Ancestry Family Trees

[237SJ]

Has anybody here ever met up with someone via Ancestry? For example, you find elements of your family tree on the site and make contact with the person who put it up?

[tonyav]

I have, wasn't Ancestry site though ( they got in contact with me ).

[jackthehat]

Yes.
A second cousin of my Dad's......she came to see us when she was visiting UK from Australia.

[Captain2]

Like Tony, not via Ancestry, but when I was active on Genes Reunited a complete stranger to me, who had married into our family name (correct branch) got in touch with me and gave me an immense amount of information about the family. He even told me a lot of detail about the 'family farm' in Castlerea, Roscommon, which up to that point had only ever been mentioned by my aunt. Very rewarding.

[Baldric]

Up until now no, and as I'm now mid sixties if I've not met them already I will not miss them tbh.

[237SJ]

Thanks for the replies. JTH it`s interesting that you have met up with someone. The reason I ask is because my great grandmother on my Dad`s side came from a completely different area and I was curious about her. I searched her on Ancestry and found a family tree that a guy in America had put up. He had listed my Dad`s date of birth incorrectly so I emailed and told him. We have had a couple of exchanges. It turns out he`s my 4th cousin and lives in the US city that I am going to tomorrow. He wants to meet up and I am tempted because I have some photos and stuff that he would be interested in. I`m just hoping that he is not completely obsessed with all of this and that I`ll never hear the last of it - he is a complete stranger afterall.

[askyourgran]

Yes I have recently met up with a cousin who lives a few miles away. I had a great uncle who died leaving a wife and three children, she married again and the children took the name of the second husband named Rhodes. I had a tree on ancestry, and a lady contacted me to say that she had just found out that they were not called Rhodes at all. She asked me for any details of her great grandfather. I told her what I had. About a year later I found out s bit more, how the family had been in the workhouse for a while with their daughter aged 2. We met up at a cafe in Leeds and chatted for about 2 hours, she was overcome, and gave me some photos of the 2 year old child and her husband. Who I hafd noted on my family tree. Two other cousins live in Harrogate from this line of the family and I am about to meet them too. It was all quite moving. She still telephones me to keep in touch. Several others have contacted me from my fathers family who I didn't know.

[jackthehat]

237SJ - I have met (on-line only, mind) several American 'cousins'.....and to a wo/man they have all been delightful but, yes, they are a little erm.....enthusiastic. :o)
They'll happily share everything they have discovered with you and be terribly grateful for everything you can share with them. It'll be fun but it may not end there.......LoL

[237SJ]

Askyourgran - that`s fascinating. JTH - I know what you mean they can be a bit evangelical. My parents always had Aussies, Americans etc turning up on their doorstep. My Mum used to get fed up with it. I can understand why they are so keen though - because they know they didn`t originate in those countries and came from somewhere else. But hey - I`ve now got rellies in New York so it would be rude not to.