I first did most of the work in 2009, where I did the whole looking at library church records & visiting churches to see if I could find graves.

Last week I looked in on it and had 1000+ shaky leaf things, so paid a month for Ancestry and starting digging. I managed to get to pre 1700's which was amazing, through a mix of marriage and baptismal records.

I also looked at census info for the new people, I found out a 8 x Great Grandfather was a wheelwright by trade, which was pretty cool to have a family trade. Then I looked at another record and a 7/8 x Great Uncle moved from his family to the Coldstream Guards in the early 1800's, so not sure if it was a Queen or King he was serving, but I think it would have been King. That was amazing, left me wondering why you'd move from central England to London.

When I first started, the tale was we were from this local area born and bred. Then I found out that actually it was a Great Great Great Grandfather who moved here from Leicestershire due to the job opportunities. I even found a picture of my Great Great Grandfather who was in WW1 and died in the Somme. My Grandfather had never seen a picture of him, but I was able to say look at this. So really amazing. Although the only side of the family I know weren't my biggest fans due to illegitimacy, so whilst it was a really nice thing, it was pretty much brushed off.

I'm now going through again to double check and make notes, in the hopes of making a document or folder, like a scrap book, with all sorts of information. Then I'll pass a copy to some relatives to keep for their DC.

I could try and go and see my Great Nan if she's still with us. NC with my Mum & her family due to the illegitimacy and me ruining her life and bringing shame on the family by being born, so contact is really limited.

But I've got the Ancestry bug again, so anything pretty cool or I need help with I'll post on here. Still thinking about the DNA test to see if I can get any information on my real Father. But I think it'll just be for information, over it being for contact purposes.

Have any of you gone to make a scrap book about your Ancestry?