What has surprised you in your research?
The Medway Discussion Group met to discuss surprises that we had found in our family history research. There were many, including:
- A secret that had been overheard by a group member’s mother when she was young but had never been followed up. When the group member and her daughter went on to investigate, they discovered a birth outside of marriage and members of the local community who turned out to actually be family members.
- A letter arriving from a man claiming to be a relative. He lived in the home village of our group member’s mother. The story that unfolded involved a baby born to a couple who were kept apart by a domineering family matriarch. In the end, this woman drove all of her children away.
- The birth of an illegitimate half-brother to an ancestor, who was later found in a reformatory after being reported to the police for theft by his own parents.
- A new member of KFHS, who was visiting from Australia, was surprised at the sheer number of records available to researchers in the UK.
- The son of an agricultural labourer family who disappeared from Kent records in the mid-19th century and reappeared as a missionary in New Zealand. His local rector had enabled him to receive an education and theological training before he travelled halfway round the world to begin a new life.
- A newspaper article detailing the death of an ancestor in a railway accident when she fell between the train and the platform.
- The DNA results which helped to discover a missing father and led to the discovery of a grandmother who had six children with six different men along with convictions for bigamy.
- The childless aunt who was fondly remembered for baking wonderful cakes and organising children’s games. This aunt was later discovered to have worked in three government departments and attended at least one garden party.
An entertaining time was had by all, sharing tea and biscuits, along with family secrets and scandals.
Report by Helen Stenhouse