Things you learn from your family...

[Xehh II]

After I posted earlier I asked some of my family and apparently if I go to some place in Scotland I can get a Tartan, my Mum tells me it's Green and Grey.

[macsen rufus]

You know, the Irish have a saying: "We are all kings' sons".

[TinCow]

I'm sorry to be the first pessimist in here, but: I believe either you or your aunt (or the both of you) are lying. A lot of people want their family trees to be famous and great, and it's not unusual for people to make things up. For example, according to Swedish genealogy about 50% of the Swedish population are related to Birger Magnusson ("Birger Jarl", an important character in Swedish medieval history) and about 10% would be related to Gustav Vasa.

I don't see any reason to doubt him. First of all, he's not exactly claiming that he's related to anyone famous. All of the relatives he list were essentially men-at-arms in various armies. That's prominent enough to be interesting to us historians, but far from being 'famous' in any real sense. It makes sense as well, since that's about the minimum level of wealth/station that you would need in order to get your existence recorded in local church records and to have marked graves which could be traced.

Besides, someone has to be related to all these ancient people. Given a large enough population, a small percentage will be able to trace their lineage back a long, long way. This guy could be one of the lucky ones. Far stranger ancestral connections have popped up over the years, such as the Cheddar history teacher whose family has apparently lived in the same place for 9,000 years. (link) There's also the fact that 8% of all Mongolian men really are related to Genghis Khan. (link)

Personally, my history does not go back very far. My father's side emigrated from Poland and Austria in the early 20th century, while my mother's emigrated mainly from Ireland and German in the early 19th century. We've traced my mother's side back to living relatives in Ireland and Germany, but my father's side disappeared during the Holocaust. For the record though, the relatives we know of were largely peasants, with the exception of one son of a minor Irish noble who got himself disowned when he married a peasant girl.

[Great Est.]

One of my ancestors deserted from the Spanish army in Cuba during either the Spanish-American War or in the period of Cuban-Spanish wars leading up to that conflict.
He lived in a cave with a Cuban woman and had a child, who he raised in the cave until it was safe for him to rejoin the general population - I guess after the Spanish were ousted.

Also, my mother's maiden name is Cervantes - Manco de Lepanto anyone?
It's nice to dream.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Im afraid im with Innocentius. I cant believe you can possibly trace your family that far back.

Either you or your aunt has a very active imagination. Are you sure your Aunt has all her marbles? :D

don't say that. you can porably trace you family tree up to 1200-1300 hundreds before it gets musty..

[naut]

There is pretty much no way you can track any families except royal families back to the 11th century and there is pretty much no way you can track any "ordinary" family further back than to the 16th or 17th century.

I beg to differ, in the UK it is relatively (pardon the pun) simple to get a basic outline of a family for two reasons:

1) The Doomsday book, the huge register implemented by William the Bastard.
2) Birth and Death registers of churches across Europe.

These two things combined with the fact that people generally didn't travel make the task of getting a basic outline fairly simple but expensive to research.

Using these two methods and also other documents I know I come from a rather boring family of coal miners and peasants. But I'm also related to Rowland Hill and we even have some of his paintings and to some of the first British/Irish settlers of Southern Africa, (I'm directly related to them and can prove it with a multitude of family heirlooms).

[pockettank]

wow now i want to look up my history lol my names Irish, Foley, from what ive found we dropped the O' (it was O'Foley) when we came to america but thats all so far haha im gonna look up more now

EDIT:damnit i dont feel special after reading this: The Irish Foleys are very numerous and this name is among the sixty most common in Ireland with an estimated population of about ten thousand souls. ill never find who im related to and who im not =(

[TruePraetorian]

Sorry to kill all the comotion, but im related to Adam and Eve. that means im related to Jesus, which means im related to God, which means your all my children and should send me 100 dollars each to support my churches No but really if that Christian stuff IS real and we are all dust or something, then we are all related to SOMEONE famous...and if it isnt and we evolved, which sounds a little more plausible, then we are still all related, and we can trace our family heritage to famous mammals like Bo-Bo the monkey.

Sorry, my parents say i can trace my heritage to Kaiser wilhelm III, Queen Victoria, and Tzar Nikolas. Pretty good for an American eh?

[GeoBeeChamp]

On one side of my family is just some minor Eastern European nobles and some Polish peasants. On the other side are these Viking Armstrongs who raided England and Scotland. The EE nobles like helped the Russians conqour Lithuania and Latvia from the Westerners

EE RULES!!

[KukriKhan]

spam.

please ignore this post

[Kansas Bear]

I was playing the battle of hastings last night when I had my aunt talk about how my family was in that battle. She whipped out the family history, and I was shocked. Most of my family met on the battlefield. For instance, one of my grandfathers was one of the knights employed by William the Bastard (sorry, conqueror ). He married the sister of one of the survivng huscarles. One of my Great uncles served in the Varangian Guard. Another was part of the Scottish army under Robert the Bruce. Yet another came from the Teutonic Order and Russia. The Crusader States. Barbossa and the Lombard League. The list goes on. I think the only thing my family hasn't been involved in is the Reconquista. My family seems to have been made, it appears, on the battlefield. One guy kills another and then marries his sister. Does anyone else have such a dysfunctional family tree? Am I alone?

Depends whether most can trace their family back that far. Most records have been lost due to war, revolution, religious conflict, etc...


It is generally accepted that my family(Father's side) was forced out of Scotland by Cromwell.


I did have a G-G-grandfather in the Civil War, 2nd Kentucky Calvary.

Both grandfathers were too young for the first world war and too old for the second.

[Kansas Bear]

LordandConqueror,

If you're interested there is a gentleman from Australia, Leo Van de Pas, who is a world renowned genealogist. He has a website that consists mainly of royal/noble genealogy.

http://www.genealogics.org/index.php


Enjoy!

[MeROBIN]

My grandfather told me last night:
,,Hey you should go and kill some russians
-Why grandpha?
-Because you grand grand grand grand..............(after one hour)grandfather was a great warrior,his name was Robin Hood and your grand grand grand grand
(after one hour)grandmother was Joahn D'Arc.And another grand grand grand father was Elvis Presley and grand grand grand mother was Marlin Monroe.
And kill some russians cause we don't have hot water and the plummer is russian"

BTW My grandpha is mad
And BTW again this sounds like YourLordandConqueror story.

[King Jan III Sobieski]

I WISH I could find a noble connection in my family; they emigrated from what is now Poland to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th century (on my Dad's side) and from what's now Croatia and Slovakia on my maternal grandfather's and grandmother's side, respectively.

While, for the most of us who are the lineage of the vast peasant population, tracing our genealogy back more than one or two generations in the old country is really hit or miss (primarily because the vast majority of records were kept in churches or government archives that may or may not have survived the many wars of the 19th and 20th centuries), if you are of noble lineage - especially a ruling family or other upper nobility (archdukes, dukes, some counts, etc.) - then it is possible for you to trace your lineage back 500, 1000, or more years.

[All Blacks]

I'm a keen historian and genealogist, and i've traced my family only back to the late-mid 18th century. On my mums side, my ancestors are Irish. Its easy to trace back because amazingly I still share their surname, Cobine (apparently a French name, so I don't understand?). I know a lot of my family went over to USA to fight in Irish Battlions in the American Civil War, and many came over to fight in the New Zealand Maori Wars in the late 19th century (hence why both countries have a big Irish culture). Joseph Cobine, my great (x5) grandfather stayed in New Zealand afterwards as a fencible in Otahuhu, Auckland hence why I was born in NZ.

On my dads side however, its a big vague. I know he comes from a Scottish/English background (hes from the South Island of NZ, a big Scottish area, North Island mostly comprises of Irish), but i'm still having trouble tracing back (and not to mention I haven't seen my father in 8 years). But I think its fair to say, some were probably involved in a few battles over the years.

[Galapagos]

Hey.........my grandfather was Elvis Presley and my grandmother was Marlin Monroe..... So stop lying people...

[Kansas Bear]

I WISH I could find a noble connection in my family; they emigrated from what is now Poland to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th century (on my Dad's side) and from what's now Croatia and Slovakia on my maternal grandfather's and grandmother's side, respectively.

I those cases, oral histories(family stories) are your best bet. Check here:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/
for your family name and see if other people may have some information.

[Motep]

Yes, all of this true, and first names have been left out. Years and some names are uncertain as my mother (from who I got this information) has forgot some things, and so have I.


Mothers Side:
My mothers side is dominantly german, with some other nations and NA tribes cropping up.

Her Fender side(from her father) comes from a long line of German bankers that at some point in time, a few moved to the u.s. and became farmers and miners and such. One miner tried his luck in Butte Montana with his two brothers sometime in the 1800's (not sure just when it was...) One brother discovered a new site and got the mineral and land rights to that area. Montana power wanted the land and minerals, so they killed him, and they took the land rights. The mineral rights was passed to one of his brothers. This brother was killed also, but he passed the rights to his other brother, my ancestor. (I cant remember which relative has it now...) My grandfather was a minor stock car driver in Spokane Washington, untill he got into a bad wreck and decided to quit that occupation. He ocassionally ventured into drag races after that, though. He married my grandma, had three children, and then divorced her (more info later). He now lives with his second wife and fourth child (my aunt is two years youner than I am) in Las Vegas, Nevada as a mechanic.

Her kelsy side (from her mother) hails from the south, where you find that one of my great (however many) uncles was a colonel in the civil war who died with no reknown in gettysburg with most of his men (for the confederates , ya know?) Besides him and a few others, the rest moved to the western territories of Idaho and Oregon, as they were against slavery. There they lived as farmers up untill the seventies and early eighties when my great-grandfathers second wife sold his ranch when he died, and kept the money to her family. My grandmother was already poor, and with that, she continued to be so. She stayed in Butte montana with her kids, divorced with her husband, and now lives alone in the Butte trailer park, working as a cleaner is some small company. Her son moved to portland oregon and has two children. Her youngest daughter moved to Salt lake Utah, no children. (Sadly the poor woman is a Jehovah's Witness recruiter...how sad...) Her eldest Daughter, my mother, got hit by car when she was nine, (my grandma got hit by a car when she was nine, also), married my father, and brought us into the world. She later divorced my father, and moved to Rockford Illinois with her fiance (they have been so for eleven years now...) about eleven years ago. Me and my sister moved here about eight years ago.


Fathers Side:
...hails from just about everywhere in europe and in south eastern canada/ north western USA.

His real parents: The jackasses put him up for adoption. My father has met his real father only once, and that was enough for him.

His Adopted Parents (the ones I consider my family): Miners. For a very long time, they were miners, and fur traders, and other woodsy, outdoorish stuff. Not surprising, they moved to butte. My father has three sisters (all also adopted). The oldest one is the most sensible, and her first husband died after giving her three children. Her second husband and her are enjoying their baby and almost done raising the youngest of the three others. The older daughter (second oldest) now has a child of her own with some dumbass she met in high school. The second oldest of my aunts is the least sensible, and has three children, two with mental illnesses, and is married. Thank god I do not see her very often. My younger aunt is all right, and has two children, one nerdy and two years older than I, the other a seven year old monster. They live with my grandmother (sadly, a widow...), and my father. My father works at a gas station in Butte, and is a certified college dropout. He'll finish it "one of these days".

[tarbanrael]

Not sure exactly where we come from for it gets blurred after a few centuries, mainly on account of the French revolution. Our name is sort of german and there are still quite a few people with that name in Germany and Flanders. We mostly live in Flanders these days, except for me, who emigrated to Ireland.

As far as the family goes on one side, my mother's, mostly engineers or small factory owners. My great-great grand father lived for a while in Germany and traded in Russia before they came back to settle in the Ardennes (the French side).

My father's side, mostly doctors and small factory owners as well.

No warriors on either sides, just one great-great uncle who joined the French army and spent most of his life in Africa with the army. Most of my forebears were just the right age everytime a war came along, and there were quite a lot of these in France over the past few centuries.

Notable that there was one female who was convicted of witchcraft over in Kilkenny, Ireland but managed to get back to Flanders before she got "burnt" by the locals.

[Mangudai]

I believe these claims. For one thing, almost all of us are decended from someone famous over 1000 years ago.

Do the math. 1000 years is about 40 generations. 2^40 = over a trillion. The population of the Earth was probably less than a billion back then. Which means, 1) we are all seriously inbred , 2) we are probably all related to the famous people who lived on our ancestral continent over 1000 years ago.

Of my 4 grandparents, 3 can tell me relatively little about my distant ancestry. However 1 of my grandmothers has extensive records. I am a 43xgreat grandson of Charlemagne. My grandmother's chart names all the generations in between, who they married, and lists years of birth and death for most of them.

On that particular line of my family tree, there was French royalty for about 3 generations after Charlemage, then one of the girls married an Irish nobleman. The rest of the generations seem to be in Ireland until they eventually came to America.

On a different line (but still through my grandmother with the records) are some personages I find very interesting, and more recent so more exclusive. The Powhatan princess Pocahontas is one of my ancestors. She is the subject of much historical fiction including a disney movie. She married and had 5 children with the Englishman John Rolfe. John Rolfe was among the first Jamestown settlers, and it was he who first planted tobacco in Virginia. I come through their daughter Mary Rolfe-Bolling.

[spanakoryzo]

While everyone's proud of their ancestors, mine's are a bit rough around the edges. My father's father originates from a family of low ranking clergy (Greek Orthodox) who were forced out of native Cyprus in the melting pot of Constantinople at 1878 on charges of extensive smuggling, which they of course went on to pursue...My father's mother originates from a small farmer living outside Philadelpheia (Asia Minor) who converted to catholicism and used church grants to finance his business in Smyrna. That part of the family is still catholic today! My mother's mother originates from a line of wealthy landowners of Mani (south tip of the Peloponnese) who are actually of slavic descend. Unlike most Maniati they have green eyes, blond hair, etc. My mother's father originates from a Mani family of gunmen and pirates (paid by landowners to do their dirty work) who had to snatch the bride away by force of arms due to irreconciliable difference of cast (in 1952!). So, anyone else not-so-proud of their roots?

[Ace of Spades]

My ancestors were just plain commoners, AFAIK. My dad's first ancestor on American soil came over in the 1750's from Germany. He and his brother separated in Philly. The brother went up and settled in the Allentown, PA area while my ancestor went a little further northwest into PA (The Coal Region). I believe the family of one of the next generation was massacred by Indians (or Native Americans if you prefer). We stayed in this area ever since. Half of my mother's family came from England & the other half from Scotland, where we have ties to Clan Fraser.

[vladiator]

I can't trace anyone beyond my great grandparents, but all indicates that they were commoners. I am 1/4 from a line of Russians from a Siberian village, 1/4 of Belorussian villagers, 1/4 gypsy.

But then, one of my grandfathers was also a Jew. So with a bit of luck, I am related to Moses.

[Derfasciti]

Although I haven't seen any records I've heard that one of my ancestors was a deserter in the Revolutionary War, another was a drunkard in the American Civil War, and on my mother's side there was an Austian soldier who fought against Russia in WW1.

[Motep]

Although I haven't seen any records I've heard that one of my ancestors was a deserter in the Revolutionary War, another was a drunkard in the American Civil War, and on my mother's side there was an Austian soldier who fought against Russia in WW1.

The good (Austrian), the bad (Revolution), and the lazy (civil war).

[CountArach]

On my Father's side most of my family migrated to Australia (Some as Convicts and some voluntarily... yes I am a criminal born and bred ) in the 1830s-1840s, very early in Australia's history. One of the first to come out was a Comb Maker...

The only really notable thing I can remember about the family is that my Great-Grandfather served on Kokoda Trail. So yeah, pretty average family.

[Pannonian]

I'm sorry to be the first pessimist in here, but: I believe either you or your aunt (or the both of you) are lying. A lot of people want their family trees to be famous and great, and it's not unusual for people to make things up. For example, according to Swedish genealogy about 50% of the Swedish population are related to Birger Magnusson ("Birger Jarl", an important character in Swedish medieval history) and about 10% would be related to Gustav Vasa.

For me to change my opinion, I would like to see some evidence. There is pretty much no way you can track any families except royal families back to the 11th century and there is pretty much no way you can track any "ordinary" family further back than to the 16th or 17th century.

Some communities do keep meticulous records of family trees, or at least those which they're keen to keep in mind. I've seen family records which stretch back around 1000 years, with not a single famous individual among them. Insulated communities who have been untouched by war or largescale migrations, but who were keen recordkeepers. I'd imagine that strategically remote areas of China and Japan and other settled civilisations would be prime candidates for millenium-long lists of non-entities. Probably not in Europe though.

[Boores]

Hi friends, my family history has some nobility tittle by the tree of my father. My father had a uncle that was Duke on S.XIX-S.XX, the surname is De Quirós. My mother told me a time ago that my father´s family knows that they are descended from the Visigothic King Witiza,but i don´t sure about that idea is true. I´d like to investigate that, but i think that to make that investigation i need contracting some specialist in genealogic trees,or Heraldic...if you have some idea,please tell me. Thanks,thanks,thanks



(sorry if my English is bad)

[seireikhaan]

Hmm, honestly, my family geneology is fuzzy at best. My mom's side can be traced back to the daughters of liberty, it would seem. However, my dad's side, which is of German origin, I have no clue as to where they came from. The only thing I really know about my last name is that it is apparently also Germany's oldest gin. At least, according to the advertisement...http://www.internetwines.com/rws16306.html

[Lexyus]

How do you know all this?

I can't trace it back till the 2nd war were my grandmother was a citizen of Gouda I think?


But how do you all trace it back till the 8th century