I saw this article it did remind me that when you dig into family history you better be prepared for finding all different kinds of things. Not every thing you find may be pleasant or factual. From my own experience the only problem with these finds are that most of the time you are dealing with rumors and innuendo. It might be true but you can not be sure 100% of the time. Those family members can not be reached to give there side of the story. My mother always said there are three sides to every story. This can be the case in stuff you find. When writing about what you find give the details of where and how you found out the information. Label rumors as such. Even if a story is in the newspaper of old does not mean it was true. Some newspapers were political statements and ran stories about people that were just not true. Facts are birth dates, weddings and deaths where there is a certificate to verify all other things can be rumored.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/spirituality/self-help/Digging-into-ancestral-history-can-lead-to-family-rifts/articleshow/5777819.cms
While researching their ancestral history, people can open a “Pandoraâs Box” of secrets that may cause conflict and widen rifts in the family, says new research.
Most people derive pleasure and satisfaction from researching their ancestry, however, for others it brings to light “secrets and skeletons”, said the study.
Dr Anne-Marie Kramer, of the University of Warwick, said that of 224 people who gave her details of family history research, around 30 mentioned conflict. The main causes wereâ uncovering unwelcome information, wanting information from relatives who didnât wish to give it, giving relatives inaccurate information, spending more time researching than with loved ones, and coming into contact with hostile relatives.
Dr Kramer analysed responses to questions about family history research put to people taking part in the Mass Observation Project, based at the University of Sussex, in which people volunteer to write about their lives as a record of everyday life.
Out of the 224 replies, 140 were from women and 83 from men (and one gender unknown), aged between 16 and 95 and based across the UK. The accounts are from people researching their family history or from the relatives and friends of those carrying out the research.
Kramer noted that in most cases people wrote positively about researching their familyâs history.
People found pleasure in making discoveries, investigating family myths and mysteries and making their ancestors real by finding out more about their lives.
In some cases, the research could help mend rifts in families. However, not all experiences were entirely positive.
“Along with the USA, Canada and Australia, contemporary British society is immersed in a seemingly unprecedented boom in the family heritage industry,â said Kramer.
“The public is enjoying unparalleled public access to historical records in archives both material and digital, while social networking genealogy websites such as Genes Reunited facilitate the publication of virtual family trees alongside the ârediscoveryâ of long-lost âcousinsâ.
“Meanwhile, the media has been flooded with celebrity genealogy stories, with the BBC TV flagship programme, Who Do You Think You Are? reaching audiences of over five million.
“But in investigating their family history, researchers could open up a Pandoraâs Box of secrets and skeletons, such as finding there are family issues around paternity, illegitimacy or marriage close to birth of children, criminality, health and mental health and previously unknown humble origins.
“The rifts are not confined to the historic past – bitterness and resentment towards siblings or parents can result where information is not disclosed,â she added.
Let me know what you thing after reading the article…
