General Chat

The Laws of Genealogy The document containing evidence of the missing link in your research invariably will be lost due to fire, flood, or war. The keeper of the vital records you need will just have been insulted by another genealogist. Your great, great grandfather's obituary states that he died leaving no issue of record. The town clerk you wrote in desperation, and finally convinced to give to you the information you need, can't write legibly, and doesn't have a copying machine. The will you need is in the safe on board the "Titanic." The spelling of your European ancestor's name bears no relationship to its current spelling or pronunciation. That ancient photograph of four relatives, one of whom is your progenitor, carries the names of the other three. Copies of old newspapers have holes which only occur on last names. No one in your family tree ever did anything noteworthy, always rented property, was never sued, and was never named in wills. You learned that great aunt Matilda's executor just sold her life's collection of family genealogical materials to a flea market dealer "somewhere in New York City." Yours is the ONLY last name not found among the three billion in the world-famous Mormon archives in Salt Lake City. Ink fades and paper deteriorates at a rate inversely proportional to the value of the data recorded. The 37-volume, sixteen-thousand-page history of your county of origin isn't indexed. The critical link in your family tree is named "Smith."

You Know That You Are An Addicted Genealogist When... You brake for libraries. If you get locked in a library overnight and you never even notice. When you hyperventilate at the sight of an old cemetery. If you'd rather browse in a cemetery than a shopping mall. When you think every home should have a microfilm reader. If you'd rather read census schedules than a good book. When you know every town clerk in your state by name. If town clerks lock the doors when they see you coming. When you are more interested in what happened in 1695 than 1995. If you store your clothes under the bed and your closet is carefully stacked with notebooks and journals. When Savage, Torrey, and Pope are household names, but you can't remember what you call your dog. If you can pinpoint Harrietsham, Hawkhurst, Kent on a map of England, but can't locate Topeka, Kansas. When all your correspondence begins "Dear Cousin." If you've traced every one of your ancestral lines back to Adam and Eve, have it fully documented, and still don't want to quit

A Merry Christmas and a Guid New Year to one and all. Robert Greig, Ayrshire.

What would happen if Santa really got stuck up the chimney? He would suffer a bad case of Cluastrophobia! Robert , ayrshire

Why did Sherlock holmes ask Watson to paint his front door to 221b Baker Street bright yellow? Why it"s A Lemon Entry, Watson! Robert, Ayrshire

Genealogy is about the nearly dead seeking the really dead. Bob

After reading all these great messages I feel dead tired so I'm off to bed. Brenda in Australia

You never know how many skeletons are in the cupboard and been in prison surprises all round but good fun

Ta for the muchly amusing jokes and anecdotes! I'm just starting out on the family tree thing, and the best joke I can come up with on said subject is this... "My family." Yeah, that was it. Sorry to those that got this far and was disappointed by my lacklustre efforts. Back to the g-nee-allergy... Catherine, Luton, England.

Which famous historical character invented fractions? Henry the 1/8th. Robert,Ayrshire

Q. why does history keep repeating itself? A. probably, because we weren't listening in the first place! Robert, Ayrshire

Q. who invented King Arthurs Round Table? A. Sir Cumference.... Robert, Ayrshire

Specially for Marly. Q.Who was the Black Princes famous ancestor? A. Old King Coal! Robert, Ayrshire

You know that you are getting old when your children are studying subjects for history which in your day were current events. Robert, Ayrshire

"Blessed are they that can laugh at themselves - because they will have a never ending source of humour!" Robert, Ayrshire

Genealogists like chasing their own tale. Robert, Ayrshire

WIFE:- (to Husband who doesn't understand the concept of genealogy) I found my Gt Gt Gt Gt Grandmother in the workhouse today. HUSBAND:- If you don't get my dinner and stop spending so much time on that infernal genealogy, next time you visit you can stay in there with her. Cheers Chris :))))

Anyone got any more? RG

Pmsl...... and there were complaints about *all the changes* even way back then, lol!!

love

Daff xxx

oh it was you was it