Family History Brick Walls
Yes, you definitely will come across brick walls which you think you will never get over. Have patience, give it time and I feel sure you will get the results you want.
I have a few current 'brick walls' in my researches - some I don't think I will ever get over, but one I did.
I had searched for my 3 x Gt. Grandfather for nigh on 25 years, I used to put him aside for a while when I got a bit sickened of getting no results. Then, I would take him out, dust him off, and start all over again.
One day, through the new Pilot Scheme on the IGI [international genealogical index] a marvelous tool for tracing family trees, I found him and I actually shouted out, causing my son to think I had gone a bit loony!!
I can't describe the feeling I had, after all those years, and he had turned up. I have to say that he wasn't where he was supposed to be according to details he had given when he joined the Indian Army at age 16.
However, I never gave up hope, I just widened my circle of search on the map, went over county borders, kept Googling my request for his details, going into family history message boards etc.
in the hopes that someone might be researching the same name and have some information for me.
Along the way I did uncover more details about his family, his immediate family relatives, which all added to the sum total of my knowledge of him to add to the family tree.
The whole point is that if you don't find that one person, you can never get past him. You cannot go further back to find your family because you have no idea where to look. When you get a breakthrough it is wonderful because everything opens up again and you can forge 'backwards' again.
Unfortunately, I now have a bit of a brick wall with his Mother. I have her name, but she doesn't belong to the parents I first thought. When I rechecked her date of birth it didn't fit with the other persons details. So, back to the drawing board as they say!
As long as you catch on to the mistake, then nothing is lost, just some of your time. This is why it is essential that you check, check and recheck your ancestry search details before you put them into your Family History Program on your computer.
The more you do this research the more you become clued in on what to look for when trying to find ancestors. Never give up hope and you will more than likely get over that stumbling block, given time.
Patience is the name of the game.
Jean is passionate about family history and genealogy and has a blog related to these topics. If you would like to take a look at the blog and maybe ask a question, she will do her utmost to give you a solution to any problem you may have. click here http://familytreetrace.com