Oh no, how sad, Fiona W! All that work lost - still, as you say, it kept him well occupied. What a huge shame about the photos too. I back everything up onto memory sticks (when I remember!) and I have the family lines written out on two long rolls of paper, one the paternal side, one the maternal side. If the technology fails, it's all on paper. My daughter knows where all my passwords are.
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Ina, my cousin was faced with a similar situation when her father died. he had been very secretive about his financial dealings - nothing dodgy, just a bit of a power trip really! - and he kept everything so there was a mountain of paper to sort through. She had an unholy mess of accounts, share certificates etc to work out and no passwords or anything; had to get professional help and it took months. For the sake of the next generation, people need to be clear about that sort of thing - it saves so much grief and hassle!
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My late next door neighbours husband left the deeds to the house with a solicitor but didn't tell anyone where.When they came to sell the house they had to go around all the solicitors to try and find them.
Quote: Originally posted by Hedgehugger on 15/4/2023
Ina, my cousin was faced with a similar situation when her father died. he had been very secretive about his financial dealings - nothing dodgy, just a bit of a power trip really! - and he kept everything so there was a mountain of paper to sort through. She had an unholy mess of accounts, share certificates etc to work out and no passwords or anything; had to get professional help and it took months. For the sake of the next generation, people need to be clear about that sort of thing - it saves so much grief and hassle!
Something like that is really difficult to deal with; I guess it's something not everyone stops to think about. It's weird really; you're always told not to divulge passwords to anyone etc, yet when someone dies and had sole control over everything, that is exactly what causes so many difficulties. As in the case of your cousin and our friend.
When my Uncle died, i was the executor of the Will. Aside from all the general work of getting everything sorted out, one battle i didnt bank on was with BT. I called them to get his phone account stopped, and a bill sent to we could settle up. They would only deal with the account holder! FOUR times i had to try get it through to the muppet on the other end that their request was going to be difficult due to him being DEAD!
For your Scottish research, take a look at Scottish Indexes. They have indexed a load of document sets so you can search for free and narrow down where you might need to look for the originals. They run regular free online conferences and there's also a really friendly Facebook group who are good at answering all sorts of questions.
With regard to Ancestry v Find My Past, it really depends what areas you are searching - I find FMP better for my Kent and Devon families - they have more images of the relevant parish registers, whereas Ancestry may have only transcripts. Always helps if you can see the originals for yourself!
Ancestry let you nominate a legacy contact (My son is mine, whether he like it or not!) and I also regularly download GEDCOM files of my online tree so i can keep them offline. https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/getting-started/choosing-the-best-gene........
Thanks, Janehd, that's a very interesting and helpful link! A chunk of my family was in Devon and before that Cornwall, so that suggests Find my Past would be a better bet. I know what you mean about being able to see originals, I think it gives much more of a sense of connection than reading a transcript. The Scottish registers idea is good too; I'd like to try to reach a bit further back on that line if possible.
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Any family history enthusiasts out there?
via mobile 16/4/2023 at 10:32am
