ESSEX-UK-L Archives

Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2004-09 > 1094189386


From: "john boyce" <>
Subject: Re: Essex family problems - to disclose or not?
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 14:59:46 +0930
References: <016601c48ffc$3eec4a60$a8790650@packard>


----- Original Message -----
From: "colleen morrison" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 5:48 PM
Subject: Essex family problems - to disclose or not?


> From time to time I help with a query and discover something in the past
regarding an enquirer's direct line of ancestors that might upset the
enquirer if I tell them. I don't mean murderers, murder victims, out of
wedlock births or that sort of thing, many of us have those and don't bat an
eyelid about this or even welcome the colour it gives our research.
>
> 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?
>
> I should add that none of the above applies to anyone I'm helping at
present or I wouldn't post this.
>
> Colleen
>

This thread: