Genealogy Chat

Was I ever surprised to discover how my Maternal grandmother & grandfather met, without knowledge prior to this. I only ever knew in person, one of my four grandparents....my maternal grandmother. The others having died before I was born. Gran came to live with us when I was 8 and had gone to join her husband, by the time I was ten, so, I knew little to nothing of her life at all. I follwed her family through the census' until I reached 1901 and there, to my great surprise, I not only found gran but, grandad too, as well as his mother. My grandad then aged 17 and his mother (g gran), were lodging with my maternal g gran and her children, at the same address in Manchester. My gran was 15 and the eldest of three children. This, I presume, having nothing else to go off, was most likely how they come to meet and eventually strike up a relationship. They went on to marry when grandad was 23 and gran 20/1 almost in 1907. They had 8 children, 4 of whom died as youngsters. 3 after contracting meningitis through teething. And a fourth being miscarried after a house fire, which sent gran into early labour. Sadly, grandad died at 60 after falling to his death in 1944 and gran passed in 1957. It's just amazing what one is able to discover from research of this nature, particularly, when you have NO prior knowledge. I feel so much closer to my ancestors as I piece sections of their lives together, almost........and this might sound crazy, to the point that I can actually imagine what they might have looked like. Lin

Good find Lin :-))

Yes, its nice when you can actually see how they met - I know with GGPX2 - he had a cabinet making business and when I found her lot, they were all upholsterers - so you could virtually work out how they had first met. Same with other side. Found that GGFx2 lived next door to his future wife's uncle, aunt and cousin 20 years before they married. Perhaps she used to visit and they would all play in the street together.

Know what you mean Heather, surprising how many you do find that started out meeting that way. The Girl or Boy next door! Visiting family members and so on, I discovered a couple that way too. Lin

my mom married the boy nextdoor! if only all of my ancestors had done that life would be sooo much easier :)

Thanks, Linda; your message made me laugh out loud. I know what you mean but, there again, isn't it more interesting this way? Seeing the stories of our rellies lives unfolding is absolutely fascinating. Discovering how family businesses came about, how folks met and the effect it had on their own relatives really gets the old grey cells going. My g.g.g/mother was the result of 'inapproriate' contact between the sewing maid and the young gentleman of the house. Looking at all her descendants, it's strange to think how many of us would not have existed if she'd been a little less free with her favours. Bill

Im just miffed because my ggrandma has been so elusive with her marriage/s found one but think theres another and don't know where to start looking, I suppose I should start with nextdoor!

Good for you! My great grandparents are living next door but one in 1901.

My grandparents Jeuel and Annie Eliza met when Jeuel was lodging with Annie's mother and stepfather. From census information I've found that Jeuel's mother Ruth moved quite a way from her homeparish to work in a village school, which is where she met her future husband. Recently found husband's gt gt grandfather William's bride to be living in the next household to William's future step-mother. Always a good idea to check the neighbours. Stories about the boy/girl next door are sometimes true! nell