Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Community Forums

  Many towns, counties, states and provinces have community forums.  People post queries with the hope that a local person or someone who used to live in the area, will have the answer they're looking for.  Forums are usually broken into categories.  Genealogy is usually one of the categories.  Try it: Google your place of interest, such as 'Tredegar forum' to see if your location has one.  After posting a query, make sure you tick the box that says you'd like to be notified by email if subsequent posts are made on the same topic.

 On 26 September 2010 I posted the following notice in the Tredegar, Monmouthshire genealogy forum:

 My ggmother's GRAY family lived in Tredegar.  In her photo album there are two photos of "Hannah Filer".  The stamp on the back is "Columbia Medallion Studios" Chicago, Illinois [USA].
 Hannah may have been Eliza's cousin who was born 1868 in Tredegar, the daughter of Samuel FILER & Mary BRIGHT.  Hannah's siblings may have been Sarah Ann, Elizabeth and Samuel - all born Tredegar.
Hannah may have married Thomas POWELL in Tredegar in 1892 and their children may be William, Gladys, Thomas, & Mary.
 I have put this information together from document research and it is not confirmed that this is 'my' Hannah Filer.
 Because of the studio photo I am assuming the family emigrated to the US.
 I would like to get in touch with anyone who knows anything about Hannah Filer and her family.

 I received 17 replies.  People gave recollections of the family.  One woman sent the marriages of Hannah Filer and her two sisters.  Someone walked to the cemetery on a very blustery day to check the headstone that he thought might connect.  It does.  He sent a photo.  Someone told me about an additional Filer child who died in between the census.  Another person walked to the cemetery and gave explicit instructions on how to find the headstone.  

  I don't live in Wales so this area knowledge is priceless.  I am amazed, humbled and so grateful for the kindness of people who go out of their way to assist.

    Unfortunately no one had a photo of Hannah Filer.  The search continues.

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