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By Lizzy
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07 May 2007 |
I have over the last few years become interested in genealogy. It is a completely frustrating occupation, something akin to writng, but as in writing the few successes are almost mind blowing. Who am I?
On the last chime of nine the doors open and people hurry in, intent on their own particular quests. Blinkered they look neither to left or right. Escalators carry them to their destinations and like ants they scurry, but each with a single, independent purpose. The glazed look of the fanatic their only expression. My search takes me to the top of the building to the upper levels. The importance of the place emphasised by the requests for identification. Voices are hushed; there is the whisper of paper on paper. No natural light penetrates only artificial lighting to protect what is stored there. Underlying all of this the musty aroma of age. Modern technology supporting ancient disciplines.
My investigations had been long and tedious with some small successes but with many more disappointments. Today I felt lucky; today I would make progress. I opened the book, its pages thick and yellowing. Spidery, hardly legible scrawls filled the page. I scanned the contents trying to find the all-elusive evidence. I held my breath as my eyes became accustomed to the unusual script, to the writing of a bygone age. And there, half way down the page, the lines and squiggles aligned themselves into words and numbers. I had found it at last.
The place, Birmingham Central Library Archives, the quest, information about my ancestors, the reason, my existence my antecedents.
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Written by Witzl (1585 comments posted) 7th May 2007 | I've been working on my genealogy too, Lizzy, as I find it an interesting way to study history. You see that your past and ancestry have been partly shaped by history and it is fascinating to find out some of the people who form the huge fabric of your own antecedents. And it can certainly be frustrating -- parish fires, floods and earthquakes can wipe out records, for instance, and then all the interesting things you'd hoped you might find are so elusive anyway.
I'd be interested to hear about what you've actually found! | HI Lizzy
Written by jean.day (2326 comments posted) 7th May 2007 | I enjoyed this and have spent lots of hours researching family history. I just love the old writing, but it is so frustrating when it is indistinct.
What a thrill it is when you find what you've been searching for.
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Written by Janie (265 comments posted) 7th May 2007 | oh good for you, you found at last something you'd been looking for.
my uncle is into genealogy and has done a family tree as far as he can get back. Hundreds of years on my grandad's side. no further than my great grandfather on my gran's side..we found out something very mysterious and my gran found out she was illegitimate when she was in her 60's...the man she believed to be her father was in fact an imposter who had taken on her real father's identity..nobody could tell us what had happened to the real father as everyone had passed on (we do have his death cert though and it was years after his imposter died) but we think that my great grandmother must have run away with this man, taking her very young children with her and to stop any scandal, he had used her real husband's name to match the children's and his common law wife's.
anyway, good piece, i could feel the excitement rising as you were going higher up in the building. i do think you could enhance that build up by having this piece in present tense. |
Written by Fledermaus (3448 comments posted) 8th May 2007 | Very nice. I have the habbit to read introductions after I've read the work, so you kept me wondering until the end about what this precious book was.  |
Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3445 comments posted) 9th May 2007 | I found it a very engaging and seductive introduction. You have a knack for a telling phrase which can say a lot. So far so good but I'll be interested to see how you continue. As you say
"My investigations had been long and tedious" which makes me wonder how you will avoid making the telling of it the same. It's a challenging concept to describe but if you can continue in the same style it shoud make good reading
cheers
Jane | Good luck!
Written by CarlHalling (34 comments posted) 9th May 2007 | | I have drawn a blank so far beyond my grandparents, paternal and maternal, that is except some faint recordings on cassette by my great aunt conncerning her antecedents. I really want to know more though. Good luck with your searches... |
Written by Phil (6836 comments posted) 11th May 2007 | Interesting piece about an interesting subject. My Aunt has done very well with my father's side of the family. No major skeletons in cupboards.
Phil. |
Written by wattle (117 comments posted) 12th May 2007 | | Lizzy how interesting finding our own history can be both fun and frustrating. In Australia we look up convict records to try and find some Ozzie royalty. There is a first fleet club here. (and lesser - second... to sixth) these things are important. ----- http://members.pcug.org.au/~pdownes/dps/1stflt.htm (the royals --- the larger the sentence the closer to the front one sits at parties). |
Written by Lizzy (822 comments posted) 13th May 2007 | Thanks all for reviews.
I've got back to about 1786 with nothing fantastic, agricultural labourers and factory workers mainly, but I do get a buzz when I find something new.
Thanks Jane, I hadn't thought of adding to it but I might do that now.
Lizzy |
Written by Gill21 (566 comments posted) 16th May 2007 | | A very alluring short piece. There were some lovely turns of phrase. My Dad is really into geneology, he has discovered a lot over the years. I hope you have luck with it |
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