The Obsession

The Beginning

I originally started thinking about researching my family tree after the death of my Grandma. She was a big fan of history and was always proud of the history of the Barratts and their convict ancestor, Enoch. Though Grandma inspired the research it was my brother stating that “someone really should sort it out” that spurred me into action. Curious about the history of my family (not just the Barratts, but all branches), I started searching and found that it quickly rose to become one of my favourite hobbies. If I’m really honest, it’s now no longer a hobby, it’s an obsession.

It has now been quite a few years since I first started researching and I have gathered many stories, records and clues to help piece together the lives of my ancestors. There have been many discoveries, mysteries, family secrets, happy tales and sad tales. All of my ancestors are fascinating and all of them call out for my attention. I have no idea when it will end and it has often hit me that it probably won’t.

The Blog

After starting my family tree I found that the desire to write was overwhelming and I wanted to somehow share all that I’d learnt as well as the stories relating to the lives of my ancestors. Not really knowing how to progress with such a task and feeling incredibly overwhelmed, my best friend (Mei from Libertine Eats) suggested I establish a blog. It is through Finding Family that I aim to share not only the stories of my family but anything and everything relating to both genealogy and history. I hope you enjoy reading about my discoveries as much as I enjoy making them.

If you have any questions or simply wish to say hi, please feel free to send an email to: jessicabarratt@outlook.com

For more historical stories, be sure to visit and follow The Dusty Box.