h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I probably have a rather obsessive attitude to family records and I am so pleased that my journal yesterday gave some others a little nudge in the direction of keeping more technological records.
Until I was fifteen I believed my mother was dead, I lived with foster parents and my father visited occasionaly (Probably to make sure I was still alive and he had to keep paying my keep).
Purely by chance I discovered my mother was alive and by a lot of hard footwork I eventually found her. By foot work I mean by knocking on doors and asking questions night after night after school. I had only the slightest of clues to work on and I did it alone and with no help as I told neither my father nor my foster parents what I was doing.
Not only did I find my mother but I found an older sister, and also that my surname was not my name at all. I still use the name my father chose for us, but I know who I really am and where my family roots are, which is important to me. As a child I never really felt I 'Belonged' anywhere.
My father had taken my brother and me away from both sides of the family changed his name and ours. Over the years I have found myself to be a member of a huge tribe of aunts uncles and cousins on both sides. With the help of the internet I have discovered family going back to the 1700s. my last discovery was a cousin in France last year who came with her husband and daughter to see us last summer. I had not seen a picture of her but I knew her as soon as she arrived because she looked like my father.
I was determined that my grand children would have no doubts about who they are and the family archive of writings photos film and tape will ensure that they will be able to pass on to their children(if they want to)the family history..

Did you ever find out what was behind it all Kif?

I'm not asking you to tell all here, I just wondered if you knew and if it helped you to understand it all.

You may remember from my space that my parents seperated when I was too young to know anything about it, I had an older Sister who remembered our Father, but she too has died.

Like you I had been told that Father had died and only found out differently when I was in my mid teens, nothing much was said except that he was a 'bad lot'. However I never followed it up, I was then the 'man of the house' and had a living to earn, this was in Yorkshire and the man in question would be somewhere in Scotland, probably Midlothian.

I often wonder about the truth behind the seperation, being realistic I have to accept that Mum could be a cantankerous and overbearing woman who frequently fell out with her Sisters and Parents even in her younger days.

Scottish Origins records are amongst the most complete anywhere and I have downloaded a large anount of Data about the family names (at a price), my problem is the 'missing link', ie my Scottish Grandparents.

My Fathers name is of course on my Birth certificate, and because of the Scots tradition of giving children the Mothers maiden name as a middle name, I know my Grandmothers birth surname and obviously my Grandfathers. I do not know their given names and Father will not be on record as details are not released until 100yrs after the birth (unlikely to still be alive).

I can apply for a private search to get these details and then follow it up......but do I want to?, not too sure about that.

I got a bit of a shock a few years ago, I was sort of watching a mid-day News prog. on the Telly which featured a tragic accident abroad involving an expedition of young lads from my (Scottish) home area.

One of the group leaders was being interviewed and introduced as --- ------- (my Grandmothers maiden name), of course I took notice then and just about froze as this man in his twenties spoke on the screen, it was me - 40yrs ago!. I recorded the next bulletin and showed it to the Boss and her pal who had been for a Girl's day out, I just said "hey look at this", they were speechless.

I guess there must have been some good 'uns among us.

I don't think about it that much until I see somthing like your journal or the origins programme recently on TV and it gets me thinking.

I'm pleased it worked out for you...me.....I think I'll leave sleeping s or maybe s lie.

Mother and her Father were from Arkendale and her Mother was from Osmotherly (both Yorkshire), I live just about in the middle so I guess that's about right.

Quack

Hi Quack
yes I did find out the whole story over the years and if it was written in a book no one would believe it. It concerns the 'flu that swept the country in 1919. A man who lent my dad his birth certificate. A warrant out for my father as a deserter(death penalty in those days). My dad joining the Royal navy under his assumed name. A marriage of convenience. And a servant coming to live near my foster mother. It would make one of those really unbelievable T.V. series that came from the pen of that old woman, who's name I have forgotten,who wrote 'The Mallen Streak'.
If you were me you would have had an obsession about tracing the family, so maybe you are better off being Quack. This stuff has haunted me for years and if I hadn't such a sensible and down to earth Boss it may well have driven me mad.
However today I am just collating everything and making it comprehensible for my grandchildren.
When my mother died my sister sent me some photographs of my parents together. In one they were pictured with the maid(bearing mind that in the 20's quite ordinary people could afford servants.) I recognised the maid immediately. She was my foster mother and yet she had never told me that she had worked for my parents and knew the story behind their marriage. or what?
I have had a deal of pleasure in the research but also a great deal of confusion and I remain with nearly as many questions as I started out with.

WOWEEEEEEEEE Kif, that has got to be researched and written down, never mind the Book, what about the Film.

I think I qualify for a Summer mid-week episode of Eastenders

Cheers, Quack

You are a clever old s*d QuackI now have mother's voice on disc and some tape of my boys when they were little is the next job. Thanks to your advice.The family archive gets bigger by the day,
,cheers>Kif

Thanks Kif, I feel good about that, but don't do yourself down mate, I just showed you the Bus, you drove it.

Quack