Family trees
28/07/04 12:09 Coffee machine moments
Interesting to see the BBC is going to do a series in
which a number of celebrities trace their
family trees.
I've always rated genealogy as a complete waste of
time.
Take my own family. I look like my dad. I never met either grandfather so I don't know whether I look like them. You could trace it back a couple of generations beyond that and nobody would have met any of their family.
Nor indeed would they be able to vouch for the fidelity of their ancestors, beyond a generation or two. This is important because if a family tree is going to mean anything it's got to be accurate - it's no use if you're going to find out, much later, that your great great great grandfather was at sea for two years before his 'son' was born so the rest is actually inaccurate.
Cynical? Maybe. But I've always felt that simply being me is enough - it's all I can be sure of, and like it or not that's true for everyone.
Take my own family. I look like my dad. I never met either grandfather so I don't know whether I look like them. You could trace it back a couple of generations beyond that and nobody would have met any of their family.
Nor indeed would they be able to vouch for the fidelity of their ancestors, beyond a generation or two. This is important because if a family tree is going to mean anything it's got to be accurate - it's no use if you're going to find out, much later, that your great great great grandfather was at sea for two years before his 'son' was born so the rest is actually inaccurate.
Cynical? Maybe. But I've always felt that simply being me is enough - it's all I can be sure of, and like it or not that's true for everyone.
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