ancestry.com migraine....

**Burly Brute** · 11th March 11, 04:38 PM

So, I have had quite a bit success on the website, on my maternal side I have traced my grandfather's name to I believe the 1690's. I say "believe" because ancestry.com is not very "secure" in terms of providing a way to know whether the info you are getting is correct or not.

My next plan...

I am writing up a draft letter to send to both sides of my maternal ancestors. Sweats & Wilsons. The letter will basically be me asking for assistance, I will set up an email account for everyone to email their digital stuff to, as well as my home address. Hopefully, this will prove fruitful. I can't stand not knowing--and I don't know why.

My dad's side is a whole other story--mostly because I am only about 80% I even know the correct name of my father. Wish me luck! I will try to update you all on the process as I go along--at least those who are interested in this type of thing I suppose.

Oh, did I mention now my fiance wants me to do her side? My head may just explode....

**KiltedDixon** · 11th March 11, 04:41 PM

Good luck! It is a daunting task or a rather a series of daunting tasks.

**Steve Ashton** · 11th March 11, 04:41 PM

I think we need a smiley for "Ancestry.com headache #168".

**Burly Brute** · 11th March 11, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Ashton

I think we need a smiley for "Ancestry.com headache #168".

Haha maybe a little face with leaves pouring out of his ears and blood from his eyes! lol

**SoSelkirk** · 11th March 11, 06:44 PM

As to your father's name, you can contact the state department of health in the state of your birth and request a copy of your birth certificate. That should have information regarding your father's name and birthplace. If that information is available, you can then repeat with birth certificate. You may also have the information on his parents. At this point you may have enough information to make sense of the Ancestry migraine.

**Burly Brute** · 11th March 11, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by SoSelkirk

As to your father's name, you can contact the state department of health in the state of your birth and request a copy of your birth certificate. That should have information regarding your father's name and birthplace. If that information is available, you can then repeat with birth certificate. You may also have the information on his parents. At this point you may have enough information to make sense of the Ancestry migraine.

The only problem is the person listed on my birth certificate is not my biological father. I know! MORE HEADACHE!!! lol Thanks though, good advice!

**Lyle1** · 11th March 11, 07:56 PM

Good luck. Contacting other relatives is crucial, and providing an email address for sharing information is a good idea. Have you considered using a Facebook page where your relatives could actually interact with one another?

Keep every scrap of information that anyone sends to you. I recently found a note that I made about a great-great grandmother's first name over 30 years ago; that was the only information I had for her. When I thought that I found information about my great-great grandfather, seeing that first name listed for his wife, helped me determine that the information was indeed what I was looking for.

**Riverkilt** · 11th March 11, 10:10 PM

WARNING! Genealogy can be even more addicting than kilts - but fun.

Don't over look the free sites - if there still there - Genealogy.com and Roots...be VERY careful on the free LDS website.

Most fun is finding relatives you haven't met. Scary sometimes how similar we are, despite a few generations of distance.

A suggestion to preserve your work. Make up copies and send them to every relative you know. Gets the solid work distributed through the family, and sometimes triggers an interest and they help with the search too.

Library of Congress has a huge genealogy collection. The addiction was strong in the 1800s. Found a book with my grandfather's name in it as an infant there in a Gordon genealogy book. Nice when the background work is done by folks a couple hundred years ago who knew for sure who was related to whom.

Don't overlook area histories if you know where ancestors lived. Found my Macdonald great grandfathers in a Cape Breton Island history. My little sister caught the bug and would spend vacations back in the old home towns going through old old old newspapers and find new relatives from news articles about who visited for an ice cream social.

And, the ghosts of your ancestors will speak to you and guide you if you do the work kilted in your clan tartan(s).