Week 20 (May 17-23): Cousin Bait
Week 20 (May 17-23): Cousin Bait – Ancestry
I had never heard of the term “cousin bait” before
so I had to look it up. From an online search I concluded that “cousin
bait” is “to attract research cousins, people that have information on
your genealogy and are willing to share it with you.” So from this my initial
thought was Ancestry!
There are many people who share the same ancestors as me,
most of us probably don’t even realise we are related in someway!
Ancestry has helped me in the past via the message boards
and I have connected with a few cousins, some of whom I am still in contact
with. A lovely lady in USA, who is related to me via my 2nd great grandmother
Mary Jane Jackson. Mary is her 2nd great aunt. Mary’s brother is the
main link of this lady. I didn’t even know about the said brother (I knew of
others but not him). We have swapped information and certificates and helped
each other with the trees not on this line.
Around the same time as the above a lady had seen some information
I had posted online about the grave of an ancestor, she lived not too far and
said would go and get me a photo. When she posted it to me she had added loads
of information as well, like me she was also a Lackey at birth and linked to
those I was researching. We stayed in contact for many years but sadly lost
contact.
After my Dad died I found a photo that listed “cousin M… and
cousin H…” on the back. Again they were Lackey family, I looked online and
found that they were still living and posted them both letters, 1 replied and in
it had said my sister doesn’t want contact please don’t message her again. Myself
and the man were contact for a few years and he shared many photos with me, and
even gave me the address of an elderly aunt. She also shared some information
but not often.
There is also a couple out in USA who messaged me as I had
the mans grandmother in my tree – his grandmother was the sister-in-law of my
grandmother. After we started talking it turns out that we were both at his
grandmothers funeral many years ago and him and his brothers were in regular contact
with my Dad. Then more recently a lady posted a photo on facebook and named her
ancestor in it. I commented that I had relatives of that surname and we got
talking and we share the same 6th great grandparents. There has been
others over the years that have sent and shared information but never stayed in
contact with me.
Aside from the nice ones mentioned I have come across many
idiots that I would rather not deal with or even think that I am related to due
to messages they have sent me. 1. You have spelt your son’s name wrong it
should have a capital K in the middle – errr no it shouldn’t I gave birth to
him and named him, the capital K is used in surnames not 1st names,
so no it’s not wrong. 2. You’re great grandfather doesn’t exist – he died as a
child as not on census records – errr IF he died as a child please explain HOW I
am here? How I have photos of him as an old man? How I have certificates linked
to him? To be told I can’t have and wouldn’t listen that he had changed his
name. 3. You have wrong information her and her husband didn’t have any
children but you have a daughter listed – errr you’re partly correct her and her husband didn’t
have any children but she had a daughter outside of marriage (not linked to
husband on tree).
I don’t fully go out of my way to post adverts looking for
cousins nor do I post information to lure them to me. I share my information in
a blog and reply to messages on groups and if I make contact then great, if I don’t
its also fine. So in some ways I do use the “cousin bait” but not
in a way just to gather information.
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