. It all died off and i didnt give it any more thought until I started my tree, since then (and I know we all must do it) I chat to them, just like 'Oh Alfred where are you!!' whilst hunting on the census. Then I would find a likely candidate and say 'There you are!!' and it is almost like I hear them - NO! That isnt me, look further, That is just a for instance on the many times it has happened. And about 4 weeks ago I had a dream about my grandfather, (He was living at the time) We were in a cemetary, he didnt say a word to me in my dream and it was all very scary, he was walking in front of me beckoning me to follow, so I did, it seemed quite a walk in my dream, then he stopped and pointed at a grave stone, I looked and his name was on it, well that scared me enough to wake my up, but 2 weeks later he died of a massive heart attack So I wanted to start this thread to find out if anyone had had similar experiences or if i could be imagining things! I am so glad its all annonymous here lol, now i BET someone thinks I have lost the plot!!

I think that you are perfectly sane, Jean!!! I am absolutely positive that our dead rellies will help us find them when they want to be found. I have had quite a few spooky coincidences happen to me which have helped me to get on further with my tree. I am convinced that at least one dead rellie is helping me!!

Thanks Angela, you made me feel better. And its so great reading all your stories, especially the ones where people end up moving to an area where their ancestors originated without knowing before doing their trees!

This was printed in the British War Memorial Project newsletter. We scoured the cemetery for war graves and couldn't really initially find the ones we were looking for. A lovely tabby cat with no tail (not a Manx) and very big feet joined us at one stage and rolled over our feet and generally rubbed round our ankles as we walked, very friendly. As soon as we moved away from one section of the Cemetery it didn't follow us but the rest of the time it followed us from grave to grave. There are quite a few veterans graves in this cemetery and many can't be read as they have some sort of moss on the lettering. We continued to look for the graves and managed to find three of the four and the cat rolled over on each one and purred. We couldn't find Fitzgibbons and we walked all over but the cat stayed in the one area. Finally I said to my friend Norah 'I'll ask the cat', and went and stroked the cat and said 'Come on then show us where he is?' and the cat trotted off to the next row and lay down on the exact grave we were looking for. It was smaller and hidden by some larger monuments around it. Norah said that it was just too spooky and could we go now! So I thanked the cat and off we went; after being so affectionate we were worried it might follow us back to the car but as we walked away it just stayed on Fitzgibbons grave and watched us go. Funny enough the photo of the cat on the grave does not seem to have come out! [Note; This project is trying to get all the war graves from the WWI onwards photographed for posterity, (see website for details) all the photographers are volunteers.] Mavis

Wow Mavis that is a great story!

Wow Mavis that is a great story!