"New" cousin in America

Grammaretto I also have framed, a printed photo of my grandmother and great-grandmother together which I treasure so much because I never knew either when I was born. My late cousin acquired this via another cousin. Up until a few years ago my cousin and his wife visited yet another cousin in Southend-on-Sea and she sadly died not long ago but whether her husband is still alive I don't know. I have many pics of these relatives, copies from originals.
Also a relative who'd lived in Jersey but didn't have any children. She's buried in Jersey somewhere but I've never got around to finding whereabouts.

I've drawn a blank with dad's side of the family after an uncle who was doing some research,passed away. Snippets of the background ancestry was a court jester to Henry VIII ( that'll be right ! ) a connection to Hadrian's wall and a painted ceiling in the Kremlin being a facsimile of one inside Liverpool town Hall-----but who these people were I don't know nor the connection.

A nephew researches my mother's side. He found a GGf was a reporter in Russia for the Guardian.
A cousin in Canada researches Dad's side, where they were mostly seamen from Tyneside. Coal transport? We've got paintings of 2 sailing ships of which they were master (not owners.) It's good to have those.
One was said to have been born in Russia, the sea routes went right into the Balkan sea, St. Petersburg.
So maybe that's why I'm so interested in Russia?

Another thing to try is "The one name study" and look for your surname. I am in the group for my surname and thanks to the man that runs it, I have ancestors going back to before 1500.
one-name.org/

Fennel many years ago I wrote to an ambassador for Russia ( residing at the Embassy in London ) if it was possible that I could " purchase " pictures of the ceiling at the Kremlin and received a lovely letter in response that " it wasn't possible " but kindly enclosed some coloured postcards of the building along with other historical buildings.

I hadn't realised that my request at the time was not the norm. Whether or not I'd still get a refusal,I wouldn't like to say but I wouldn't anyway while Putin's in power.

Yes, I found a 2nd cousin in America - or rather he found me! He was also a Jones from Wales originally. His grandmother was my grandfather's sister. That was about 10 years ago, we have met several times and exchanged lots of family stories, and we still keep in touch.

Through researching my family history I also discovered that several of the people I always thought were my Mum's friends were in fact relatives.

Grammaretto please take care to ensure that the person you are exchanging information with, or planning to meet perhaps, is genuine.

I was a bit suspicious at first about being contacted by a stranger, but my Welsh cousin told me something about his grandmother which only a family member would have known, so I was then happy to link up with him.

Good luck with your research

MarieLiz - on Ancestry they check their DNA database and provide you with a link to any matches. I have found most of mine are many times removed cousins and we are not even sure quite how we connect! Unfortunately my DNA is predominantly UK based and not many people here have bothered to take a DNA test.

Having been an avid genealogist for years, I got round to discovering my DNA. All of a sudden I was inundated with
emails from folk with matching DNA, albeit at a distance. I find they are mainly new to family history research and mainly want an easy route to all their queries, without the painstaking research necessary to avoid mistakes in one's tree.

We also discovered a few skeletons and met new cousins who we now see regularly.
How true Grammaretto.

Due to DNA, we have a whole new version of my mums earlier life of which we can't solve or clarify due to her dementia and there's no one else left to ask.

DotMH1901 Yes a cousin I only found recently was told there was a cousin in the USA and she couldn't fathom out how a cousin had got there.

We gave a family tree that is how I found this cousin, unfortunately, my dad and hers together with two sisters where orphaned under the age of 8 both parents dyeing within 2 years of each other. One sister went to Canada, never married. So we don't know where this cousin comes in. Also the name is Williams!! My Mum's name is better France.

I have found:
Distant cousin in Canada who has a huge database of that branch of the family and has come over a few times and organised get-togethers for us.
Kinsman close to where I live, half cousin in the midlands,
Possible relative in Australia that DD has met up with twice now when she was over there.
Best of all - a cousin of my late father that we had lost touch with who has now, sadly, died.
By following down some family lines I have found some very distant relatives that I haven't contacted.
Also the 1939 Census threw up some very interesting and useful light on my family.

My Dad was illegitimate so we have no idea of his fathers family.His mother died when he was 12 so not much information about that side either.When I decided to research dads family he was long dead but he would have been thrilled that I traced his mothers family back to the early 1700's.
Dad had a very distictive name and I found exactly where it came from and that two generations earlier there was a relative with the same name .When his mum died Dads half sisters were put into care ...in different homes at different ends of the country.
Although he managed (before the internet ) to trace them they lost touch again when I was small.I found and met both my Aunts about 12 years ago and all the cousins I didn't know I had .We've all kept in touch ,one Aunt died in March 2 days after her husband of almost 60 years.I'm so pleased I found them and Dad would have been delighted that I made the effort.

yes i found several of my surname online.and in constant emailing .its wonderful. though some relatives in canada were all excited at first then after two three emails silence. at least i know who and where they are even if they not blood relatives.its great finding another branch on my family tree...but dont send them any money...

Grammaretto! About 8 years ago my parents got an email from a person in England. It started on Ancestry.com. Best thing that ever happened. Long lost cousin. She’s been to visit us a couple of times and I’ve been to visit her!

This summer I visited two first cousins in USA - they are half brothers, the children of my mother's brother who emigrated in 1920s. We were aware that he had had children but did not know anything much about them, luckily one of them had retained the distinctive surname so was easy to trace on the internet. We had such a lovely time together and they loved hearing about all the other branches of the family they did not know. We will definitely keep in touch and hopefully see them again in the future. There are also some second cousins in Australia who we have met when visiting DD, and several other distant relatives in Italy.....and that is just my Mum's side of the family!

Found some but really wondered why as I mostly don’t particularly like the cousins I know!
We are all related if you go back far enough anyway.

eebeew that is very much my family's attitude. We're all Jock Tamsin's bairns.
It's the detective in me that keeps me going and sometimes I "meet" someone with whom I share a common cause.
On holiday in Australia I looked up some 3rd cousins who were hospitable and some have since stayed with us.
We've still plenty of research to do if we want to.
The American cousin hasn't been back to me yet so maybe I put them off.

My brother, who never knew his father, took an Ancestry DNA test and through some luck and painstaking research found his father's family. He had siblings and though they did not want contact they did send a photo of his father. He has traced his family line back years and is so pleased he now has an "identity" .

How very exciting for those of you who have traced relatives on-line, and then enjoyed some sort of relationship.
Some years ago I managed to make contact with some cousins of my mother, but sadly, they do not want to be in contact, although they were kind enough to email a few photos.

The only DNA connection that showed up after I did the test was my son - he'd done the same test unbeknown to me.

Juliet27
That is quite good news I suppose that he wasn't swapped at birth.

My sister found our late fathers relatives in Ireland through online sites. We even found out there had been a small inheritance lying somewhere. My mum and dad separated when I was a baby, but it got us back in contact with our Irish relatives.

MagicWriter2016 how lovely for you. I hope you liked eachother.
My American cousin has written again with some new stories and photos.
She also wants to visit her homeland so we may go together next summer.

Grammaretto, they welcomed us as long lost family. They were all lovely!

MagicWriter2016 it's Ireland for us too. Last time I was there I had the most magical welcome.