How Important Is Knowing Your Family History to You?

Former Member

Do you take a keen interest in knowing how you came to be?

What your grand parents and great parents were like and what they did?

I know very little about my grand parents as most died before I was born but do take an interest.

Former Member

I only speak to one side of my family and havent seen most of the other side before, but that just means ive gone extra close to the family I do got. I think the only reason im interested in that stuff is because its so excitin. Example:

My great nan died a couple of weeks ago which has got nothing to do with what im talking about but ill write it anyway. Anyway, she was married to a man, he died, she married that mans brother, he died, and she married that mans half-brother... then he died and she didnt remarry, then she died. Strange when u look at it like that. Fucksake I babble.

Former Member

Not too important. I don't know much about my family on my Mum's side, and it doesn't bother me. My grandparents on my Dad's side are both dead now, and my Grandmother's death last year did remind me that there was quite a bit I didn't know about them. I don't know much about our family tree beyond my Great Grandmother on my Dad's side, but don't put any great importance on that anyway.
One day, when I've got the time and the inclination, I may research it. But it really doesn't bother me.
What I don't understand are how some people can get so hung up on where they're from, especially the Welsh and the Scottish. Even when they've never lived there, only because parents or grandparents came from there. What's the deal? I don't get it. It's not important. Interesting perhaps, but important? No.

Mr_Wobble

Former Member

I really only know my mums side. I only know the Very close side of my dads i.e Grandparents, uncle, 2 of dads cousins.

My mum's side are all upstanding and my gran is really[/] "Look down the nose @ you" whenever I mention my dads side because of what he did to my mum.

My dad was a bit of a gangster person in his younger days and he told me some of the things he did which are very shocking. It just goes to show that there are things that may be unknown and will come as a surprise, because now my dad has settled down and since he is 55 acts his age (a bit).

If I hadnt asked what he did when he was younger, I would never had known

Former Member

i dont really care lol to put it plainly, i spose it does interst me a bit, but could never be bothered to trace it back. :no: x

Former Member

my great grandad was the youngest person to recieve the george medal im quite proud of that

Former Member

My mum traced ours years ago. The odd bit is interesting, but in general I'm not bothered either way.

I can't imagine not knowing anything about your grandparents though :eek2:

Former Member

I know very little about my grandparents, as my mums mum n dad, and my dads dad, died before i was born, and my dads mum died when i was two...
My aunt has traced our family tree back on my mums side to about the 1300s i think. i owuld never have the patience to do that!
And now that my dad's gone too, i sometimes think, i wonder... and theres hardly anyone i could ask...

Former Member

I hope to discover about my biological family when I am older as I know nothing really about any of my biological family. Should be... interesting?

Former Member

I know of my mums side very well, especially my grandfather, I was only 9 when he died but gave me enough time to know him well, he was born in 1904 so as you can imagine he was quite old when he died, if it wasnt for his cancer he would be 100 next year.

My grandmother on mums side I never got to know as she died when I was 2 (she was born in 1910) it was a great shame cos everyone thought she was a lovely person.

My mum's side stems back into the 1300's, not sure about my dad's side, probably as early as when the french settled in ireland as our surname is part french and irish. (comerford.)

My dad's side are of course all irish (they're from kilkenny) met most of my irish uncles and they're alright, although some of the things I've heard they've done in the past I don't think I could ever be the same with them, especially with some of them being priests.
Grandparent wise on my dad's side I wasn't old enough to see them.