Dead Ancestor Collectors

I figured since we're such a global community it would definetly be interesting to see who else is involved in Genealogy. Personally I'm obsessed with it. I'll stay up for hours neglecting my RSA duties just to figure out when my second cousin four times removed was born.

So who else is an aspiring Genealogist? How far back have you been able to trace?

 

It's a lot of fun! I suggest that you do it I've found out so many cool things about my relatives, good and bad, and it makes great stories to tell when the family is gathered.

 

I have done a little digging in my family's past and found that I am related to Frank and Jesse James.(mother's side of the family) Other than that, I haven't found anything that anyone else might find interesting.

 

I've tried, but as all the family on my grand father's side has disappeared during the Russian civil war, it's a dead end on this side and it was the side I was the most curious about...

But being related to Jesse James, that's pretty cool

 

I always wanted to do it but wouldn't even know where to start.
I would love to find out about the German side of my family.

 

My father's side to the American Revolution.

My mother's side - 385 A.D.Viking.

 

I'm supposedly from "the wrong side of the bed" a descendent of Napoleon..

How dare they say that he was unfaithful....

 

Courthouses, seats of government. Internet is a great source. Family bibles.

 

385 A.D., LadyZM?????



Surely you must be joking??

Or ... not??

And I thought I had a large family-tree (going back 11 generations, to "Wolf Pauriedl", who married 1680 (date of birth & death unknown)).

A problem for all Central-Europeans: In the years of the "30 Year long War" (1618-1648) almost all monasteries and courthouses were burned down/destroyed, where the records were stored unless you've been from a noble family. So there's a "big black hole" for most of the documents before 1648. At least in the hinterland, city-based monasteries/courthouses were less devastated.

 

No, not joking, BDS.....

Want to hear something really, really funny!

I am the 24th or is it 25th great grandaughter of William the Conquer...you know the guy who took England in 1066. The line to 365 goes back through him.

Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine the original dysfunctional family....my greats....grandparents...all on my mother's side.

I think its hilarious. All that DNA.....

Continuing on my mother's side

Charles Carrol who was the only Roman Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence and at that time was suppose to be the richest man in the colonies.

If you saw the movie 'National Treasure' Carrol was a character.

My family owned half of what is now Washington D.C.

It goes on...blah blah blah.

My father's side of the family came to Kentucky after receiving a land grant in Virginia.
Virginia owned Kentucky. After the Revolution they could not pay their veterans with money so they paid them with land in Ky.

My grandad on my father's side. (great great etc) owned a ferry service than ran from Kentucky to Indiana. He helped a family move from Ky to Ind. Family named of Lincoln....

I think the whole thing is hilarious...

EDIT 1: True, I'm sure WWI & WWII destroyed many documents.

The person who inspired me was Alex Haley, the author of 'Roots.' Had the honor of meeting the man. He was able to trace his 'roots' back to Africa and the very slave ship that brought his ancestor, Kunta Kinte to America.

If no one has read the book, I urge you to do so.

 

WOW!!!!

You've met Alex Haley?? I loved his book! I was fascinated by his struggle to find his own "roots", as impossible as it may have seem at first.


Boy, what an astonishing ancestry you have! A great family to marry in, I guess, "pulling a Schwarzenegger". And here in "old Europe" many superficial people even think there is no "real family history" in the USA.


You don't happen to have a sister??

 

Nefertiti is my sister!

***

I've always wondered how much of that DNA is still in me...

Frightening thought.

 

I have always wanted to research it but never knew where to start. Its I dont know too much about my family history at all. I know I am part irish and um... heinz 57

 

And you're in Germany right?

Here might be a good place to start.

Census records are great places to start. And if your relatives are no longer with us, you can try ordering Death Certificates or Birth Records. Those usually let you know the names of their parents and the place and dates. (but only if those records still exist)

You should also check out the LDS site.


LadyZM, that is amazing you're able to trace that far back! Of course with royalty they've always kept good track of their records.

As it goes for famous people, Edvard Grieg is my g-g-great uncle. That whole side of the family has a ton of music talent. Me, I'm tone deaf

It's also funny looking back at the ancestors that came to the US. They all fought for the British and moved to Canada. Then they came back here.

On my moms side we have Welsh relatives that were some of the first Mormons in Utah. They WALKED all the way from New York!!

At the moment I'm just waiting for military records from Scotland, England and Canada before I can really move a head in those areas. My Hungarian/Austrian and German roots would actully require me to go out and dig through parish records. (and I don't have any objections to that! )






Ah, and I have access to most of the US, UK, Canadian, Welsh and Scottish censuses, so if anyone wants any look ups I'd be more than happy to assist.

 

what does one do when they dont know their roots at all?

 

There's always evidence, Strawbary.

Its just knowing where to look. Don't give up.

 

what if that information is inaccessible LOL


what if what if what if LOL

Yes I sound like a little kid now

 

I think I know what you are saying strawbary.

There are records that should be opened after a person reaches a certain age.

I don't know what the laws are in Canada.

Original birth certificates.
Again, not being Canadian , I do not know the specific laws.

 

Start out with your parents and grandparents. Find out at least their names and their date of death (if they've died) Usually you can go from there.

If you want some help, pm me and I'll se what I can find for you

 

Some fantastic information in this thread. Especially from ObiAnne - fascinating!

Personally, my Dad has done a very extensive geneology, and still works on it. Not quite 385 CE, but down to the Second Fleet of convicts ever to come to Australia.

 

Interesting what makes us who we are!

My question is this:

Just how much of that DNA is still floating around inside us?

Are we truly unique individuals with our own personalities or is there a little something of our ancestors still inside us, influencing our decisions, our physical selves?

I've located an 18th Century portrait of my great...etc. grandmother. My mother in her 20's looks EXACTLY like our ancestor. Uncanny.