Me and my big mouth!, Researching my MP's Family History!

[Linda]

Was in the pub last night after a meeting, and was chatting to my friend Mick, who has also researched his ancestry, about how we were both getting on when Clive, the MP for Eltham, became interested and asked how to go about it as his dad is 90 and getting a bit down at not being able to get out and about so much as he used to, so I was telling him what was available on the 'net, took some details of his family and ended up volunteering to see what I could find!

It also gave Clive an idea of what to get Stan (his dad) to cheer him up - his own 'puter! I thought that was a good idea, so am trying not to dig too deeply so that Stan will have something to do once he gets it, of course.

So far, I have found Clives grandparents marriage on FreeBMD, along with various births of an uncle and other relatives, and his grandparents and great-grandparents on the Censuses on Ancestry, along with his great-great-grandmother, too! Not bad for a few hours surfing, eh? Mind you, it helps that his name is not Smith, or Jones, or Brown, or anything other than Efford!

[Vix]

Its addictive though! I loved doing Boo's tree as it was a complete challenge for me. My mum had done most of mine so it never held much interest for me whereas Boo's was like, well fresh snow!

[Linda]

Exactly! I always said I wouldn't bother doing my biological father's line - yet as soon as I hit a blank in all the other lines while waiting for certificates to arrive, I couldn't resist checking it out! And found out he came from a line of jewellers and pawnbrokers, originating in Yorkshire back to the 18th century, so far.

I don't think the word is addictive so much as obsessive, personally!

[Linda]

Thought I would update this - Clive was thrilled with what I found out about his family, and couldn't believe what was available online! There were a few spooky co-incidences at work there, too - his great-grandmothers first name was Alice, and she had daughters named Margaret and Florence. Well, guess what Clive's three daughter's names are, chosen by his wife and not him? I got him back to the birth in 1817 or thereabouts of his g-g-g-grandmother in Middlesex, so now it's up to him and/or his dad to research further!