Genealogy/Family Pedigree

[Kim_B]

For the last 8 months or so I've been working on putting my family history/family tree together. It stemmed from my paternal Grandmother having some health problems and realizing that I really have no information about any one on that side of the family...heck, I don't even know when my biological father's birthday is (not that I care to, but that's another story...)

So I asked my Aunt whom I'm very close with to give me a starting point - she was wonderful! I've been able to trace my paternal side clear back to the 1700's (although I'm not quite sure how accurate my information is, I'm pretty sure I've got most of it right), which I think is amazing in just the short time I've been researching and my limited resources.

Has any one else traced their family lines? How far did you get? I'm still working on it - took a break from it because I was getting frustrated! Hopefully I can start back up after the first of the year. I might have to fork out the cash for one of those Ancestry.com subscriptions, because inevitable that's where I end up! Has any one done this - was it worth the money? Once I get back into it again, I want to add some photos to go with it - my Aunt was wonderful enough to gather a bunch of albums...it was neat to be able to put a face with a name!

Ooh, sorry that's a bit all over the place with thoughts! I'm a bit scatter-brained this morning!

 

[~landgirl~]

I have been thinking about doing this for some time. There was a series on TV about celebrities who traced their families - can't think what it was called...
but it was very interesting! I know that my great, great (great again?) uncle was a personal bodyguard for Oswald Mosley!

 

[GOK]

Oohh how wonderful for you! And so exciting too.

I've got back to around 800ad with one branch of mine. I'm pretty lucky as there is so much information (and mis-information) about quite a few of my ancestors but it's the less ummmm...flamboyant ones I am most interested in, particularly the le Stranges.

I wish you all the best of luck, Kim. A good tip is to get a program such as Family Tree Maker - it makes record storage much easier. Oh, and do contact relatives through Ancestry sites as much as possible, so you can swap Gedcoms.

Cyndi's List is a great resource too - one of the best.

http://www.cyndislist.com/

Also, the Mormons have a huge, huge wealth of information (not necessarily regarding other Mormons too!) that you can access.

 

[ricki]

I found a website that traced members of my dad's side to a guy that fought in the revolutionary war. (Hooray Google!) Turns out some remote relative that I didn't know about provided him the information, but I was able to find her e-mail and she forwarded me a copy of that link and more! I definitely want to continue filling out that side now that I have some names and dates, and fill out my mom's side as well.

The public library is another excellent resource for access to things like Census reports.

 

[Folly]

There was a series on TV about celebrities who traced their families - can't think what it was called...

Who Do You Think You Are ..

 

[Amelie]

my sister had it make some years ago

I was amazed by the results, we traced both my mother and father lines up to the early 1600 when my ancestors left France to come in America. I know that my father's ancestor came from Poitou, and my mother's from Champagne

Also, my mom's ancestor was a military chirurgian... I just don't want to think about what it was all about in those days... lol

 

[Folly]

It's something I would very much like to do but I wouldn't know where to start. If I followed my father's side, the moment I got to my grandparents, I would have left the UK for Copenhagen.

 

[Miss Dottie]

I have a friend that has used Ancestry.com and been very happy with the results. I even thought about purchasing it for my parents as a Christmas gift.

My mother's side of the family is rather interesting. They've been traced back to the native American tribe that supposedly attacked Roanoke Island. So, there were a lot of blue-eye blond indians running around North Carolina in the 1700--or so the story goes. When the census people came around after the Civil War, the tribe chose to be grouped as "Negroes" because the United States was offering education to Blacks and nothing to Native Americans. And the tribe became integrated into the African American community ever since. But we did find some interesting names on the famliy tree--there was a "Morning Jeffries" born in 1721.

And my father's side is equally crazy. Only last year did I learn that my grandfather had two siblings who decided to pass for white and basically disappeared leaving my grandfather to stay and take care of his mother. And that was after my grandfather worked to send them both to school.

So, it would be interesting to get to the bottom of the whole thing. But the most important thing is that my current family is all pretty wonderful and I'm very grateful for that.

 

[Elaina]

Well, I looked at the genealogy records in my family, and while my mom's side can trace hers back to the 1300's, my dad's side stops at 1882, then skips for 200 years and resumes back to the 1400's.

Funny thing is, I DID trace thsoe 200 years, but nobody in my family, or genealogy guys admit I got the truth. Apparently they'd rather claim a horse theif then a gyspy. (And chances are if you're Rom and got red hair, we're related in a pretty direct way.) When I was a much younger woman, I did the Europe thing, and met a couple gyspies when I was travelling. (I'm going to cut this very short now.) Anyway, I spent about 6 months with the Rom and got quite an education, and got the 200 years fixed. So while *I* know we're gypsies, it is met with a violent, and resounding, "We were not!" by my father.

 

[GOK]

Apparently they'd rather claim a horse theif then a gyspy. (And chances are if you're Rom and got red hair, we're related in a pretty direct way.) When I was a much younger woman, I did the Europe thing, and met a couple gyspies when I was travelling. (I'm going to cut this very short now.) Anyway, I spent about 6 months with the Rom and got quite an education, and got the 200 years fixed. So while *I* know we're gypsies, it is met with a violent, and resounding, "We were not!" by my father.

Wow! My eldest son's father was descended from Romanies. His great-great-Grandad was a horse whisperer who stood almost seven feet tall in his bare feet! They (the family) never, ever tried to deny their Romany heritage, which I think is great. We all have a right to know where we come from and IMO, the richer the cultural mix, the better. Shame your family are so tight-lipped about it, Elaina. I'm guessing that at least some of your mysticism comes from that branch of the family then?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm a member of Ancestry.com, which I joined a few years' back when I was doing research on the backgrounds of various radio personalities of the '30s, and found it a really useful tool, especially the census records. However, it was only of limited value in tracking my own ancestors -- all I've ever been able to come up with there is some notes from my mother's side of the family which go back to one Stephen Jackson, a Nova Scotia sea captain in the 1840s. Presumably there are ties back to Scotland somewhere along the line, but I haven't been able to track them.

There are some interesting stories along the Jackson line -- my great great grandfather George Jackson lived a long and healthy life until one day he sat down to some canned clams at a 4th of July picnic, and ended up dying of food poisoning. I've been wary of canned seafood ever since hearing that story.

My grandmother was a Patterson, and I've traced that line back to the Civil War era. Alas, her ancestors were not proud patriots serving the Union -- rather, her great-grandfather and great-uncle got into vicious fight over who would get a draft-exempt job at the local woolen mill, and the great uncle ended up being stabbed to death on the street. (Coincidentally, I would one day live in an apartment building at the very address where the foul deed occured.)

I don't know anything about my father's family, except that McLeod wasn't his real name. There are dark legends about what actually happened there, but nobody will talk to me about them, least of all him....

So yes, geneology can be interesting -- but you might learn some things that surprise you!

 

[Elaina]

Oh my family just says I'm a hippie, and since I seldom discuss it, I'll post the reply in PM to you Gok.

 

[scotrace]

See also this extensive heritage/pedigree thread.

 

[melankomas]

lol

my family line is exceedingly easy to trace. my father came to the US from Ghana.

 

[Viola]

All the footwork in geneology has been done for me, as my mom is utterly devoted to it.

My ancestors were last in the Ukraine before the US but they really did the Whole Europe tour as Jews often found it neccessary to pull up stakes and head elswhere in the Middle Ages. So we hit France, Spain, Italy, and Poland as well.

Other Jews headed for Morrocco and Algeria after the Spanish expulsion of its Jewish population in 1492, but apparently it didn't get FREAKISHLY COLD enough for my folks in those locations.

-Viola

 

[CanadaDoll]

Wow..... 1700's a long way back, good going.
My uncle has been doing some of that, I should talk to him. My family is Irish and Ukrainian, Blacksmiths on the Kiev side, but I've also heard some pretty horrifying thing out of that side of my family.

And I have very few details from my Irish gran, she likes to speak every so often of her gran, who says we are "related to the Royal Family" I like to surmise through a 'passionate but very illicit affair' if we actually are

I also know that Ireland was at one point completely conquered by Spain, waaaayyy before Great Britain, and they are historically unconcerned in keeping "pure" bloodlines, so I figure I'm probably a little bit Latina, explains my temperlol and fondness for Spanish and Tango

Wow family history is weird

 

[Kim_B]

I think I might do the monthly plan at Ancestry.com just to see if I can actually get any use out of it. Lord knows I spend more on eBay and that doesn't really get me anywhere...

I think the most fascinating part will be researching my husband's family...his mother is Ukrainian and his father - somewhere down the line - is connected to the Clyde Beatty Circus from Peru, IN. A lively bunch they are

 

[Elaina]

God no. I wouldn't touch my husband's family with a 10 foot pole. FIL changed the name about 15 years ago...what a mess!

 

[Tourbillion]

FL ate my post. I'd post my pedigree here, but it wouldn't fit.

Anyway, I have my family tree back to Adam and Eve if you believe the Mormons.

They even proxy re-baptised my maternal line back to the 1600's.

 

[VargasGirl]

Well, I looked at the genealogy records in my family, and while my mom's side can trace hers back to the 1300's, my dad's side stops at 1882, then skips for 200 years and resumes back to the 1400's.

Funny thing is, I DID trace thsoe 200 years, but nobody in my family, or genealogy guys admit I got the truth. Apparently they'd rather claim a horse theif then a gyspy. (And chances are if you're Rom and got red hair, we're related in a pretty direct way.) When I was a much younger woman, I did the Europe thing, and met a couple gyspies when I was travelling. (I'm going to cut this very short now.) Anyway, I spent about 6 months with the Rom and got quite an education, and got the 200 years fixed. So while *I* know we're gypsies, it is met with a violent, and resounding, "We were not!" by my father.

My mom always told me she got me from the gypsies, and I always thought that was cool! My sisters are from the milkman and under a rock.