would you make contact.....

[BlueSavannah]

Hi All

Looking for some opinions on this......
My grandfather had a cousin who died quite suspiciously; however, the death cert and the newspaper article both state that the jury assembled the same day as the body was found had decided she had fallen in and drowned, and all her injuries were caused by either the body getting trapped in a lock or a boat going over the body.

The cousin was married a few years before her death and they had one child. I do not know for sure what became of the child but grandfather made an off the cuff comment once about his other cousin bringing up a child that wasnt his......also, another family member once randomly emailed me to say that 'Auntie Nellie' had had an illigitimate child, dumped it on 'Auntie Katie' and left for Londo...very odd story as it wasnt true.

The husband, I believe, went on to marry someone else and had a child from what I could see on the bmd.

Now.....I have an Ancestry match come up for the husband's name and when ive looked, he has been listed with the 2nd wife and the child

Do I make contact with the owner of this tree telling him that I am connected to the same man by his first marriage....or, leave due to the cirumstances of the death of the first wife...who isnt listed in this man's tree?

I would dearly like to find out if the child Nellie and husband had survived and if she did see her father, but I also dont want to start emailing things to someone if they dont know about it.

What would you do?

[trixybell]

Hi,

Well I would definitely make contact with the other tree owner. Just be careful how you word your message, stating that you have this ancestor in your tree and would like more info on that person. Then it's up to the owner to give as much (or little) info as they want. At least that way you can see how much they already know about this ancestor. Sometimes people don't even bother replying, that's what I have found on Ancestry, but the majority are pretty good and do answer you.

If you don't ask you will never know.....


Good Luck,

Trixy:)

[BlueSavannah]

Hi Trixy and thank you for your opinion on this. I have had a few good contacts through ancestry, though some as you say dont respond.

It only popped up today in my memberconnect thing and took me by suprise as I had looked for this man for a while now. It would niggle at me if I didnt make contact but at the same time, I certainly dont want to go upsetting anyone with information they didnt know about.

Thanks again :)

[maggie_4_7]

I would make contact but like the post above be careful how you word it.

Also the man on this tree what relationship is he to the tree owner i.e. how close?

[BlueSavannah]

Hi Maggie.
I am not sure how to work out how the tree owner is related to the man in my tree. On first view, it might be his grandson :confused:

The tree owner has the same surname as man in my tree.

[maggie_4_7]

So basically you're looking for this man's other child or at least what happened to them?

I'd say you have the man in your tree and wondered about their connection and could you have more information on the man please.

[JBee]

Yes most definitely make contact.

Agree that you keep it simple - it maybe that he knows the man was married before but hasn't put it up publicly - or perhaps he doesn't know as lots of descendants often don't know of other marriages.

Until I researched OH's tree his mother was an only child - until Army records proved otherwise!! lol

[BlueSavannah]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.

Grandad's Aunt Nellie (sorry I wrote cousin in the first post) married and had one child who was allegedly brought up by another of grandad's aunts after Nellie died.

Husband then remarried and appears to have had one child with new wife. Husband then dies a few years later.

I am trying to find what became of the child of Nellie and her husband if she went to live with her aunt or stayed with father and his new wife.

I will do as suggested and make contact just stating we appear to have the same man in our trees.

[Joan of Archives]

I would say make contact, as the others do, if someone is doing their tree then they really do usually know that these little "problems" crop up occasionally! Also if this person is doing their tree seriously, then surely they will have their grandfather's marriage certificate & they will know that they are the product of a second marriage.

With regards to raising a cousin's child, I have an incidence of that in my tree so it was probably quite common.

[BlueSavannah]

Hi Joan
I have sent a message this afternoon and just gave vague information relating to the man in my tree who married x and put that the man was born same year and place and asked if he thought we might share the same man in our trees.

Hopefully I will get a response over the weekend :)

[garstonite]

Good luck Claire...In my opinion , you had to make contact...you are researching your family tree...that`s the whole point...I am delighted when someone contacts me with a family member in their tree...you may learn something to YOUR advantage....fingers crossed....allan

[BlueSavannah]

Morning Allan and everyone

Ive had a response from the tree owner who confirmed its the same man and he is indeed the grandson of this man. He has said that the man had suffered very bad health and his new wife was warned at the time he may not live a year after they married. This might explain why Nellie's sister brought up the child.

Contact would like to see my tree.......I am happy to do that but havnt just yet as I thought I might need to gently warn him that Nellie's death wasnt particularly nice.

On another positive note....trawling through ancestry trees, someone has child of Nellie and man in their tree :) Now the data is so badly entered and misspelt that I am not hopeful of a response but have sent a message to the owner. The owner has put a date of death in for her....only before she was actually born :rolleyes: However, it gave a day/month as well as the incorrect year which makes me wonder if it was purposely added incorrectly.

Thanks all again for your input :)