Welcome to my genealogy project, A London Family, where I describe the journey I am currently undertaking in a bid to discover more about the elusive paternal side of my family – The Skeltons. The story starts in Thatcher’s London, when, as an unemployed science graduate, I fell into the job of ‘heir hunter’ (see The Incidental Genealogist is Born), then continues to follow my research to date. Such a real-time study is, however, eclectic by nature; and rather than a traditional linear family history, my stories will explore a number of different themes related to genealogical enquiry in general.
I should also like to add that my ancestors are not actually ‘lost’ in the traditional sense of the word – although a number of them are certainly more so than others. Nonetheless, I do believe that all those who have gone before are lost to us in some way: at best we can only make a futile attempt at recreating their lives through memories, words and images. I intend to work with and examine these limitations in the project, and by doing so attempt to better understand the motivations for embarking on such a quest.
I invite you to join me on my journey, and would be delighted to receive your comments!
The Incidental Genealogist, September 2015.
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