Wondering.............When does someone say when. I have gathered from this list that many of you have been at this a very long time. I have only been at this since Nov 2003. I hold stock in scotlandspeople.com <grin>. I am not much further then what was started in 1981. I have come to a dead end with James CALDER (1785), Janet MACKINTOSH (abt. 1787), William CALDER (?) and Isobel LAMB (?) {James Calder's parents). My Williamson line from Ayrshire has also met the same results. My hat is off to everyone that contributes to this list. I have learned so much from all of you. Many, many thanks. Your knowledge has been invaluable. When does one give up here? I am curious. Success stories would be welcome about now. Kind regards, Sherry Williamson

Sherry wrote, < When does someone say when? I have only been at this since Nov 2003. When does one give up here? > Genealogy is many things to many people and we are all different. Some are so lucky that there is an abundance of material helping them to make progress fast and others have so little to go on or get stuck with such a common name that there seems no way forward. When you find out things for yourself you know how confident you can be with your research and whether you backed it up with another source. We all dream of finding an 'Internet cousin' who still lives in the ancestral county but if you haven't found such a treasure and find it a lonely plod then maybe it is time to take stock. I find that keeping all options open while researching several family names is best. When something comes along you 'go with the flow'. If you are stuck in one direction what about taking an opportunity of changing tack and interviewing an old relative about their life and times? Ask them if they have any old photographs and who the people are and scan them or take copies. Remember, if it isn't recorded down then people's memories die with them. Some sources are going to be there always and some are not. If for one reason or another you feel that you have got as far as you are going to get then why not type out what you have found and present it for future generations as a booklet adding photographs, certificates, obituaries, maps and anything else you can add of interest. Sometimes we make our own good luck and you never know but it might be just around the corner, Ian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wiccanpt2" <Wiccanpt2@netzero.net> To: <MORAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 2:18 AM Subject: [MORAY] Off Topic - Brick Walls > Wondering.............When does someone say when. I have gathered from this > list that many of you have been at this a very long time. I have only been > at this since Nov 2003. I hold stock in scotlandspeople.com <grin>. > > I am not much further then what was started in 1981. I have come to a dead > end with James CALDER (1785), Janet MACKINTOSH (abt. 1787), William CALDER > (?) and Isobel LAMB (?) {James Calder's parents). My Williamson line from > Ayrshire has also met the same results. > > My hat is off to everyone that contributes to this list. I have learned so > much from all of you. Many, many thanks. Your knowledge has been > invaluable. > > When does one give up here? I am curious. Success stories would be welcome > about now. > > Kind regards, > > Sherry Williamson > > > > > ==== MORAY Mailing List ==== > Don't forget that if you delete a message, you can always visit the archives of this list http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/MORAY/. The archives are also worth looking at, whether you be a new or established lister. > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > >

Thanks to Ian and Marnie for your words of wisdom. Very much appreciated. I am visiting Scotland in two weeks and if I can not find any more clues for my MACKINTOSH's / CALDER's / LAMB's that will more than likely be the end of the road with this branch for a bit. Then onto the WILLIAMSON's in Ayrshire. Another brick wall that I hope will tumble!!! Many thanks, Sherry Canton, Michigan