Accomplishments

Do you have major accomplishments you are proud of? …. most of mine will not be remembered by anyone other than myself…

Doing family history research I have found that it is rare to find information beyond what is provided in archived records like census and bmd data. Rare… but when it does happen… so very rewarding. The person is brought to life. Made real! Your imagination is captured.

I’ve discovered such “stories” a few times now. Found ancestors I would love to meet … to sit and talk, to learn more.

William Dutaillis, his daughter Mary Ann, her son William Hodge… greatx3 grandfather, greatx2 grandmother and great uncle… to name a few.

Their stories are outlined by the bits and pieces … the “facts” … births, deaths, marriages, where, when, who, found in the records… These facts when put in order give shape to their life. And can tell a very intriguing tale. But it is the extra ordinary detail that really gets the imagination going.

For instance, William Dutaillis: one of many interesting details about this man, a newsclipping, naming him the father of the murdered babe… finding that sent me reeling! And into high gear researching details.

Mary Ann … photos of her gravesite in Ramsgate, Kent shared with her husband George William Hodge, brought her vividly to life. The center of a family story no one ever really understood until the records revealed details. She went to Australia with three of her adult children, returning to England to live out her days.

And Great Uncle William Hodge. A pianoforte maker turned mariner, turned publican… Three careers, two wives, two sons.

I wonder what our descendants will find about us that piques their interest and makes them wonder…