How far can you get back?
- Doug_Tipple
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Some may doubt this, but I am a direct descendent of Mohamed, although I could have chosen another person with children and grandchildren from about the time in human history. Guy Murcie in his book, "The Seven Mysteries of Life" explains mathematically that with cross-cultural interbreeding, it only takes about 50 generations for every human on the planet to be blood relatives.
- emmline
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Yeah, that's the thing about geneology. I do find it interesting, and I enjoy knowing where some of my roots go, but it's always struck me as such an arbitrary decision. Which line do you trace? When do you turn right, or left? The endlessness of the possibilities is daunting.Doug_Tipple wrote:Some may doubt this, but I am a direct descendent of Mohamed, although I could have chosen another person with children and grandchildren from about the time in human history. Guy Murcie in his book, "The Seven Mysteries of Life" explains mathematically that with cross-cultural interbreeding, it only takes about 50 generations for every human on the planet to be blood relatives.
- Joseph E. Smith
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- cowtime
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With the geneology stuff, unless I can find something more than birth,marriage,death dates, it's pretty dry. That's what started my searching again. I found a new book on the Frankie Silver hanging and so have gotten the bug again.Joseph E. Smith wrote:Inverness, Scotland (Warnock). Cork, Ireland (O'Keefe). Not that it really matters to me, I am a Yank, and subject to everything that entails.
"Let low-country intruder approach a cove
And eyes as gray as icicle fangs measure stranger
For size, honesty, and intent."
John Foster West
And eyes as gray as icicle fangs measure stranger
For size, honesty, and intent."
John Foster West
I have been really lucky in the last few months, once I got past a brickwall that has been lasting for two or so years, I have taken several family lines back to Norfolk county in England to the 1400's.
Like Blickling the ancestral home of the Boleyns (that Anne!) in Norfolk(m yBarnes line) and just down the country lane the Stokes in Wooddalling. And then down to Suffolk for my grandmothers family via London, the Sorrels all in 1400 and 1500's.
And what is even more surprising and joyful, is that I have met living relatives of the Stokes and Barnes, who it seems came out enmass to Kent county Ontario Canada in 1830's and 50's.
But with some hard work and many cold calls to Sorrel's here in Windsor, Ontario, I have finally filled in the blanks of grandmother's life. Alice Sorrel came out to Canada in 1918, she was just 19 as new nurse and midwife, to Windsor. She crossed the Atlantic during World War I and why Windsor. The answer, she had a great uncle living here! But in all the photographs left behind and some scant letters, no mention of that family was mentioned. So I began with city directories, then the current phone book and just started cold calling and then that is when I hit pay dirt.
On the reference desk two months ago, one of the Windsor Sorrels walk up to me, asked for me, we not knowing each other, and it was eirey, her name was Alice Sorrel but she only knew that somehow if was a family name. So she is now doing family genealogy!
So that is were I am at at this moment!
MarkB
Like Blickling the ancestral home of the Boleyns (that Anne!) in Norfolk(m yBarnes line) and just down the country lane the Stokes in Wooddalling. And then down to Suffolk for my grandmothers family via London, the Sorrels all in 1400 and 1500's.
And what is even more surprising and joyful, is that I have met living relatives of the Stokes and Barnes, who it seems came out enmass to Kent county Ontario Canada in 1830's and 50's.
But with some hard work and many cold calls to Sorrel's here in Windsor, Ontario, I have finally filled in the blanks of grandmother's life. Alice Sorrel came out to Canada in 1918, she was just 19 as new nurse and midwife, to Windsor. She crossed the Atlantic during World War I and why Windsor. The answer, she had a great uncle living here! But in all the photographs left behind and some scant letters, no mention of that family was mentioned. So I began with city directories, then the current phone book and just started cold calling and then that is when I hit pay dirt.
On the reference desk two months ago, one of the Windsor Sorrels walk up to me, asked for me, we not knowing each other, and it was eirey, her name was Alice Sorrel but she only knew that somehow if was a family name. So she is now doing family genealogy!
So that is were I am at at this moment!
MarkB
Everybody has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
- Charlene
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The furthest back I've gotten is on my maternal grandfather's side - last name of Bradforth, first name possibly Robert, born about 1435. The name got changed to Bradford, and Governor William Bradford of the Mayflower is in there.
And that and about $4 will get me a latte at Starbucks!
Most of my ancestry is English, there's one from Scotland in the 1500s, and supposedly my paternal great-grandmother was born in Dublin, but it's hard to trace my father's side of the family and the last name is very difficult to read in any records that I've run across.
When I win the lottery, some of the money will be spent to have professional genealogy help.
And that and about $4 will get me a latte at Starbucks!
Most of my ancestry is English, there's one from Scotland in the 1500s, and supposedly my paternal great-grandmother was born in Dublin, but it's hard to trace my father's side of the family and the last name is very difficult to read in any records that I've run across.
When I win the lottery, some of the money will be spent to have professional genealogy help.
Charlene
- Flyingcursor
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- missy
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Hey cowtime - have you read Sharyn McCrumb's book "The Ballad of Frankie Silver"?cowtime wrote: I found a new book on the Frankie Silver hanging and so have gotten the bug again.
As to my background, I can't get back further than great - great - grandparents. All came to this country from Germany in 1880's. Don't know from where in Germany, and all the names are fairly common German names.
Tom's cousin did the tracing back to the first ancestor in the US, sometime in the 1600's. He's got some information on that on our site.
- dwinterfield
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On my father's side I know my great, great grandfather came here from Cork with his brothers in the 1860s. I'd love to make the connection to the family in Ireland, but haven't been able to.
On my mother's side, the story goes, I'm descended from a French mosaic artist who was well known in the late 1700s. Family lore says Napoleon asked his to create a piece for him, to which he replied, The only thing I'll make for you is a tomb. Apparently this was not well received and he immediately emmigrated to Switzerland to avoid arrest. His son was born in Switzerland, became a banker and married a Swiss woman. It seems he was an amateur painter and without warning, he would disappear to the mountains for a month or so every few years to paint. During one of his painting excursions, his wife got fed up, took the kids and headed to America. We have one painting he did of his kids.
On my mother's side, the story goes, I'm descended from a French mosaic artist who was well known in the late 1700s. Family lore says Napoleon asked his to create a piece for him, to which he replied, The only thing I'll make for you is a tomb. Apparently this was not well received and he immediately emmigrated to Switzerland to avoid arrest. His son was born in Switzerland, became a banker and married a Swiss woman. It seems he was an amateur painter and without warning, he would disappear to the mountains for a month or so every few years to paint. During one of his painting excursions, his wife got fed up, took the kids and headed to America. We have one painting he did of his kids.
- RonKiley
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Getting more than just essential data is really fun. The sheriff in the Hillsville VA Courthouse shooting was in my wife's family. I have a 2nd Great grandfather who was a "saddleback minister" in Norfolk Ontario. I have the transcript of a sermon he delivered. I had never considered that he might speak broken english since he was of german descent. One of my great grandfathers witnessed the execution of Benedict Arnolds partner Andre. My 10th great grandfather was the Rev. John Smith a Puritan minister in Barnstable, MA. He came to Plymouth in 1630. He got into trouble with one of the other ministers because he supported freedom of religion for the Quakers. The house he had built is still standing on Cape Cod. Its called the Hoxie house and is open to tourists.
It is most interesting when you find your ancestors in the history we have studied.
Ron
It is most interesting when you find your ancestors in the history we have studied.
Ron
I've never met a whistle I didn't want.
- cowtime
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Yes, but it has been a few years. The new book I found is "The Untold Story of Frankie Silver" by Perry D. Young(another relative).Hey cowtime - have you read Sharyn McCrumb's book "The Ballad of Frankie Silver"?
It probably is as close as we will ever come to the truth about this murder.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncburke/PDYoung.htm
It is very thorough- with transcripts of every legal document from the arrest and trial, pleas to the govenor, newpaper articles from the time, etc.
My relation is to her husband, Charlie Silver.
"Let low-country intruder approach a cove
And eyes as gray as icicle fangs measure stranger
For size, honesty, and intent."
John Foster West
And eyes as gray as icicle fangs measure stranger
For size, honesty, and intent."
John Foster West
- Chiffed
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Re: How far can you get back?
Howdy, Cousin!! My adoptive family goes to back to old Bob on my Dad's side. My mother's side is a bit more difficult- not a tree, more like chickweed. I'm pretty sure I'm my own second cousin at least two ways....cowtime wrote:
Lookee, lookee!!!!
Hehee- I alus knowed I's royalty-
2 Robert III (Robert John STEWART) King Of SCOTLAND B: Abt 1337
Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland
D: 4 Apr 1406
Rothsay Castle, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland
M: 13 Mar 1365
Dispensation, , , Scotland
'dada ding ding ding ding ding ding dang...'
Happily tooting when my dogs let me.
- Charlene
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Re: How far can you get back?
"I'm my own grandpa . . . . "Chiffed wrote:Howdy, Cousin!! My adoptive family goes to back to old Bob on my Dad's side. My mother's side is a bit more difficult- not a tree, more like chickweed. I'm pretty sure I'm my own second cousin at least two ways....cowtime wrote:
Lookee, lookee!!!!
Hehee- I alus knowed I's royalty-
2 Robert III (Robert John STEWART) King Of SCOTLAND B: Abt 1337
Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland
D: 4 Apr 1406
Rothsay Castle, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland
M: 13 Mar 1365
Dispensation, , , Scotland
'dada ding ding ding ding ding ding dang...'
Charlene