Tracing Family roots

[brandycr]

Sorry to disappoint you, but there just aren't any reliable genealogical records for anyone much earlier than a few generations before Charlemagne, around 800 AD, and those are only of the royaly and aristocracy of course. Virtually everything prior to that is legend, myth and conjecture. As are quite a few genealogies after that time.

thats how i found my lines royal records got lucky.

[gilmore]

<<<Quote:
Originally Posted by gilmore
Sorry to disappoint you, but there just aren't any reliable genealogical records for anyone much earlier than a few generations before Charlemagne, around 800 AD, and those are only of the royaly and aristocracy of course. Virtually everything prior to that is legend, myth and conjecture. As are quite a few genealogies after that time.



thats how i found my lines royal records got lucky.>>>

Let me be clear: even the royal lines prior to a few generations before Charlemagne are legend, myth or conjecture. In other words we know to a reasonable degree of certainty who Charlemagne's immediate ancestors were. We do not, however, know who were the ancestors of those people. They cannot be reliably connected to anyone earlier. From time to time various people have made up all sorts of fanciful stories about descendancy for them from Adam, various Norse, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, etc, but they simply are not creditable, i.e., the stories fall apart under scrutiny. There are no valid, reliable genealogies going back earlier than the 700's AD.

[Riverkilt]

Be careful of this genealogy work, its as powerful an addiction as kilts.

I started back in the '70s and still have the bug. Have been lucky in the documentation dept. But oldest lines go back to the 1500s.

Like Gilmore says, we've a bazillion ancestors. Both my parents lines go back to the same three families aboard the Mayflower, making them 13th cousins. My mother was joyful when I found that. She said now she could get an annulment after 35 years of marriage.

I like genealogy since many of my ancestors were Scottish, Welsh, and Irish, giving me a solid excuse to buy more kilts!

Have met lots of online cousins and been able to share lots of actual documents handed down to me through the family.

Ron

[turpin]

OK. How's this? I can trace my middle name "Turpin" in a direct maternal line through the Gordons, Campbells and Macdonalds back to Thorfin Rollo Hausakliffer Einarsson, b. 890 on Orkney, d. 997 and his great grandson, Thorfin II "the Black" Sigurdsson Earl of Orkney b: 989 d: 1064.

Turpin is a form of Thorfin ("Th" pronounced hard T), or Thor of the Finns.

[Hachiman]

G'day folks!!

I've been reliably informed (i.e. professional geneologist did the research, not myself) that my family roots extend as far back as the Battle of Hastings and 1066. That's when my Norman ancestor came over and soundly thumped the local Anglo-saxons.

A little later on, and I have William Wallace entering my family tree (again, professional geneologist - I'm not just making the assumption due to my mother's maiden name being Wallace). I knew there was a reason I liked tartan ;)

A bit later again, and my Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle decides to start a newspaper in London...he called it "The Times"....

And then...nothing. We've been pretty boring ever since! LOL

cheers

Hachiman

[macwilkin]

For you guys doing research have you tried onegreatfamily?They are awesome you put in your line as much as you got and they go through everyone on the site see if you have common family and give you option to merge line with them.The goal of the site is to connect everyone in the world eventually.They even send you emails with possibles amd all merges if you want them done automatically.If you go tell them brandyriddle sent you.

Umm...as a former genealogical librarian, I would advise not putting too much stock in something like this. The best way to find your family's history is research it yourself. Your local public library and/or genealogical society can help you get started.

Just remember: document, document, document, and do not accept family stories at "face value". Genealogists are generally very helpful people, but they do not suffer fools who do not provide sources for their claims.

I can't tell you how many relatives of Robert E. Lee I met whilst working at a Civil War Battlefield: if he does have that many descendents, when did he ever have time to fight the Civil War? :mrgreen:

Cheers,

Todd

[Warlock]

We cantrace ours back to 1066. That's when a certain Beuth Sim, turned back a contingent of British soldiers from his "Yetholm", {apparently a small keep, located in a pass}, in the Chevoit hills in county Roxburgh, Scottish Borders. My branch arrived in America in the late 1600's with three brothers, Abraham, Parrish, and Thomas Sims. It is from Thomas sims that I am descended. There was a Thomas Sims who was Aide-de-camp and later, Pall-Bearer to, Gen. Washington. My own Father Thomas Malone Sims, SR. PFC U. S. Army served in the 3rd Army under Gen. Geo. S. Patton, and my Brother Rear Admiral Thomas Malone Sims, Jr. USN Ret. Out of all the notable ancestors the one I'm most proud of, my lifelong hero, my Father!

[MACKAY]

I am fortunate in that we were able to trace our family branch of the Mackay Clan back to Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles; via a direct link to Angus Dubh Mackay in the early 1400's. I guess that makes me a Macdonald as much as a Mackay

Also, if you take a little leap of faith you can then claim that Angus Mackay was a descendant of the original Mackay Chief - One step further and you can apply the most popular and accepted theory as to the origins of the chieftenship of the Clan Mackay, is that the chief was descended from the Pictish Royal House of MacEth.

So - I trump ya all - I am descended from the original Pictish Royal Line as well as the Lord of the Isles

Brian


Citation for Angus Dubh Mackay's relation to Ian Macdonald, Lord of the Isles:
_____________________________

Angus 'Dubh' Mackay of Strathnaver1 (M)
#108073 Last Edited 14 May 2005

Angus 'Dubh' Mackay of Strathnaver married Elizabeth MacDonald, daughter of Iain Macdonald, Lord of the Isles and Margaret Stewart, before 8 October 1415.1

Citations

1. [S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 449. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.

_____________________________________________

[Piper]

My father was an avid genealogist. He spent the last 25 or so years of his life tracing our family tree. I did a bit of leg work for him from time to time, and his older brother frequently worked with him for the final 10 years. The results are interesting. He traced a Welsh line back to 3 digits (600's I believe), and there are other lines he couldn't get back beyond 1920 or so in South Philly. Seems our family name (Young) comes from either Ireland or Scotland. My father initially listed the earliest Young he found as coming from Kincardine, Ireland. I've been unable to find such a place, but there is a Kincardine Shire in Scotland, with a large number of Youngs in the area. But the family's been in America for a while. When people ask me if I'm Scottish (big, ruddy faced, bearded piper in a kilt), I explain that my ancestor may have come from Scotland, but we have the records of his marriage in Philadelphia PA, in 1742, so I figure that makes me an American.
I know some of the earlier genealogical records tend to be suspect, but the Welsh line was researched by my Uncle, while he was over there a few years back. He lucked onto some old church records. From what I understand, under the old laws you could be held responsible for fines and assessments incurred by certain of your relatives, so they tended to keep pretty good records. Don't know if that's actually the case, but it would be an incentive to keep decent records.
Another interesting tidbit that turns up is that we've had family on both sides of every conflict this country has had from the French & Indian War, through WWII.

[johnnym]

I have done some genealogical research as well. I can show 20 generations going back to 1370 in England on one branch. Several other branches go back to the middle 1700's. I am descended from the Ross, McClelland, Buchanan and Shepherd clans. Of my 4 grandparents 2 are Irish/Scottish/English, 1 is Belgian/French, and 1 is Czech. No mention of royalty of famous personage.