So, here we go again … another year older, fatter and definitely no wiser.
We would like to wish all our family, relatives, friends, visitors and especially our Contributors a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please also raise a glass to our ancestors, without whom none of us would be here today.
I haven’t managed to get anything much published again this year, partly due to just being incredibly busy with one thing and another. I finally retired, but seem to have less time for researching than I did before! I honestly don’t know how I found the time to work! And my eldest daughter got married this year, so I’m going to blame her for distracting me.
I’ve also managed to trap myself inside yet another massive branch of the tree originating in Leeds, Yorkshire, but which has grown out of control as usual. I happened to spot an early date in my travels and decided to do a “quick” trawl on it; eight months later and I’m still following the threads. I can see light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s turned into another marathon rather the than sprint it was supposed to be.
I finally bit the bullet earlier in the year and had my DNA analysed. It showed a handful of very close relatives, most of which I knew about through various conversations I’ve had over the years. They all point back to Swaledale, which a) shouldn’t be a surprise, and b) is a relief to find I’m not actually descended from a Southerner. I’m now getting a steady flow of not-quite-so-close matches which seem to be randomly distributed across the world. It’s sort of interesting, but hasn’t really added much value to date. Perhaps with more volunteers there may be more close matches. Anyway, if you feel inclined, then have look here for more information on how to do it.
Many thanks once again to everyone who has contacted me over the past year with various things. I try to answer everyone, so keep these coming. I’m always happy to hear about your research and offer advice wherever I can, and I will get around to publishing everything that’s been sent to me. Honest.
Finally, have a great Christmas and here’s to a prosperous and productive 2020. Stay happy and safe.
Andy
And now for a bit of housekeeping
See the wood and the trees
We publish everything we have in our fabulous trees, so basically if you can’t find it, we don’t have it. With over 20,000 people, 5,000 families, 12,000 sources, and 69,000 image references currently sat in our database, you’ll appreciate the amount of work that has gone into this over the years.
You can see more in the Close Ancestry Trees.
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Contacting us
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