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Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2004-09 > 1094069622


From: "Bev Harsh" <>
Subject: Re: Essex family problems - to disclose or not?
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 21:13:42 +0100
References: <016601c48ffc$3eec4a60$a8790650@packard>


Hi Colleen,

I feel that if one is doing family research one has to be prepared for,
and welcome, all sorts of revelations. You would not be lying by not
mentioning an inherited physical characteristic, so long as you had not
specifically been asked about it. The person you find the information out
for will see it in photographs, may or may not think it odd that you had not
mentioned it. I know that I would probably mention it, along the lines of
"here is something out of the ordinary which you may or may not know". Big
difference between answering queries/presenting information accurately and
completely, and telling everything to people who have not expressed an
interest.

Bev

>
> The sort of problem I'm thinking of is that of a long line of Essex
people who were very tiny, not much more than 3' tall, I would think, if
that - referred to as dwarfs at the time, though that's not a very nice way
to describe someone and its probably a discriminatory term in Britain today.
Some of this line married very tiny people too, and the trait appears to
have been a persistent one.
>
> Anyway, I usually decide that itsnot my business to point this out and
say nothing. But am I right to do so? If my ancestors had ancestors with
genetic traits such as this I would want to know, so perhaps I have no right
to keep such information to myself. Saying nothing can also make it
difficult when I'm asked for copies of photographs which show the above line
by enquirers who are descended from it.
>
> A friend of mine has discovered a lot of extreme extra-marital goings
on, confused paternity and missing marriages among the one set of recent
ancestors. His attitude is that even very elderly and frail members of his
family should be told the truth. I personally would not tell them about
this. What do others do in such circumstances?
>


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