Family tree

[Vonny]

Just wondering if anyone here has ever traced their family tree? I started tracing mine a year or more back but what with moving house and having the girls to contend with it's kind of taken a back seat. Dug out my notes this week though & am trying to get stuck back in - hence the planned visit this week to Burton Bradstock to trawl the graveyards My daughter will enjoy this as previously mentioned! Was amused to find out that one of my relatives from the 19th century was jailed for smuggling

[Mrs C.]

My father`s done a lot of research into our family tree, mostly from talking to members of the family, digging out old photos etc, and somehow has managed to find (or be found by!) distant relations via internet - I think it may be through Genes Reunited or something like that.
I`m not sure how far back he`s managed to get, but I know he`s spent a long time studying records on websites.

[Mid A 15]

Just wondering if anyone here has ever traced their family tree? I started tracing mine a year or more back but what with moving house and having the girls to contend with it's kind of taken a back seat. Dug out my notes this week though & am trying to get stuck back in - hence the planned visit this week to Burton Bradstock to trawl the graveyards My daughter will enjoy this as previously mentioned! Was amused to find out that one of my relatives from the 19th century was jailed for smuggling

Yep, I started doing mine, made the mistake of taking Mrs Mid A to a geneaology fair and we now spend an inordinate amount of time doing hers whilst mine has taken something of a back seat

I warn you now, although you've probably discovered this for yourself already, it gets compulsive and expensive

It's very satisfying when you find unknown relatives though, some of whom can be anywhere in the world.

[Katharine]

My mother has an unusual maiden name - Jeacle. She was well into her 80s before she met anyone outside her immediate nuclear family with the name. A man had knocked on her door and greeted her with the news that he was Karl Jeacle, and had been given her name and addres by her sister.

He has traced the family back to Queen Anne's time, they were part of a group of Protestants brought from the Palatinate in Germany to Southern Ireland to strengthen the Protestants there. Ironically, Karl's branch come from Dublin, a few generations back someone had married a Catholic and had been lost to the family. Mother did know that this had happened but it wasn't to be talked about.

I find this very interesting but haven't succumbed to genealogy (yet!)

[jhopgood]

I was lucky in that I have a family bible that goes back to 1820, and via the internet I got a tree that took me back to 1784. I have an uncle with time on his hands to trawl the national censi and get me birth and marriage certificates back as far as he can (I got marriage and birth certificates from 1784 etc from Maidstone) so I have got back a little way but am stuck on how to go further.
I did all of this in a burst on activity some 3 years ago, but having done the easy bit, have put things on the back burner.
I went round a churchyard in Boughton Monchelsea, but came to the conclusion that my ancestors were probably too poor to get in.
It has been interesting as it has put me in touch with relatives in Australia, where one ancestor has his story written on his tombstone, and on my mother's side, people in Canada.
It can get addictive as I have a friend with the uncommon name of White, who is struggling to get past his great grandfather and spends days scrutinising microfiches.
The problem is that having done all the work, many relatives only have a passing interest in the results.

[Vonny]

I've only joined up to one site so far & that's Genes Connected. I had two people contact me over a year ago through GC - one seemed to be related to me in some way and I am pretty certain the other wasn't. A friend of mine who is into genealogy was a member of several sites and printed off a few bits & pieces from these that have been a help including a couple of lists of household members, ages & professions from the 1800's. What I really need to do is start connecting all the names I have because as at the moment I have lots of names but there is no chain of how they are related. It's going to take time - my dad has/d 13 siblings so I think I have my work cut out.

[sejintenej]

Back to the late 1600's for certain on my blood mother's side, nothing on my father's side at all.
That said, we have only some of the proofs considered necessary for a particular relatively recent (early 1900's) connection to be proven - if we can get that one then we have one line back to Viking Denmark via 1066 invasion.

Trouble is that all the worthwhile records are in terrorist country and I don't want to risk the lives of family members currently there.

[sejintenej]

I was lucky in that I have a family bible that goes back to 1820, and via the internet I got a tree that took me back to 1784. I have an uncle with time on his hands to trawl the national censi and get me birth and marriage certificates back as far as he can (I got marriage and birth certificates from 1784 etc from Maidstone) so I have got back a little way but am stuck on how to go further.

A bit difficult from Valencia but for the benefit of others, the Mormon temples are a marvellous resource and their staff most helpful and knowledgeable. (BTW - their own rules forbid their talking about their religion unless you raise the subject and they merely ask for a donation. If they get records from elsewhere on special order there is a nominal fee).

[jhopgood]

I was lucky in that I have a family bible that goes back to 1820, and via the internet I got a tree that took me back to 1784. I have an uncle with time on his hands to trawl the national censi and get me birth and marriage certificates back as far as he can (I got marriage and birth certificates from 1784 etc from Maidstone) so I have got back a little way but am stuck on how to go further.

A bit difficult from Valencia but for the benefit of others, the Mormon temples are a marvellous resource and their staff most helpful and knowledgeable. (BTW - their own rules forbid their talking about their religion unless you raise the subject and they merely ask for a donation. If they get records from elsewhere on special order there is a nominal fee).

My uncle uses the Mormons in London, but I believe the Ancestry.com web site uses the mormon records. To get full use you have to subscribe, but you can put up your family tree for all to see.
Any favourite software to use? I use Legacy.
BTW
I believe that only the Mormons are allowed in their temples. I managed to get in the one in Guatemala before it was consecrated. It can't have made much of an impression as I just remember it as another modern large church.

[sejintenej]

My uncle uses the Mormons in London, but I believe the Ancestry.com web site uses the mormon records. To get full use you have to subscribe, but you can put up your family tree for all to see.
Any favourite software to use? I use Legacy.
BTW
I believe that only the Mormons are allowed in their temples. I managed to get in the one in Guatemala before it was consecrated. It can't have made much of an impression as I just remember it as another modern large church.

Sorry; I should have made clear that many temples have a Family History Centre(er) attached which anyone can enter.

I used Brothers Keeper before I passed it over to my cousin. I think he still uses it.

I can't remember the abbreviation for the Mormon records - IFG or something like that. My local UK library has a full set of the UK CDs (as do many other main libraries and also the Family History Centre (previously St Catherine's House) now near the Angel, Islington (another marvellous resource for those in London with full birth, death and marriage lists since they were started, censuses etc. So far as I am aware these are all free of charge.
OK so on the 'net you might have to pay.

[mr tall]

What you are all looking for is IGI - the International Genealogical Index. It is free to use on and off line. You will find copies at all public archives and at http://www.familysearch.org/ where you can search to your hearts desire. If you use it, you will have to move to ther sets of records as it doesn't necessarily tell you what you want to know.

Why is it free, I hear you cry?

Well, the Mormons have to prove that everyone is saved by tracing their ancestry back to the twelve tribes of Israel so we can all be saved (or something like that) and to enable them to record all records contained in church registers etc. they agreed that the records would be available to everyone free of charge.

What a very good idea!

Of course, our very own National Archive at Kew for which we pay our taxes etc etc makes all the census records available for ..... free?? Oh no, you have to pay! Even though it is a criminal offence not to fill in their forms and you have already paid through your taxes etc etc.

Having said that, it is not expensive if you plan your session and I managed to trace my father's family back to Cambridgeshire in the 1830s in a short afternoon at the keyboard. Just ask all your aged relatives for information about their aged relatives, get as much written down before they drop off the proverbial, it makes it much easier.

Have fun!

Andrew

[Mid A 15]

This site can sometimes be useful.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

[Vonny]

Thanks both - having a look at these sites now.

[J.R.]

I have the family tree on my Father's side back to 1630 !

There are now many BRANCH'S.

(Titters into coffee cup !)

[Vonny]

Well last night I googled a name in my family & found a forum where someone had posted in March about the same name. I replied to their post and within minutes I had an email back And what's more the woman is related to me and has emailed me a copy of a family tree containing loads of names and dates I was trying to find out! Very pleased as this has saved me a fair bit of work.