Family Information

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 01:29:08 +0000 (UTC), "Kev Nicholas"

I've had someone *demand* that I give him everything I had on our family name because "we're related because we have the same family coat of arms" After I'd put him straight on the fact that there's no such thing as a *family* coat of arms and explained that I was not going to hand of 30+ years of information without a little more information from him especially as there was more than one member of the family with his name and it would be a waste of time giving him information that didn't relate to him, I waited for a reply. I'm still waiting - 2 years on!! It was obviously going to be a one way street, so I'm glad that I didn't give him any information. He wanted a family tree without making any effort himself.

OTOH, I was recently contacted by someone who turned out to be a cousin and who supplied me with some information I hadn't previously had (which was a bonus). In return I've given him our mutual line, with siblings, and the years of birth and rest (where I have them) together with spouses and places. I haven't given him full dates as yet. I'm waiting for him to come back to me again. He has enough information that he can find the data for himself if he wishes to.

In your case, was the person who contacted you adopted by your family or was s-he adopted by another family but was actually born into your family?? What exactly are they looking for?? If s-he was born into your family but later adopted, it's possible that you won't have a record of them if they weren't registered with a name or if they weren't registered at all.

If I was in your place, I'd try to ascertain the exact relationship but say that you have no previous record of them, ask them what they are looking for and offer a very limited, bare bones bit of information.

I wouldn't hand over years worth of research to someone. A cousin and I exchanged information (I had the larger amount) and everything I gave to my cousin has ended up on the IGI - and it's all shown as patron submissions which are renowned for being unreliable. No sources are given yet everything is either an extraction from a parish register and-or a certificate. Even in the pedigree resource file, I get no mention, it's only his name and address that's on the file: yet he's done none of the work. The information he gave me related to his own very extended family. I should also add that my cousin is a Mormon.