SOUTH-AFRICA-L Archives

From: Trevor Rubelli <>
Subject: Re: Murhy's law and Addicted to genealogy
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 17:51:46 +0200

Following several requests I am reposting these as I think they are
brilliant:

MURPHY'S LAW OF GENEALOGY

The public ceremony in which your distinquished ancestor participated
and at which the platform collapsed under him turned out to be a
hanging.

When at last after much hard work you have solved the mystery you have
been working on for two years, your aunt says, "I could have told you
that".

You grandmother's maiden name that you have searched for for four years
was on a letter in a box in the attic all the time.

You never asked your father about his family when he was alive because
you weren't interested in genealogy then.

The will you need is in the safe on board the Titanic.

Copies of old newspapers have holes occurring only on the surnames.

John, son of Thomas, the immigrant whom your relatives claim as the
family progenitor, died on board ship at age 10.

Your gr grandfather's newspaper obituary states that he died leaving no
issue of record.

The keeper of the vital records you need has just been insulted by
another genealogist.

The relative who had all the family photographs gave them all to her
daughter who has no interest in genealogy and no inclination to share.

The only record you find for your gr grandfather is that his property
was sold at a sheriff's sale for insolvency.

The one document that would supply the missing link in your dead-end
line has been lost due to fire, flood or war.

The town clerk to whom you wrote for the information sends you a long
handwritten letter which is totally illegible.

The spelling fo your European ancestor's name bears no relationship to
its current spelling or pronounciation.

None of the pictures in your recently deceased grmother's photo album
have names written on them.

No one in your family tree ever did anything noteworthy, owned property,
was sued or was named in wills.

You learn that your great aunt's executor just sold her life's
collection of family genealogical materials to a flea market dealer
"somewhere in New York City"

Ink fades and paper deteriorates at a rate inversely proportional to the
value of the data recorded.

The 37 volume, sixteen thousand page history of your county of origin
isn't indexed.

You finally find your gr grandparent's wedding records and discover that
the 'brides' father was named John Smith.

Author unknown

----------------------------------------------------------------
Courtesy of Jane:Northumbria

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GENEALOGY ADDICT WHEN...

You brake for libraries.
You hyper ventilate at the sight of an old cemetery.
You would rather browse in a cemetery than a shopping mall.
You would rather read census schedules than a good book.
You are more interested in what happened in 1697 than 1997.
Moses, Dorcas, and Caleb are household names, but you cannot remember
what to call the dog.
You can pinpoint Sewickely, McKeesport, Evans City, (PA) but can't
locate your state capital on the map.
You think every home should have a copier and a microfilm reader.
You know every register of deeds in the state by name, but they lock the
doors when they see you coming.
You store your clothes under the bed, because your closet is full of
books and papers.
All your correspondence begins "Dear Cousin".
You have traced every one of your ancestral lines back to Adam & Eve,
have it documented and still don't want to quit.

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• Re: Murhy's law and Addicted to genealogy by Trevor Rubelli <>