deuceswild 15 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) You guys ever do this? My Dad and I got into it a while back. My entire life my Dad has been proud of his Irish descent. He celebrates St. Patty's a little harder, has a knack for finding four leaf clovers, and tends to know all there is to know about being Irish. We decided to front the money for the account for 3 months to see what all the hubbub was about and to see if we could find out a little more about our Irish ancestors. It wasn't long before we hit a fork in the road. There were two gentlemen with very similar names, from one location, during one time period...with two separate families. We had to drive all the way to Stuart, VA (over in Patrick County) to find out for sure who was who by inspecting marriage, birth, and death certificates. With this connection we would have pretty much all we need to open up a huge side of our family tree. As family trees go, once you go back about 4 to 5 generations, you share those family members with hundreds of family members and if you're lucky, one of them has already researched your lineage. Fortunately for us, that was the case. So after we got our link, we rode the "leafs" which are the Ancestry.com way of saying you have an extended branch of your family tree all the way back into Europe. Dad and I were getting pretty excited. We found immigration information and some evidence of being part of the military. We were wealthy landowners south of Richmond, we fought in the War of 1812, and of course the Civil War. But back further we went, tracing the European trail, for sooner or later we would find just where in Ireland we came from, as this was the common family rumor, and perhaps even go there some day and retrace our forefather's footprints. That was until....we found out we were bloody English. English as hell. Born right from the belly of the beast in London, England in the 15th Century. Of course there's no shame in being English. But Dad was pretty bent up about it and still claims he's somehow Irish, which if you think about it in terms of extended family and the pedigree of wives, it could certainly be true. Even though we hung out in England for almost 200 years, probably eating stale bread, and not giving a damn about our dental hygiene before we fled to the United States and told everyone we were really Irish because we were probably wanted for something back in the homeland. Knowing my kind... Edited September 22, 2011 by deuceswild Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan 3,569 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Yes, I've used it some even though an aunt had done lots of work on our family tree the old-fashioned, pre-internet way. My ancestors were mostly Scots-Irish (some say Scotch-Irish), with English, German, and Cherokee mixed in. That's how we Presbyterians roll... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokie07 11 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 You guys ever do this? My Dad and I got into it a while back. My entire life my Dad has been proud of his Irish descent. He celebrates St. Patty's a little harder, has a knack for finding four leaf clovers, and tends to know all there is to know about being Irish. We decided to front the money for the account for 3 months to see what all the hubbub was about and to see if we could find out a little more about our Irish ancestors. It wasn't long before we hit a fork in the road. There were two gentlemen with very similar names, from one location, during one time period...with two separate families. We had to drive all the way to Stuart, VA (over in Patrick County) to find out for sure who was who by inspecting marriage, birth, and death certificates. With this connection we would have pretty much all we need to open up a huge side of our family tree. As family trees go, once you go back about 4 to 5 generations, you share those family members with hundreds of family members and if you're lucky, one of them has already researched your lineage. Fortunately for us, that was the case. So after we got our link, we rode the "leafs" which are the Ancestry.com way of saying you have an extended branch of your family tree all the way back into Europe. Dad and I were getting pretty excited. We found immigration information and some evidence of being part of the military. We were wealthy landowners south of Richmond, we fought in the War of 1812, and of course the Civil War. But back further we went, tracing the European trail, for sooner or later we would find just where in Ireland we came from, as this was the common family rumor, and perhaps even go there some day and retrace our forefather's footprints. That was until....we found out we were bloody English. English as hell. Born fright from the belly of the beast in London, England in the 15th Century. Of course there's no shame in being English. But Dad was pretty bent up about it and still claims he's somehow Irish, which if you think about it in terms of extended family and the pedigree of wives, it could certainly be true. Even though we hung out in England for almost 200 years, probably eating stale bread, and not giving a damn about our dental hygiene before we fled to the United States and told everyone we were really Irish because we were probably wanted for something back in the homeland. Knowing my kind... I have a second cousin who recently compiled what I think is a complete family tree for my mother's side of the family, and I'm pretty sure that he used Ancestry.com also. He made a really cool (and huge) book which has a complete family tree and at least one picture of just about everyone in our direct lineage; from our single direct descendant from Europe, to my immediate family and I, to the babies that were born last summer in Wisconsin. I haven't had time to really sit down and study it, but I am pretty sure that we are from the Homeland also. I do know that we settled in a small place called Radford Furnace, VA which is right by Pulaski. My mom and I have been talking about driving to the area just to take it in and hope to do so in the near future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Variable Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) Both sides of my family have done it. My cousin on my dads side got us all the way from Wales and Germany. My grandmother on my moms side puts us at the original Jamestown settlement and back to Wales there. Apparently there is some Jamestown society thing for folks who can put direct lineage there or something and that is supposed to be a big deal for socialites. Thats what dad says anyway (Im a nerd so that matters what to me?). I love hearing histories and stories about anybodys family...it is one of the more interesting hobbies. My tattoo is the Welsh family crest and motto in cambrian. Congrats on learning about where your family comes from, hopefully your teeth have gotten better. Edited September 22, 2011 by The Variable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasDenton 79 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I think my uncle used it to make our Denton family tree. Found out some pretty cool stuff, like how we came from Yorkshire, England (he traced it back to the 1500's), one of my ancestors was one of the first Presbyterian (I think) preachers in America and his son wrote the first English language description of the New York/New Jersey area, and later on my ancestors founded Denton's Valley in Sullivan Co., TN, and Washington Co., VA. It's all pretty interesting and addicting when you get into that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlueAlum 12 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Thats what dad says anyway (Im a nerd so that matters what to me?). Wait...is this Southbound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Variable Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Wait...is this Southbound? I would think that unlikely. I made no comments directly predicting the day when Abington HS will ascend into Heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD4VT 11 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I used to have an Ancestry membership. It's worth every penny if you're into geneology. There is also a lot on Rootsweb, which is owned by Ancestry and it's free. I did a lot of research several years ago. Found out that Daniel Boone's sister Sarah was my 6th great grandmother, and that I'm a descendant of the 13th Archbishop of Canterbury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlueAlum 12 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I would think that unlikely. I made no comments directly predicting the day when Abington HS will ascend into Heaven. I just tracked the ancestry of Stripes, and found out his Great grandmother was a stray that used to hang out behind Ralph's Country Club in Raven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) I got the free two week trial about 8 months ago and did all the research before calling and canceling it. My family's an amalgamation of everything. One spur is solidly Irish, and that's where the family name still resides today. Another spur goes back to Holland. Another spur goes back France. Many of the branches, though, go back to Switzerland. That's what surprised me. As opinionated as I am, most of the family comes from the center of neutrality. Go figure. Oh, and president Zachary Taylor's father is my great-great-great-great-grandfather. I just tracked the ancestry of Stripes, and found out his Great grandmother was a stray that used to hang out behind Ralph's Country Club in Raven. Effing win! Edited September 22, 2011 by UVAObserver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Variable Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Oh, and president Zachary Taylor's father is my great-great-great-great-grandfather. Wouldnt that make Zachary Taylor your great-great-great-grandfather? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild 15 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Wouldnt that make Zachary Taylor your great-great-great-grandfather? Not if Zachary Taylor's brother or sister is his direct descendent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Not if Zachary Taylor's brother or sister is his direct descendent. There ya go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild 15 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 There ya go. I actually think I worded that wrong but you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I actually think I worded that wrong but you get the idea. Yeah. I would be the sister's descendant, not the other way around. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vthokies4life 10 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 My heritage is traced back to Ireland, France, and Poland. All the countries we have jokes about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild 15 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 My Mom's side is German and Cherokee. Dad's side is English and Cherokee. Which would explain why I fancy a bit of tea while gambling and wearing lederhosen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 My Mom's side is German and Cherokee. Dad's side is English and Cherokee. Which would explain why I fancy a bit of tea while gambling and wearing lederhosen. You're half Cherokee. Wouldn't that make you love gambling twice as much as tea and lederhosen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Variable Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 The welsh are so small an ethnicity we dont even warrant a slur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichlandsAlum 678 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Many of the branches, though, go back to Switzerland. That's what surprised me. As opinionated as I am, most of the family comes from the center of neutrality. Go figure. Switzerland was a happening place around the turn of the 16th century, with Zwingli and some pretty epic battles between cantons and whatnot. (A branch of my wife's family also runs through Switzerland in that particular era. Some of her ancestors were prominently active in the Swiss Reformation movement. Who knows? We might be in-laws.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild 15 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 You're half Cherokee. Wouldn't that make you love gambling twice as much as tea and lederhosen? Sounds about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1inStripes 933 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 A family member a distant cousin of mine traced one side of my families a few years ago back to William the Bastard so they said. Whether thats true or not, who knows. I haven't seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichlandsAlum 678 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 As to the original post in this thread, my experience was that Ancestry.com is pretty useful. Was able to close out several gaps in the research that I'd already done and made some interesting discoveries. To wit... - According to standard patronymical practice, my surname should be something other than what it is. (My 4th great grandfather -- and one of his brothers -- carried their mother's maiden name.) - Aside from Welsh royalty (descent from which darn near every Welshman claims -- so take that with a grain of salt), I'm not directly related to anyone famous. But I've got some interesting historical asides -- William Shakespeare is a distant uncle (his sister is somewhere around my 12th great grandmother). - I'm a member of a line that claims direct descent from Pocahontas and John Rolfe. - Combining my tree with my wife's, my children are related (albeit not directly) to 7 U.S. Presidents. - Not surprisingly, I'm a mutt. I'm Irish, German, English, Scottish, Welsh, French, Dutch, Cherokee, and Iroquois -- that I know of. A second cousin claims to have found a connection to the Shawnee tribe, but that might be through his mother's family (who isn't direct kin of mine). BigD and I are distant cousins, but I knew that prior to my enrollment with Ancestry.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichlandsAlum 678 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 The welsh are so small an ethnicity we dont even warrant a slur. Speak for yourself.... Powys Paradwys Cymru! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichlandsAlum 678 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Oh, and president Zachary Taylor's father is my great-great-great-great-grandfather. Jokes aside, you're related (however distantly) to my wife. That line traces back through Elder William Brewster (of the Mayflower), who is also one of her direct ancestors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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