The individual family discovery stories of these three people – Daniel, Helen, and Lorraine – were shared at a special hosting event held in association with RootsTech London (24 October 2019).

Daniel’s story

The journey of family discovery is unique to every individual and family.  Daniel Brobbey is from Ghana, where family history is generally shared through stories and events. 

Family means everything to Daniel and his wife Philomena. They wanted their children to know of their rich heritage but had to rely on memories until a unique experience provided insight to treasured family records. 

Helen’s story

There is something powerful in discovering meaningful connections. Helen Chen found herself alone in London, miles away from home grieving the passing of her grandfather in China. This was especially difficult because her grandparents had raised her.  

While volunteering to help an elderly woman to visit a friend, she was introduced to someone who shared an ancestral surname and whose family was from the same area in China that her grandfather’s family was from.

She said, “While we have yet to find out if we are related, the hope that we are gave me comfort in a time of sorrow.”

Lorraine’s story

Connecting to the past can often take years of persistent research and resolve. This kind of determination, combined with the efforts of individuals and organisations who laboured diligently to open previously closed records, make it possible to unlock many unanswered questions for individuals and families.  

Lorraine Gearing learned this as she sought to discover the identity of her mother who was a founding; abandoned at birth and never adopted. 

She said that it took years to find out her mother’s identity. “If I asked her questions about her childhood, she didn’t want to answer. She’d locked away those memories,” Lorraine said. 

Help came when the Children’s Act was passed which gave abandoned children the right to have access to their original birth certificate.