The “Inner Circle” – Can the Barrier be Broken?

A Beautiful Lady… Who Is She?

Definition of the “The Inner Circle”: http://dictionary.reference.com defines the Inner Circle as “an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose”; http://www.collinsdictionary.com says, “a clique or a group of people or who share a common interest, aim or purpose”; whereas http://www.oxforddictionaries.com states it’s “an exclusive group close to the centre of power of an organization or movement, regarded as elitist and secretive”!

Well, after many years of researching my family tree in Ireland I lean towards the Oxford Dictionaries definition: “an exclusive group close to the centre of power of an organization or movement, regarded as elitist and secretive”! Or to edit it just slightly …; “a group who think they are an exclusive group close to…”!

I’ve always believed in sharing information with others; which I think is why websites like www.Ancestry.co.uk work; especially when we are researching common ancestors. We each may have different strengths or talents; some of us are good at research or have an abundance of family records; and others, more conveniently geographically located to a particular research area, may be well suited, for example, to go directly to a records office such as PRONI, the National Library in Belfast or to the Belfast Cemetery to take a photo of a headstone.

I have been incredibly lucky to have many kind people offer to take a photo at a cemetery; or another who sent me the Death Notice of my 2^nd great grandmother; without being asked. To those individuals I am much indebted and am very thankful. They have provided me information that I might otherwise not have had, since I live on the other side of the Atlantic! As Karma would dictate, I shall be happy to aid them in any way possible and at any time.

Then … there are those who “close ranks”; with a resounding echo. Usually after they have acquired as much information as possible from this particular well! This is something I’ve never quite understood. Are we all not working towards the same end, the same common goal? Would we not accomplish more in aiding one another, rather than slamming closed the proverbial door? I, for instance, have many beautiful photos of family gleaned from my grandmother and great aunts photo albums. Unfortunately, they are not named. Would it not benefit others to share information in order that we can collectively find out whom our common ancestors are and in turn attach a name to the photo?

How do we break the barrier? How do we help one another move back in time?

About CJ Murdoch

Looking For "Dead People"! My Journey Back In Time - Tracing my ancestors and researching the counties, cities and towns where they resided. Taking a “Glimpse” into their lives and stories and the times in which they lived; all in an effort to learn about their “Dash”! “I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of his friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning – to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the second with tears, but he said that what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.” I have always been interested in researching my family tree and “hanging out” in cemeteries. Like most of us... I didn't ask enough questions when elderly family were still living. Oh, what I would give for 24 hours and a camera with my ancestors… just to sit and listen! I'm researching many family lines, including: Murdoch, Wilson, Berry, Love, Scott, Beattie/Beatty, Hendren, Sweeney, Robinson and Elvin; just to name a few. My families are predominantly from counties Antrim, Donegal and Londonderry. However, it seems that many of them, both maternal and paternal lines, originally hailed from Co. Donegal. I was born and raised in Northern Ireland and now live in Ottawa, Canada, making frequent trips back home to visit with my family. Of course those visits also include treks to the many burial grounds of my ancestors. My most recent trip back home was during the summer of 2019! Looking forward to August of 2020 when I will return. If you are interested in help tracing your ancestors I’d love to hear from you!

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