Find Living Relatives

hi there, I wonder whether you can help me with a bit of advice. I am trying to locate my Dad who I have only seen once in 35 years due to a bad divorce between my mum and dad.

I have found his family tree on here but I was wondering when I send him a request does the message go direct to his email address or does it just stay on GR.

The reason I ask is if it just goes to this site and he hasn't looked at it for 2 years then it could be another 2 years before he does look at it.

What would be the best method for trying to find/contact him. I have his birth records, full name and his last known address in 1983 was doncaster.

I have not tried 192.com yet because I wanted to get some advice from the experts first :-)

Thanks in adavance for any help you can give

Regards

Paul

Paul, when you send a message it stays on this site but GR will send notification to the tree owner, assuming that they (GR) have the current email address for that person. They will receive an email like this

"Hello Rambling Rose x,

You have a personal reply from 'John Smith'.Click to read the reply"...which will take them to the message.

Edit...if they are no longer a member they will still be able to reply, but a non-paying member cannot initiate contact. You will be able to see if the message has been read, if it hasn't you will see a 'closed envelope' in your 'Sent messages'.

Thanks for the reply Rose, that answers 1 part of my question then.

I initiated contact and have sent a couple of messages a week or so ago and neither of them have been read yet so it looks like I will be needing advice on how to find my Dad and try to get in contact with him some other way possibly

Hi Paul

Have you looked to see if anyone else has him in their tree - maybe one of his children (if he had any more) - and tried to contact them? Also try Ancestry trees - is he on there - if he is and you don't have a sub PM me the details & I'll take a look.

Like you say, 192.com is a good place to start - as is google, it's surprising what turns up from searches on there. He or his family may be on facebook?

Hi Flip,

thanks for the advice, unfortunatley I 'm not aware of him any more children after me, not that I can find on GR anyway.

I have had a quick look on ancestry.co.uk and he might be on there but I am without a sub so a PM is winging it's way to you very shortly, thank you very much :-)

I have tried 192.com but only on a basic search because I don't know where he lives and also waiting to see what advice I got of here first.

I have tried a google search and nothing pops up and also tried a facebook search but because I have a common surname and no location it is nigh on impossible for me anyway.

I will keep trying though and thanks for all suggestions

Just a thought was he living with relatives in 1983 if so they may still be at the same address.

Also have you looked for siblings for him / You may be able to locate him through one of them if he had any

Hi Shirley,

I have tried his old address but that was sold in the 80's and no longer any forwarding address also as far as I'm aware I was his last child but thank you for your suggestions

Update for other helpers, so you know what has been done.

Thanks for the PM Paul, I've sent back some details from the Ancestry trees, but the living people are hidden. Will contact the one active tree owner if you wish, but PM your e-mail address if you want to go down that route so I can pass it on.

Just an update for everybody who is helping.

Flip is getting in touch with my Dad's 2nd wife's family tree on ancestry, details have been confirmed by Sanny from GR.

All I can do is wait now and hopefully I'll be able to make contact with somebody who knows the whereabouts of my Dad.

Thank so much for all the help you are providing. At this rate I might be able to make contact before my 40th birthday, what a present that would be!!! :-)

Q....
Does you dad know you exist?
Does his second wife know you exist?

Please tread carefully - good luck

Hi Penny,

Yep Dad does know I exist and so does his 2nd wife. My parents split up when I was 3 or 4 and then I met him and his new wife again when I was 10/11 but that was the last contact I had with him.

Now I'm older I wouldn't mind knowing a bit more about him, direct from the horses mouth, so to speak.

Thanks for the concern and luck :-)

Just an update for everybody who has helped me in my quest to find my Dad.

We have made contact with each other through GR, tentatively to start with because these things can't be rushed, but contact has been made.

It is now down to me and him to see what we both want and what we can do but it's going to be one small step at a time.

But I big thank you to everyone who has helped me on this matter and I don't think I could have done it without you all :-D

Good luck Paul.

I hope everthing goes well for you.

Happy 40th birthday! :-)

Glad he decided to get in touch, you never know in these situations. Good luck and I hope you have a happy 40th birthday!