BellaOnline Forums Family Genealogy Brick Walls....

Do you have a brick wall? Tell us about it so we might can help break it down. You can post about it here, or link to a website that describes your problem.

If you have a problem, more than likely someone else has too and can answer your questions. Maybe you can help someone else...

Tina

My brick wall is locating anyone in a foreign country! I have traced (or my sister has!) relatives to Dublin and County Tyrone in Ireland, and in England and in Alsace-Lorraine, but I have no idea what to do next. Any helpers?
Cosie3

Cosie, great question.

Rootsweb has many research lists for these areas of the world. Sometimes subscribing to the lists provides networking opportunities. People who are researching in these areas have a wealth of experience with successes and pitfalls.

Have you read genealogical books or magazines about how to do research in these localities? Often these publications will give you the names and addresses of the libraries and other record repositories where you can write.

There are online resources also.

I had joined an Italian list (still belong to PIE in fact) and with the suggestions I received from knowledgeable folks, I found family in Italy and had an opportunity to meet them.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

I have a brick wall with a Native American ancestor since their histories were more oral than written

I have a huge brick wall that I've no idea how to get around. No one in the family knows what the original surname was. We know stories abaout our family, port of exit and entry, and I know my grandmother's original 1st name.

The only document that had their name on it was taken by a cousin who swears he never laid hands on it (he boasted about the man who translated it having bowed to him when he read it so we know he has it).

Is it going to be impossible?

Have a look on the BBC Radio 4 site. There was a genealoy program on yesterday about how to trace "vanished" Ancestors.

Hope this helps

Ian

Thanks Ian. I'll check it out.

The program is called "Tracing your Roots" and you should be able to get it on BBC Iplayer.

This is the direct link:

BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

Oops! still learning to use the forums I think I left you enough information to find it alright. If you go to the BBC website and put "genealogy" into the search box you also get a lot of programs from both national British and local radio to listen to that may also be of help

Lyn, what are the dates you have, which ports, and what was your grandmother's name?