Hi, Ann in Ottawa, you make a very interesting point. I am trying to write a family history that includes family trees but also includes history, stories, photos, etc.. I found to my surprise that my Dad's father had an older brother whom we had never heard about. None of my cousins knew he existed. My grandfather lived in Canada, then in Massachusetts. The older brother lived in Canada, then moved to Rhode Island. So they were not very far apart. My grandfather did not drive a car, but any of his sons and he had six would have driven him to visit his brother. I don't think I will find out why they did not stay in contact. My grandfather often phoned his youngest brother who lived in California. And, he talked about his sisters who died when fairly young. So interesting! Shirley ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Anne Sterling via <fermanagh-gold@rootsweb.com> To: "CARELL" <carell@bigpond.com.au>, <fermanagh-gold@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: FERMANAGH-GOLD George Allingham - Boa Island. Date: Wed, 27 May 2015 09:41:15 -0400 Hi, Thanks for posting this. Fascinating! I like the way of thinking expressed in the article. I want to write a biography of different ancestors and to put them in context. I am starting to think of who was "around" my family members. e.g. my Fermanagh grandfather Henry Bustard(1878-1963) must have had cousins nearby. His grandfather William Ross died when he was seven. Did he know him very well I wonder?. When he was ten his uncle Dr. William Ross died in Sligo. Did he know him? Two years before that his eldest brother enlisted in the Royal Irish Constabulary. Anne, pondering in hot humid Ottawa