Genial

I have a keen interest in researching the history of people researching my family history.

I don't care about the family history itself. I can't imagine anything less interesting. If you show me a family tree, I will yawn - I promise you that.

But finding out about the people who have found out about my family history is utterly fascinating.

Who were they? What resources did they use? How successful was their search?

Once we get to their actual findings, I start to tune out.

It's humbling to investigate just who the people interested in my ancestors were, and what lessons they have to teach us in the modern day. It really gives you a sense of perspective to think about our forefathers' passion for genealogy, even though we may find genealogy dull as ditch-water and we couldn't give two hoots whether or not they are our biological forefathers.

Admittedly, those people investigating my family history are often members of my family. But that's just an unfortunate coincidence.

I first fostered my interest in researching people researching my family history whilst watching the television programme Who Do You Think The People Who Wonder Who You Are Are? There was a celebrity on there - I think it was Paul McGann - and he went on an amazing journey of discovery. He found out about someone who had been on Ancestry.com to track down other McGanns a few years previously. Also, his grandfather (or someone - I wasn't paying attention to that bit) had looked at a census in 1970 to discover some familial connection to philosopher David Hume. The programme wisely didn't go into any details about that connection. It would be outside its remit.

I was so inspired after watching this, that I started to conduct my own, limited, investigation into whether people had investigated my family history in the past. It turned out that there had been several such investigations. Unfortunately, they all seemed to have been undertaken by my own family, about whom - as I've stated many times - I have zero interest.

I don't care about my family tree. I never want to know what objects hang on the branches. But I'm fervently intoxicated by the people who have looked at those objects in the past. Don't tell me what they are, for God's sake. But tell me that you know what they are. That's all I need.

Do you get it?

It's just a weird thing that would be funny because it doesn't make any sense.

I was going to write something stupid about fencing instead, but the accents on 'épée' are too confusing.