Tuesday 16 September 2014

Roots

We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted. Each of us contains within this inheritance of soul. We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise. – Edward Sellner - See more at: http://familyhistorydaily.com/family-history/15-genealogy-quotes-love/#sthash.ESEjGSz8.dpuf
We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted. Each of us contains within this inheritance of soul. We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise. – Edward Sellner - See more at: http://familyhistorydaily.com/family-history/15-genealogy-quotes-love/#sthash.ESEjGSz8.dpuf
We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted. Each of us contains within this inheritance of soul. We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise. – Edward Sellner - See more at: http://familyhistorydaily.com/family-history/15-genealogy-quotes-love/#sthash.ESEjGSz8.dpuf
My grand-parents wedding

We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted. Each of us contains within this inheritance of soul. We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise. – Edward Sellner - See more at: http://familyhistorydaily.com/family-history/15-genealogy-quotes-love/#sthash.ESEjGSz8.dpuf
We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted. Each of us contains within this inheritance of soul. We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise. – Edward Sellner - See more at: http://familyhistorydaily.com/family-history/15-genealogy-quotes-love/#sthash.ESEjGSz8.dpuf
I've always been fascinated by genealogy. I love hearing stories about my great-grand parents and their relatives. I can spend hours looking through old photo albums and I always want to know more.  I'm convinced that in order to shape ourselves and our future, we need to know and care about the past.

I am lucky in the sense that I never had to look too far or do any research at all to find my ancestors. All the information was given to me on a silver plate. My uncle used to be an archivist at the Bishop's house in a town nearby my village in Brittany. He was a passionate historian and he spent a good part of his life writing about the area I'm from, and researching his family history. At the end of his life he had information that dated back to the 17th century. When you think that most of the records were destroyed during the French revolution in 1789, it's quite unbelievable that he managed to trace our family so far back.

Look at the date...1677!
A few months before he died, my cousin recorded him on video and with the help of my mum and aunt, he showed him numerous pictures and all the books related to my mother's family tree. He put it on a DVD and every member of the family got a copy. This, in my opinion is invaluable information. My uncle passed away a few years ago, and even my parents are not getting any younger. My mother being the youngest of the family, has a lot less souvenirs than her brothers and sisters. This recording will be the memory of our ancestors when everybody from that generation will be gone. 
 

My Great-Grand parents



On the other hand, Fabrice doesn't know a lot about his own ancestors. He didn't have the same luck as me, and I feel sorry for him because he definitely is missing something. There is this big void that needs to be filled, but to be honest, even the prospect of starting research is daunting.
Basically, apart from his grand parents, he doesn't really know where he comes from. See his name "Canaveera"? It's unique. Nobody else in the worlds wears it, so it doesn't really help. His great-grand parents came from Pondichery and that's pretty much all we know. I would love to be able to take time and start his family tree. 

The same way I will tell my children about their French ancestors, I want Fabrice to be able to tell them about the Mauritian side of their family. They deserve to know both. I know my kids will more than likely feel more Irish than Mauritian or French, but they need to know where they come from and I will make sure they get all the information possible.

If only there was a program like "Who do you think you are?" for regular people, not just celebrities! Because I need all the help I can get in the quest for Fabrice's ancestors.