Family Tree

Descended from Roger Williams (the Baptist preacher not the piano playing feller) on my Daddy's side. Mama's family came from Germany in the 1850s. Genealogy and family history is very important. If it is not, my Bible is full of useless begetting.

Yep. I don't plan on becoming a Mormon. Just want to research their archives.

 

The Mormon site on genealogies is a very good listing, except when it comes to the UK. Nothing is simple there. For instance, many people lied when they gave stats because they feared what the government could do.

My grandparents (mother's side) are unbeleivably placed in the stats, but I know where they were because of the family and my birthdate.

We can't trace my father's side at all. I tried right in Nottingham and nothing. Our name was hyphenated originally and the hyphen was dropped in Canada.

We have given up after many, many years. Through the Mormon site,we learned that some family entered through the USA and eventually made it to Canada. We even traced some family members in California and Buffalo, NY.

Cheers,

Jim

 

I know I'm French on my dad's side and British on my mother's, with a little Sioux Indian thrown in for good measure. :laugh: I have info on my ancestry on my dad's side back to 1620 to a many-times-over great grandfather with the same first name as me. He lived from 1620 to 1723!

 

I already know where my family came from and when. Theres actually a book about my dad's family history reaching back 500 years.

 

I'm adopted. I'm still interested, but in my parents (adopted parents) lineage. I'm not interested whatsoever in my blood ancestors.

 

Mainly English on my dad's side (came over five generations ago for my grandmother, six generations for my grandfather). A little Dutch and Cherokee mixed in since then.

My mom's side is a bit vague. Her grandmother came over from Ireland and eloped with a Cherokee (her dad's side). I know almost nothing about her mom's side other than there was German and French in there somewhere.

 

I have done quite a lot of family history research, and, while I am not sure I would put the label "important" on it, it is fun and it is revealing of certain things. For example, I know more now than I did about a great-uncle who committed suicide when I was a child because I have uncovered hospital diagnoses and articles he wrote. On the other side of the ledger, I have been able to read laudatory newspaper stories about one of my grandfathers. Then there is the great-grandmother who divorced my great-grandfather and who begat a whole 'nuther family; and the story is that her grandson from that branch became a Methodist minister and baptized her in her 80th year! Yes, I like doing family history, and would like to see what the Mormons are doing.

 

I have done lots of research on my family history. Not sure how important it is, but I have really enjoyed it, and have found interesting stories going back hundreds of years. We are mostly Scottish, but have a little Irish, Welsh, English, French, and Cherokee as well. I have enjoyed finding out about my Christian heritage as well.

If you have used any online resources, such as Rootsweb or Ancestry.com, you have used info from the Mormons. They are the ones who have done most of the research, and have made it available to the public. I'd love to see the Mormon research center, but it's pretty much all online now...by the way, I"m a member of Ancestry.com and have found them to be the best resource all in one place. They have all the census for the US, as well as most of the birth, marriage, and death records. Cool stuff!!

 

Genealogy is my favorite hobby. It is a big puzzle, and quite addictive. Familysearch.org is the LDS online site. It is the best site for German info. Hitler destroyed most of the records in Germany when he was in power, so whatever the Mormons got out before that is most of what exists. A big pet peeve is the untrue trees that exist. People just fit the closest person they can find to fit into the puzzle, and it is not uncommon to find lots of errors. I recently saw myself listed as my great-grandparents child. Now I realize my kids think I'm ancient, but that's nuts.
Some of my earliest memories are sitting in my grandmothers living room listening to stories from the past.
Lots of preachers and teachers in my family. Records concerning preachers from 1500/1600 in England give an eye opening look at persecution. Lots of stories of goodness, and heartbreak, with a few oddities thrown in.
My ancestry is English, Irish, Welsh, German and native American.
Kathy

 

I have found that as well, Kathy. It's very annoying, and it gets spread around as tho its fact. I try really hard to document everything.

Oh, and I forgot to add German to my list of genealogy soup. LOL

 

I really wish I knew more of my grandmother's family history, her parents are from, we now know, almost certain, turkey, left because of persecutions and deaths of christians by muslims, came here and all their children were born here. mom's father was born in ireland. dad's family is english and scottish and cherokee

 

No interest in family history at all.

 

I'm not sure how important it is, but it's certainly interesting. Some of my ancestors are no longer just names in a family tree, but have become real people to me.

For instance, I learned that my great-grandfather was once considered the strongest man in Tennessee. This same man also did not cut his hair for the last 40 years of his life. The story behind it is fascinating.

Another great-great-great-great grandmother was a Cherokee Indian, possibly a princess. Her husband fought with Andrew Jackson and was killed in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

One of my wife's ancestors is linked to the line of Richard the Lion-Hearted of England. When I found out, I told her she was a princess. She replied "I've been telling you that for a long time." Then I learned that about 85 per cent of everybody with English ancestry has some royal blood in them.

I learned that my maternal gggggrandfather was a slave-owner in North Carolina. His will names the slaves whom he left to his wife.

One of my wife's ancestors was the youngest drummer boy in the Revolutionary war--8 years old.

We all have ancestors we brag about. And some we don't.

 

We have traced my mothers side ( Terrar ) to about 1725 but Dad's side ( Harris ) needs to be researched. Pure Welsh though, Carmarthen & Caernarfon. South & North Wales.

 

It's quite interesting.

 

Thanks for that Tom. Fill us in on your great grand pappy please.

 

One of my 'Terrar' ( mums side ) ancestors was a notorious drunk in the Rhondda valleys ( Tylorstown, Ferndale ) who got saved and became a preacher & minister at the time of the Welsh revival I believe.

Been looking into it recently.

 

How does one get STARTED in this?

I went to the ancestry site, and all I saw was a bunch of different things (books, lists, records etc) that you could buy.

I certainly don't want to spend anything just to find out that I'm not interested, but if I could dig back enough to whet my appetite, I wouldn't mind some investment.

HELP!!