Family tree

[UserRequestedRemoval]

Not that my dad was awkward but he was born in India and died in France. Getting the correct paperwork could be fun

[Ruthie-Baby(old a/c)]

what an exciting thread I've just found

I did loads of mine as a child with my mother - I wasn't put off, but then I liked classical music too!

tried to do some fact finding oral history with my grandmother before she died (but she embellished a lot)

bear in mind a lot of the transcribed records on the internet have loads of errors, particularly one of the censuses which has been put on recently, sorry can't remember year, it was done somewhere on Indian sub-continent instead of by locals who would have known the likely spellings of names and addresses! how daft!

always have two proofs of something before you consider to have definately found a fact - I find it a good rule of thumb anyway

I'll tell you what software I use when I go home and look at the box!!

[UserRequestedRemoval]

Please do Ruth it will help I hope

[Ruthie-Baby(old a/c)]

oh i forgot

next time - I promise not to divert this serious thread

[UserRequestedRemoval]

Ruth divert? I can't see that happening

[huntertitus]

what an exciting thread I've just found

I did loads of mine as a child with my mother - I wasn't put off, but then I liked classical music too!

which classical music?

Actually we could start a thread about what classical music you think people MUST listen to...

I've got loads of favourites!

[sejintenej]

My father used to bore us rigid doing the family tree to try to claim a ttitle and of course some land - he got back to the early C17th to Captain John Thompson who ran a ship over to America and back - he was in the rope trade and lived in Cut Throat Lane in Limehouse.

Interesting evening some years ago. I was the guest at dinner in Lagos of an american ambassador. Get back to his place and he slings this heavy object across the room onto his desk - a revolver with the safety off. (wince)

Then he gets out a thick sheaf of photocopies; the diary of his ancestor ..... Abbott, born in Southwark, who had jumped ship at the age of 14 in the 1600's and ended up a city councillor and respected doctor. That part of his diary was of his return to London, visiting Barts and also medical establishments in Paris before returning to his adopted home. Written in his adopted language so it was pretty simple language to understand, it was an incredible history of London in the late 1600's. The original is in a bank vault and it will never be published - pity.

[sejintenej]

Not that my dad was awkward but he was born in India and died in France. Getting the correct paperwork could be fun

Sean,
Unlike other posters you don't say if your grandfather was army in India and if your father was army / forces when he died in France.

The East India Company (who used to effectively run India) has a massive bureaucracy and recorded everything; those records are still available in London.
For Army, St Catherines House (now up in Islington) had registers of forces deaths (at least) plus registrations of UK births deaths and marriages abroad registered via embassies. Although separate from UK records I understand that copy certificates were / are available from them by quoting their reference numbers.

France deaths; if he was a civilian then the local Mairie will have full details about him and his death and these are public records. Otherwise I suspect you may have to go to the Public Records Office in Kew (which I have not been to)

[UserRequestedRemoval]

Potted history of The family 9as much as I know anyway)

Dad - Went to Bedford Modern School.
1938 Joined East Lancashire Regt as 2nd Lt in TA Bttn
1939 Joined No 2 Army Commando
1940 Joined Parachute Regt, 2nd Bttn
1945 Rejoined East Lancs
1954 Leaves army with rank of Major
9/01/1962 dies in France, Laid in family tomb of the Riviere family. Don't know where.

Grand Father - Joined Army in India served in Artillery
1916 to 1918 served on western front
1920 3rd May My father born in Madras
Grand Father leaves army at some point in late 1920s
Dies in France dont know when
How the hell I am meant to get anything on this is beyond me

[blondie95]

Im not sure im afraid if they were both in forces then their is i believe a forces library/records library where any past documentation etc has been kept.

This is justa stab i should iimagine the forces need to keep things! Hope this helps or at least gives you something more to look into and search around for.

[UserRequestedRemoval]

When I meet them on the big parade ground in the sky, I am going to have such words with them

[huntertitus]

I hope there is one

[UserRequestedRemoval]

If there isn't one I am Bl**dy well moving out somewhere else! There is always a bar near the parade ground and there is no way I am going anywhere without a bar

[sejintenej]

If there isn't one I am Bl**dy well moving out somewhere else! There is always a bar near the parade ground and there is no way I am going anywhere without a bar

HE turned water into wine at Canaan and there were suggestions that it was very good wine.
OTOH if you want beer you had better tell Gabriel so that he can send you down under ....

[Ruthie-Baby(old a/c)]

what's this? when we die if we want beer we have to go to Hell???

rather contentious issue to bring up in this topic.

Shall we go back to topic now?

The software I use is called Family Historian, it's a really good database - you can circle people's faces in group photos and add the face to the person's record

you can also create records unattached to your family, so if you're not sure they're related or not sure how, you can fill all in then join up when you are sure

loads of other excellent stuff inc good way to record the souces of info for each thing