Genes Reunited

[Kattaddorra]

Has anyone ever joined Genes Reunited ? I just wondered if it's worth the cost. Has anyone has had good results from there ? I'm to the stage of searching for siblings and familes of our ancestors and quite a few people are listed as researching the same families,but I can't contact them without paying.
Thanks
Katt

[Firtree]

Katt, I'm a member but I would imagine all these sites are similar, I've found a 2nd cousin who had info on my grandparents siblings, but I've also mailed a guy in Ferryhill umpteen times requesting info on my (our) GGGP's and had no reply from him. It's a good idea not to include siblings wives/husbands as you then get queries and matches that are of no particular interest to you.

[Wiccan woman]

I have registered a couple weeks ago but have not felt the need yet to pay for any more information, but i think i will when i get around to it.

[Kattaddorra]

Thanks Firtree.I just joined yesterday and have already found quite a few people researching branches of some of my tree,I sent them messages and have had 3 replies so far inviting me to see their tree and asking to have access to mine. Yes it could get overwhelming with requests from branches not so interesting, thanks for the advice.
Thanks too WW, I think its worth the £9.95 for 6 months unlimited access,but be careful if you pay by card, as on your details page, its ticked to be renewed automatically every 6 months, you need to go and tick for 6 months only !
Katt

[Sedgie]

I've been on G'sRUnited now for nearly 2 years. I find it's good value, especially if you put plenty of your family tree on there/dates/places etc as a lot of people will contact you if they see a possible link, and you get to go off down sidelines in your tree and sometimes they have bits of the older generations you haven't got. I'd say I've given out a lot more than I've received to most people, but then once or twice you strike really lucky and you get masses back!

The only thing I'd say is to be careful to check the sources as it's quite easy for a mistake to go round everyone and because you've seen it 20 times you think it might be accurate only to find all the entries came from one person.

Sedgie

[Kattaddorra]

Yes it is good value Sedgie, I've had lots of contacts now and my tree has really grown. Also we have many 'cousins' down South who we didn't even know existed. And found out our great grandad on one branch, had 17 siblings !! It's been fascinating seeking out their spouses and families and seeing the family names crop up again and again.
I think if I was young now I'd choose genealogy as a career.
Katt

[Mackem]

I have been on for one month now and I had three emails from persons connected. and was able to add considerably to the research I had done. I even got photographs of my mothers great grandparents and G aunts. It was amazing.

[Indian Joe]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained - as they say. A word of caution though, all I seem to have gained so far is more members of my wife's family than I could possibly have dreamed of! Still, I'm ever hopeful of discovering a possible blood relative. Go on, it's only tenner....

[Kattaddorra]

Yes Indian Joe, I've had a lot of contacts from far flung relatives of my in laws too, as I've added them to my tree, but every now and again someone closely related pops up on my own branch, so I'm getting my money's worth alright ! But I've also had a few pop up who think they are related, turn out not to be, and only have about 25 on their tree....then of course I end up offering to help start them off ...but I do enjoy doing it and remember how I struggled at first.
Katt

[Scott st. lad]

Go on don't be so tight, £5 gets you 100 searches, but its best to have basic info first, like an approx. year or married name or maiden name etc depending on what your searching for.
The best people to talk to are the oldest or is it eldest? in the family-before its too late, they know more than u think, if you can get them to talk. They go all vague when it gets uncomfortable. Softly softly catch a monkey etc.gud luk

[Kattaddorra]

I wish I'd listened more when my late parents talked about their families, it was too late by I started researching our family tree. I've uncovered a few skeletons way back too which they couldn't have known about.
I've recently joined Ancestry which is a huge yearly subscription but within the year I hope to find all the census returns etc which I need now, in which case it will be good value.
Katt
PS If anyone wants any look ups on there, just PM me.

[Michelle]

Just spottedv this. It looks good . Thanks for the offer Kattaddorra ......... I`ll get some basic info ready.
Michelle

[Kattaddorra]

Will be glad to do any look ups for you Michelle if you just let me know what you want.
All the census returns are on right up to 1901,it's fascinating !

[Wiccan woman]

Thanks very much much for the offer its very kind of you.
I am at the moment scanning all the old photos and recent ones too and I am going to do a DVD each for the family, I am thoroughly enjoying it, I have scanned hundreds in and am waiting to get more it will be an epic by the time I am finished.
It starts though with my Grandad's parents so they are quite old photos.

[Scott st. lad]

Yeah, don't forget years ago family bibles were treasured possessions, and were passed down through the family. Sometimes they hold hand written information on the inside covers from several generations.
How cool is that, infomation hand written by your ancestors?
So ask the senior members of the family if they have an old bible, or if they know who has it, even if they aren't religous, you never know!
PS you can always borrow it & scan the relevant pages.

[Kattaddorra]

We have a big old family bible with some names and dates in.It was a lovely old custom keeping them to hand down the generations