I am always amazed by just how many new websites I find when I am trawling the net for Family History information.

I am sure they have always been there, but it seems just lately that everytime I Google something I find a new site. Unfortunately for me, researching mostly UK ancestors, a lot of these sites are biased towards Americans. Having said that most of the queries I see are from American people trying to trace their roots back in the UK.

I found an interesting one the other day, for the UK, it was Ancestral-Villages and this one allows you to post your village or surname interest free and you can look at whatever else is on there from other people.

I am in two minds about the changes to the IGI. Sometimes I find information on the old set up that doesn’t appear on the new pages and also vice versa. This I find quite strange, you would think whatever was on one database would appear on the other.  Once or twice I have tried actually writing, snail mail, to people whose addresses appear under one of the items I am looking at, birth or marriage etc. but the entries must have been made too many years ago and I never get a reply.

I just love it when I am in touch with a new connection. Sharing information is what it is all about and gaining an extended family is so good. Having someone new to talk to about your passion is brilliant.

Asking Google for certain names and places can be like opening a can of worms. I have tried putting the name and place in inverted commas so I don’t get all the rubbish which is nothing to do with what I want, but then sometimes I don’t use inverted commas and I patiently trawl right through pages and pages of seemingly unconnected sites. I have to say though that occasionally I do come up with a little nugget of information which gives me a new track to follow. It is time consuming though, going through the sites right up to page 5, 6 or 7 of Google.

I have spent hours changing the request around, changing the wording, taking out dates or places etc. just to see what Google can come up with.

One thing I do enjoy is, when I am researching some aristocratic ancestor or somebody who is notable for some reason or other,  asking Google for pictures. This is great if you find one of the person you are looking for. I had a real field day the other week and was capturing all kinds of photos and I now have quite a sizeable folder with just Family History pictures. I am not sure at this stage what I will do with them – but they are there when I decide.

Hi, my name is Jean and I am a Family History and Genealogy aholic!

My downfall all began around 35 years ago when I got hold of some family documents and made my first tree, that was when I started to be hooked.

I seemed to have it under control in the beginning, I could go for periods and never touch it, but gradually I needed to do research regularly, without it I was a mess.

I knew I was getting addicted but couldn’t do anything about it.

Now it has got to the point where I just can’t do without it every day and if I don’t add members to my tree I have such feelings of inadequacy.

I have finally admitted to myself that I am a family history and genealogy aholic – but – I couldn’t care less. I have no wish to be cured, and I am going to carry on just as long as I can.

All joking apart, there should be a health warning with Family History because it definitely is addictive and once you have tasted the pleasure and excitement of making your first discoveries you too will be in the same boat as me.

Unfortunately it can run away with you if you get connected with existing pedigrees. The inclination is to just go on and on adding new members to your family tree, as many as you can find, getting your tree number as high as possible. When you find yourself doing this – get a grip!

You are not the first one to discover royal and aristocratic ancestors, there are millions of people who will have these connections even if they are not aware of it. It is fun yes, but doesn’t really have a great deal to do with you and your immediate family. I will admit to feeling very thrilled when I discovered my first royal ancestor but when you have added literally hundreds of royals and aristocrats the euphoria begins to wear off.

I am still totally hooked on Family History and don’t think I am still not thrilled and excited to have all these people dangling from my tree, but I have had a reality check and have gone right back to the beginnings of my research and am now going over all my first research data. Trying to find out more details of the few generations back from me.

It is sometimes very hard to come up with anything other than the bare birth, baptism, marriage and death details about a person, but wherever I can I am trying hard to find these extra details.

I may not be able to resist going back to the pedigrees and just adding a few more to my tree eventually  - well I’m only human!!