Family trees

[InsaneApache]

I'm doing some work on my family tree as a present to my seven grandkids.

Using my own personal knowledge and picking Maters brain, I've managed to get back to my great-great grandma who was born on Gibraltar in the mid 19th century. I'm not too sure of her last name, although I believe I have her first name. I do however have her husbands last name but not his first.

The last concrete name and place of birth I can come up with is my great-grandma born in 1874.

Fascinating stuff and quite emotional as well surprisingly.

Any other members done this? Any advice?

Cheers.

IA

[KukriKhan]

The Mormons can often be quite helpful.

Our own Louis helped me track down the region in France where my mother's ancestors most likely hailed from - which, as you say, was both enlightening, and strangely emotional.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Interesting site Kukri - I found three people with my surname born in the 1740s and 1750s in Prussia. Since my name isn't very common anywhere, especially in Germany (oddly enough, as my family has been in Germany for hundreds of years), they may just be related.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Most people with ancestors in the UK should be able to get back to 1841 relatively easily (oops, pun not intended ).

The census returns are freely available at the National Archives. However, if your ancestors are Gibraltarian rather than English by birth, it may not cover that location.

Beyond 1841, it is usually a case of parish records which can be surprisingly informative. Since people rarely moved about much back then, you can often go back several generations in one parish, unless they happen to be Catholics (Irish records are different of course, and patchier). These records can usually get you back to the 1750s, sometimes earlier.

I've helped some people search through records like this that we hold, collected from several parishes in the English estate and these go back to the 1680s. Like you, people get great fun from the process. I miss out myself, as the family pedigree is rather well documented.

[Lemur]

I haven't had to lift a finger. Turns out our family's last name is pretty rare, and some absolute maniac has built up a web-based family tree that goes back to the 1400s. Turns out we even have a coat of arms, and it's incredibly ugly. Why couldn't my ancestors petition for something cooler?

Anyway, here's the site. Clearly the dude in charge has way too much time on his hands.

[InsaneApache]

Oh I dunno, you seem to have your 'ducks in a row'.

*glances at BQ*

@ BQ ta very much for that link, I already have got some of the details of my paternal grandmother from there. (She died when my dad was an infant)

[Banquo's Ghost]

I haven't had to lift a finger. Turns out our family's last name is pretty rare, and some absolute maniac has built up a web-based family tree that goes back to the 1400s. Turns out we even have a coat of arms, and it's incredibly ugly. Why couldn't my ancestors petition for something cooler?

Tsk. It's very cool. For a grant made in 1547, the arms are quite simple - by this time, most armorial creations were quite complex - the rule tends to be that simpler achievements are more ancient.

I couldn't see clearly from the photograph, but looking up the Somerset Visitation of 1623 (go to Pedigree, and then page 5) shows them to be:

Argent, on a fess gules three eagles' heads, erased, of the field.

Translated, this means: The shield background is silver, and has a red stripe horizontally across the middle. This stripe is decorated with three torn off (erased) eagles' heads, which are in the same colour (silver) as the background.

The old tomb decoration doesn't do it justice.

It would be interesting to discover why the eagles were chosen, but this is a noble coat of arms for a mere knight (mere as in his standing at the time of grant, as one might suppose a less prestigious achievement).

You share the argent field with me.

[Motep]

The Mormons can often be quite helpful.

Our own Louis helped me track down the region in France where my mother's ancestors most likely hailed from - which, as you say, was both enlightening, and strangely emotional.

Helpful my ass. (It doesn't help that the people in question live in mormon free towns....)

[RoadKill]

I've done this before. I discovered that my great grandfather was adopted so there is no possible way that I could track back to my ancestors unforunatly. Also discovering that my great-grandfather was adopted, I have no idea if I am French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or Scottish. I find that quite dissapointing.

[Proletariat]

...I have no idea if I am French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or Scottish. I find that quite dissapointing.

Why? That's awesome. Just pick any of them and become absurdly proud of your heritage!

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Yeah, well... I like bragging about my family tree as well. Strange thing. Actually it was my paternal grandfather's uncle who managed to have his ancestry dug out. Backroom story.

I know 7 generations, mine included, from my father's side going up all fathers; and another 7 from my mother's side, after her going up all fathers. My father's -documented- male ancestors end up in modern Armenia and Azerbaijan. My maternal grandfather's -documented through oral tradition- male ancestors all lived in the same village beneath the southeastern coast of the Black Sea, for as long as remembered.

I hear some relatives of my paternal grandmother researched their ancestry too but I'm not sure of the accuracy of their results. Still, I can count up to 5 starting with myself. They have been the natives of my city (see: Location) for as long as known.
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