Finding my grandparents marriage got me started

[foxy]

How did I start my family history, well I just went along to a local family history centre to check on something and I thought while there I would see if I can find my grandparents' marriage which I did. I had never met my grandfather as he had died when my mum was 5 years old. I didn't know how just that he had died in WW1. Within a short time we went to Kew and found his war records. But it didn't tell us where or when. His picture had always hung in our front room and which I still have now. He was wearing his Boer War medals with pride. This is the only picture I have of granddad. There wasn't that much on line as it was only just starting, but that quickly started to change. Then once I had granddad's regiment I was able to find out more he died 31st Oct 1914 at Ypres, and his name is on the Menin Gates .

He was not on the local memorial and I started to go every year just to hear his name read out. I would often ask how do I get his name put on the memorial as he was missing and was never found. But most was the same for the whole regiment bar a few. Until last year when a new vicar had arrived at the Church. I introduced myself and said why I only went to that church yearly. (I don't live in the parish) She asked me to get in touch via her web site. She then put me in touch with a lovely gentleman who at last helped me get my grandfather put on his local church memorial. My brother, cousins and I clubbed together and raised enough money to pay for this. This is something we all wanted to do. Because the memorials are grade listed special permission has to be granted, then its the church and the parish who have to also to grant permission.

So this year 104 years later I can go to the Church and see his name on the memorial as well as hear his name. I never gave up and after all the year (18) of doing my family history this is something I feel so proud to have done, not just for us but for my grandparents. And also for my grandmother who had to work so hard to feed 4 small children with no pension because he had not been declared dead. Irene

 

[peter]

Well done!

 

[LynneWK]

In 1970 after visiting an ancient aunt of my husbands I tried to research his family tree. Very slow and difficult in those days and when children came along it was abandoned.
I really started in earnest searching my family tree after visiting a pub called 'The Beamish in county Durham in the late 1990's.
I met a women who was the spitting image of a deceased Aunt. I of course asked where she was from, she said Trimdon. What a coincidence as my mothers family came from there and I said so. She then asked which Trimdon as there are three. Trimdon Grange, Trimdon village and Trimdon Station.
I had only been there once as an eight year old but I thought it was Trimdon village. Intrigued now I needed to find out. Dragged husband off the next day to Trimdon village and it was exactly as I remembered.
There is a church in the centre on the village green. I went to investigate any grave stones. There were none.
On the door of the church was a list of church wardens and their phone numbers. I rang them all. The last one was the only one to answer. When I explained to the lady who answered who I was she immediately said 'I know who you are, you are at the wrong church as your family are Catholics. look over the road to the pub. The house on the right hand side is where your great grandfather lived and your cousin Denis lives now. Go and knock on the door. I thanked her for the information and did as she suggested. Knocking on the door Denis answered and I told him I was the granddaughter of Owen Grimley. His reply threw me a bit as he said he was the grandson of Owen Grimley too. My grandfather had died in 1923 so this was not a possibility.
It turned out he was talking of My great grandfather Owen Grimley. Denis was the son of my G,Grandfathers youngest son who was brother to my grandfather Owen Grimley.
He invited me in. During the next couple of hours he gave me copies of photo's of my grandfather as a boy with his family. A copy of a letter he had written to his parents during WW1 and of course lots of family stories. I have kept in touch with this new found cousin and over the years he has given me contact details of other family members who are also researching this large family. They have very kindly shared pictures and other information too.
The family is also connected to our past PM Tony Blair and family who of course live in Trimdon Grange. In fact next door to the women I met in the pub who looked just like my aunt.
A true lost cousin conection