I was thrilled when I was picked in mid February 2009 for WDWTYA!!
I’d been struggling for two or three years with huge brick walls on both sides of my ancestry. The opportunity that WDWTYA gave me to find out more was just great. With particular help from Mary from Italy and also from one or two others, it certainly opened up the complex mire of ancestors that I seem to have.
When I started doing family research I really had absolutely no idea that I would get so carried away with this huge detective story. My sister and I had certainly never been given an inkling of our complicated background. The paternal name (Gillett) I had always assumed would be easy-peasy because I’d always thought it was unusual enough, having only heard of a couple of others with the name, both in the entertainment field. We’d never knowingly met any of our relations. Oh boy! was I wrong on all counts!!
My paternal side, it seems, were trying to single-handedly populate Yorkshire, and once I’d got some names of aunts/uncles, memories of some of them were sparked, but not enough to put backgrounds to. So I’m still working on all the leads which I was given during that week in February.
Once I’d confirmed that my both my paternal great grandfather and grandfather were born and lived in the same street, but different houses, in Preston, I put up a thread asking if someone could kindly have a look at the address and possibly take a photo.
One member very kindly took several, and the photograph on the right is of the street in Preston in which many of my ancestors lived. There were eleven children born to my great grandfather alone. However,when my grandfather married in the 1890s he moved away, eventually to Sheffield, where my father was born.
On the maternal side, the walls have been broken down a bit more now, which is much appreciated. I knew that the surname there would be difficult, it’s Campbell, so where does one start? I’d already found that just about every Scottish surname was amongst the ancestors going back, my real problem was/is in coming forward from when my mother was born (out of wedlock). I got help to hopefully trace my real grandfather’s family and background which again I’m still working on. The one saving grace is that at least that side hadn’t decided to flood the lowlands of Scotland with my ancestors!
I’m so grateful for all the assistance I received during my week, the research done on my behalf has been invaluable.
Dubonnet lady
© Dubonnet lady 2009