Frustration!

[Merry]

Every few months I have another look at the details of stuff held at the Cambridge Archives for my Maynard family.

I was aware of there being ten volumes of documents at Cambridge and a further three volumes at the Saffron Walden museum where the brother of my great-grandfather was curator. I once visited the SW museum - of course on a day they couldn't show me their three volumes - and I remember they were adamant they would never let their stuff go to Cambridge, however, upon looking at the CALM catalogue it would seem Cambridge now have the lot:

Whittlesford Voumes (http://calm.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ArchiveCatalogue/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqSearch=((CreatorName=='George Nathan Maynard of Whittlesford')))

I had always understood that within these 13 volumes there was some FH information, but imagined it might be minimal. However, further prodding of the online catalogue shows me there is also this lot (Nathan is my 2xg-grandfather):

Maynard family papers (http://calm.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ArchiveCatalogue/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqSearch=((CreatorName=='Maynard family of Whittlesford ')))

But I am here and they are 130 miles away! (and therefore a huge amount if money away). It's not just the distance, but imagine how long it would take to photograph everything!

I think I need to move house!!!

[kiterunner]

Make sure that at least one of your kids goes to Cambridge University, Merry, and volunteer to drive them over there at the start of each term! Oh, and for their interviews too.

[Merry]

lol Kate! What a good idea - might be a bit of a tall order for either of them though!

[kiterunner]

Oh, or the other university there, Anglia Ruskin.

[Merry]

Can you do a degree in playing on the X Box? :rolleyes:

Of course your idea still requires me to wait another 4+ years at least!!

[ElizabethHerts]

I was going to say, Merry, I bet you couldn't wait that long.

So, do you have a plan??

[tenterfieldjulie]

How long does it take to drive there?

[Merry]

How long does it take to drive there?

About 3-4 hours Julie. Not that I've driven that far for 20 years probably! I've known the non-family stuff was there for 15 years (only properly realised there was so much family stuff today!), but haven't managed to see any of it yet. We did visit Whittlesford about 8 years ago but having small children prohibited a visit to the archives. In the last six months I have not been out of Bournemouth at all because of mum, but if she settles in the rest home I might be able to travel - maybe in the summer hols?

Coach or train are prohibitively expensive and obviously I'd have to be there for at least two days I would imagine! We do have our camper van but it seems pretty small for us now and makes son's asthma bad. I've never driven that, so wouldn't be keen to take it on my own. (bit of a wimp really!!)

[Mary from Italy]

Maybe your OH would agree for you all to go over there for a week or a weekend, and he could take the kids off sightseeing or to the seaside (only about an hour away) while you're at the archives?

You wouldn't necessarily need to photograph everything; once you've had a good look and you can see what seems most important, you can ask the staff to photocopy the documents you need. There's obviously a charge, but not as much as if you were asking them to do research.

[Merry]

I agree Mary, though given there are over 400 family letters, (never minding all the other stuff), even if ¾ of them could be disregarded, that's still a lot of photocopies, especially assuming most letters would be more than one page!

On reflection, I think I would need to be there a fortnight!!

[JBee]

I have the same problem - most of my research is 200 - 500 miles from home.

OH isn't interested in researching - just the results. So what we do is make use of the travelodge deals and book when there's a sale on . He then goes off and explores whilst I get on with researching. We usually have 1 day where we both go sightseeing etc.
Several times I've been to scotlandspeople and not left my seat from the time I go in until it closes lol!!!!

Why not look for coach or train deals too - saves the driving and spend a few days there.

[Shona]

Although the OH is interested in family history and enthusiastic about the results, he recoils with horror at the of spending any time in an archive.

There has to be an incentive for him. He loves long-distance walks, though, so the last time we went to Argyll, he and a friend walked the Kintyre Way. I dropped them off each morning and collected them every evening. I spent my days studying the Duke of Argyll's 1792 census and various land records as well as photographing gravestones and remote ruins.

Another time, his racing bike came with us. He cycled up and down Scottish hills while I did spent my time at the archives in Fife.

I've now located a copy of the Duke's 1792 census in the London Metropolitan Archives, so that's a bit closer than Campbeltown!

Can I persuade him that we should visit Ireland so I can do more work on his family history, though? No.

[Mary from Italy]

When we're over in the UK mine doesn't mind trips out into the country to look at churches, although he isn't too keen on traipsing round graveyards, but he isn't interested in going to the archives.

I keep hoping to persuade him that we need a trip to Australia, where half my tree comes from, but he isn't keen on flying :)

[Merry]

OH has already spent about 18 months going to our local record office (about 35 miles away) once a week doing MY research. It didn't do much for marital harmony as, whilst he's brilliant at plodding through endless PRs looking for a specific entry and never rushes or skips anything (like I might :(), he's rubbish at lateral thinking, so on returning home he would say what he'd found, but instead of being grateful, I'd say, "but why did you look for X when you already had Y?" or "didn't you think to try looking at parish X before you did that?"

Despite the above, I would still rather have him with me a at RO but I can't see that happening in the near future because of the kids. I wish they had a soundproofed room at the RO with WiFi, an X Box and a TV then the kids could go too!!

[tenterfieldjulie]

I was lucky as my OH loved to travel when we were first married, but then unfortunately he had lower back problems and to get anywhere became difficult. We have grown up knowing we have to travel hours to get anywhere, to get to specialist doctors is between 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. To visit family in Sydney is 8 to 9 hours on a good trip. I must admit I wish I was 3 hours from UK records, but it is all relevant isn't it. Family has priority and I don't think you can rush research. From misexperience it is better to decided more days or multiple visits. I think I should come over for a month going to ROs before I decide to socialise lol Julie

[Merry]

I think I should come over for a month going to ROs before I decide to socialise lol Julie


I know - you could come over and do my Cambridge research for a month and then I would let you socialise, Julie!!!

[tenterfieldjulie]

lol Merry .. just wish I had your skills ..

[Merry]

lol Julie, I don't feel capable of a thing at the moment because I'm so drained with mum. Our relationship has always been strained from my side but she thinks everything is perfect between us, because I'm a good actress, which I now resent being! Exhausting!!

[ElizabethHerts]

lol Julie, I don't feel capable of a thing at the moment because I'm so drained with mum. Our relationship has always been strained from my side but she thinks everything is perfect between us, because I'm a good actress, which I now resent being! Exhausting!!


((HUGS)), Merry.
I know from a good friend here how draining it is when you are the only child caring for an elderly parent. Just as well you have your research as a distraction.

[Tom Tom]

Premier Inn have an offer on at the moment. Sundays in the summer for £29 a night.

http://www.premierinn.com/en/search!execute.action

[Janet]

lol Julie, I don't feel capable of a thing at the moment because I'm so drained with mum. Our relationship has always been strained from my side but she thinks everything is perfect between us, because I'm a good actress, which I now resent being! Exhausting!!

A dutiful daughter you are. If you've got the same genes as me you'll be suffering acute bouts of rosacea just now, at least that's what happened to me when I persisted in smiling through the pain and anger. *mixed-emoticon* Sorry it's so stressful for you, Merry. Try to take care of you. I do like your idea for the soundproof room, though. :):rolleyes:

[Merry]

Thanks Tom - I will look into Premier Inn and Travelodge etc.

Janet - "dutiful" yes, but "resentful" too which makes me "guilty" also lol

Took the kids to see her in the rest home this afternoon. She seemed more settled than previously, which was good. They were having a mini fry-up for their evening meal - the smell of fried bread was delicious!!!

[Olde Crone]

Resentful's ok Merry, as long as you let your mum go on thinking everything is perfect between you. Sorry you are having to carry this burden.

OC