Meeting great-grandparents

Sir, – Patrick Fitzpatrick writing about children not getting to know their great-grandparents makes it sound as if we’re losing a century’s old ideal (Letters, June 8th).

As a professional genealogist, I can tell you that it’s an extremely recent phenomenon to know any of your great-grandparents, and many people had some of their grandparents die before their birth.

My own grandparents were born about 100 years ago. Three of them knew only one grandparent, each of whom died in their grandchildren’s early childhood. Two of those had a parent die before they reached adulthood. The fourth was incredibly lucky to know three grandparents until she was around 20. This would have been very rare.

So for those who have been fortunate enough to meet some of their great-grandparents: treasure them and ask them questions. If not, there are at least, I hope, photos and records of them.