Why and when did you start on family history? (General)

by seanwatkinsuk, Thursday, January 15, 2009, 01:19 (5864 days ago) @ admin

For me, it was when I attended a family funeral in Abergavenny in 2003 of a distant relation. I had had a long journey, arrived early and decided to try and find the grave of my paternal great grandparents, which in the massive "New Cemetery" is no small task! I did find it though, and there was something about the sun shining on the magnificant Blorange mountain and seeing my own surname on a headstone, I suppose you could call it a spiritual moment or whatever - I dunno! I just had to find out more about these people and their entire lives which only gets condensed into tiny snippets down the years. I am 37 now, but wish I'd started even younger as most of that top-layer generation had died by the time I started. It never fails to surprise me, only yesterday the new 1911 census threw up a new surprise which I never previously knew about. This website has been so valuable in finding out about my lot, when they lived in the Forest, mid-1800s. Cheers!
Sean Watkins