Hi Jean, The 1911 is quite exciting for the information regarding the births and deaths of children. Unless there's been access to complete birth and death records for parishes, this is the first time that us researchers get to see how many children we've been successful in attributing :o) I've made lots of connections with both sides of the family tree (mine and my husbands) although for some reason, there are far more researchers out their for hubbie's ancestors than there are for mine. I've found a number of sites that have been good for this, Rootsweb World Connect Project, Genes Reunited (not a free site, sadly), GenCircles and GeneaNet, as well as Ancestry. The ancestoral relations of mine who emigrated must have done so with a heavy heart, but appear to have flourished when they got there. Some became Mormons and travelled to Utah, getting there by hell or high water (literally experienced in some cases) and others went for purposes of better health. Australia was the destination in the latter instance :o) When I've found my ancestors I always look for information as to what they place was like in those time. Sometimes I'm amazed by just how bad those conditions were and the fact that they managed to raise any healthy offspring at all. One Greatx5 grandfather ended up living in a windowless basement, sharing the room with 6 people, and he was there for at least 10+ years as he crossed 2 census takings at the address. Sobering times. And it makes me grateful to be a child of these days... Regards, Sally ---------------------------------------- > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 12:25:13 +1030 > Subject: Re: [WRY] 1911 Census > > Hi, Thank you for this, I am working on these lines and do have much of the > information. Given that I was told Robert abandoned his family I expected > the missing person to be his wife Emma. I couldn't understand why the > girls were listed as married and surname HAIGH. I have had information for > the past 20 years of who the girls married and how many children etc. I > have recently contacted Robert's grandson. > > I didn't think it mattered too much to record any more about them until this > amazing ability to tap into each other's family tree. I now have a g > grandaughter of Annie living in Canada who is interested in all this, her > grandfather is the one who gave me the information originally. Her Uncle > from an adjacent line is also doing this research and I have a couple from > the Mary Ellen line who are doing research too. I am now trying to help my > husband understand how it all fits together as best I can. > > It is like taking a time capsule into a community a century ago to see where > they lived and what they did. All our data would provide a great social > statement of the century from early 1800s to mid 1950s. > > I re-read emails from the past which told me about the Mill trade in Newtown > Wales where Elizabeth grew up. It seems that about 1881 times were hard and > unemployment forced people to move in droves to USA, Australia and back to > parts of UK they had moved from. This explains why my family married in > Wales but moved to Batley and then Huddersfield between 1878-1881. They > were back in Wales for 1891 census but the husband was working elsewhere, > our ancestor was born in 1892 and the family returned to Huddersfield > shortly after. > > Just trying to put what I know of Elizabeth on paper I learned much, now I > am really starting to learn more about Robert H Haigh too Grandma Alice > called her first born Robert Hugh. Haigh and gave her next son the middle > names of Hugh Haigh as well. (I've yet to locate the origins of Hugh mind > you.). I've have always known about Robert but it is news to me he abandoned > his family. Perhaps he wanted to live in America but his wife didn't. > Emigrating was a huge step leaving behind all ones support systems. I > always tell people we were just too young to fully appreciate the enormity > of what we were doing or we wouldn't have been brave enough to do it. (I > don't have any regrets but we were naive). > > Of course one always has to bear in mind that the census is only one night > every 10 years but they are great fun - a pity we don't allow ours to be > viewed. > > Jean in S. Australia..