ROOTS-L Archives

From: "Liz Engle" <>
Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] Social Media
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:42:14 -0700

Hi all:

To add to the comment by Pat (in Toledo) : For years I have been
researching one of my major families - research based on a genealogy
published in 1907 by a kinsman, and which provided a wealth of data of
earlier generations of the family. That kinsman was one of 15 children of
his father who was a well-to-do Englishman (1793-1866) in Essex. Several
other descendants and I have worked together to expand this history into the
20th century and beyond, and we were only moderately successful until an
English cousin created a Facebook page for our name of interest.

WELL! An explosion of data took place. Turns out that many of the 15
children of our English gentleman fanned out over the world (in the
mid-1800s) to seek their fortunes in their various roles as British Army and
Navy officers, ministers of the gospel, medical doctors, and businessmen.
Now our Facebook page has been found by cousins not only from England but
also from Canada, USA, Switzerland, France, China, New Zealand (including a
Maori branch), Australia, and even Bolivia. All of these people have
contributed accounts of their family history on our Facebook site, bringing
this family into the 20th Century around the world by adding to and
correcting data from the 1907 genealogy, and setting the stage for the 21st
Century. It has been, and still is, quite an experience.
(The family name is quite rare - so far, everyone we have found with this
name descends from the same source.)

Just my two-bits worth regarding Facebook.

Elizabeth

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• Re: [ROOTS-L] Social Media by "Liz Engle" <>