Post by: Adam Wetherington on May 30, 2012, 07:12:45 PM
Post by: 2 Locks on May 30, 2012, 07:18:29 PM
Post by: pathfinder on May 30, 2012, 11:34:02 PM
Post by: mario on May 31, 2012, 12:03:32 AM
While my wife's family has been here for quite a time (1771 in Polecat Creek, NC for example), I just celebrated the 100th anniversary of my Mom's side coming to the US (arrived in NY from Ireland a few days after the Titanic survivors) and the 50th anniversary of my Father's side (arrived in 1962 escaping Castro's Cuba).
My wife's family left no written records and my family left most of those behind, we have decided to write a family history for any further generations.
We did find out that her GGGrandfather fought as a member of the 33rd Wisconsin Infantry during the WBTS and another may have been a Unionist from Kansas (she hates it when I call her "Red-Leg" :lol:
Mario
Post by: Adam Wetherington on May 31, 2012, 06:54:19 AM
One of my Grandmother's cousins married into my wife's family but we can't quite figure out exactly how. We didn't figure it out until my grandmother and her and everyone else who would be able to shed light on it was gone but my hometown was pretty small and there was lots of marrying going on between a relatively few large families that were in the area back then...nobody stood up at our wedding and complained so I guess we aren't that close of cousins...LOL!!
Post by: Adam Wetherington on June 01, 2012, 09:33:16 AM
Pretty interesting stuff this family history research is.
Post by: huntinguy on June 02, 2012, 02:28:54 PM
That is something My daughter and I are going to work on this summer. Family tradition on my moms side says we go back that far (well, a good might farther, so they say. Never can be too sure about oral traditions).
My maternal grandmothers side was of the northern bent, maternal grandfathers side was of the southern bent... explains a lot.... :Doh! :happy
Ya just have to love history.
also, now if you want to do reenactments you have a close personal persona... super cool :hairy
Post by: rickevans on June 06, 2012, 12:30:06 PM
Post by: Riley/MN on June 06, 2012, 02:43:47 PM
Post by: mario on June 06, 2012, 03:37:08 PM
Found all sorts of stuff. Disproved a few family stories, as well.
Biggest issues for us are 1/2 my family lived for a couple generations in a Communist country (Cuba), blocking off access to a bunch of records and my wife's family didn't keep records and knows little (my FiL can't tell you his grandfather's name...) about anything.
Prepare to get the "brain pain", though. When you start finding info that contradicts itself (birth-dates, in particular), it can get mighty annoying...
Mario
Post by: rickevans on June 06, 2012, 08:28:31 PM
I come from quite a tight-lipped bunch my self. I once tried to ask my Grandad about his Pa, who was full blood native american indian type. He would NOT discuss it at all. According to my GR-Grandmother, I come from a long line of horse thieves and whiskey distillers...
Post by: huntinguy on June 07, 2012, 01:06:15 PM
how did I start all this... A phone call from the old country.
For the other side, I started emailing family and then checking public records. All of which I have done on the putter.
Once you get into the 1700's it starts getting pretty iffy. You run into is things like this http://www.famousamericans.net/johnsevier/ (http://www.famousamericans.net/johnsevier/) and his brother, or uncle, spelled the name differently...
Post by: Adam Wetherington on June 07, 2012, 03:54:35 PM
Quote from: "rickevans"
Thanks friends. Off we go....
I come from quite a tight-lipped bunch my self. I once tried to ask my Grandad about his Pa, who was full blood native american indian type. He would NOT discuss it at all. According to my GR-Grandmother, I come from a long line of horse thieves and whiskey distillers...
My GrGrGrandfather recieved a "plantation and the horse he rode off on" in his daddy's will who, interestingly recieved "a 9 year old negro boy, Cesar, to do with as he pleases" in his daddy's will.
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on July 05, 2012, 09:33:42 AM
:)
Post by: rickevans on July 05, 2012, 10:32:13 AM
Post by: oneluckymonkey on April 07, 2013, 10:26:35 AM
Quote from: "blackpowderscout"
At my wife's suggestion I perused through an old family history book we have on my Grandmother's side of the family...This thing is massive and was always a little confusing for me to figure out but this time we made good headway. Turns out, my first ancestor to come across the pond came over in 1679 from England!!! Landed in Jamestown and over the generations they moved south through the Carolinas and Georgia and finally into Florida. It's got records showing his descendant's service in NC militia companies in 1754 and militia's and the Continental Army in the Revolution and later on more descendants service including my GrGrGrandfather in the FL Cav during the War of Northern Aggression. Pretty cool! I'm a real American I reckon!
I too have ancestors from Jamestown who worked their way down through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama, on down to Florida. Interestingly though he joined the 1st Regiment U.S. cavalry during the Civil War. I found out through more research and talking with a great aunt that they tried to form up Regiments on both sides in all of the southern states and a good portion of the northern states including out west in California in the Stockton area of the central valley area where I grew up they tried to form up a Confederate Regiment.
I think of my parents marriage as the perfect storm, dads side was Pennsylvania Dutch from Lancaster County who came out the Oregon trail, homesteaded, got into gold mining for three generation and worked their way down to the Stockton area. Moms side was all southern, and my Grandfather who raised me was from Jones County, Mississippi. I sometimes have a little bit of an accent, that's why I sometimes confuse people as to where I'm from. I describe myself as having grown up in Northern California on Southern cookin, and oh yeah.......Skynyrd rocks.....
I joined the SAR a few years ago and am president of my Chapter. If you have your Rev War Ancestor documented, I'm sure the local SAR chapter where you live would love to have you, not to mention Sons of Confederate Veterans.
By the way good job on the research, It's not easy, but it's worth it.
Post by: greggholmes on April 07, 2013, 05:04:47 PM
viewtopic.php?f=67&t=18322 (http://traditionalmuzzleloadingassociation.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=18322)
Henry Holmes, an Irishman by birth, cane into this section and first located in what is now Donegal township, near the side of West Alexander. Afterwards, he was granted a Virginia certicate, dated 24 February 1780, for a tract of land called "Burnt Fiedls" situated on a branch of Robinson's Run, in this township, which was surveyed to him 21 January 1785. William, a son of Henry Holmes, married Elizabeth Davidson, and afterwards died upon the homestead, which is now owned by his grandson, Robert Holmes. Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Davidson were daughters of William Holmes.
Post by: Voyageur on April 07, 2013, 05:13:33 PM
Post by: mario on April 07, 2013, 07:24:51 PM
for sinking your sorrows and raising your joys.
For there's nothing like whiskey to make the girls frisky
and it truly separates the men from the boys..."
Mario
Post by: Hank in WV on April 07, 2013, 09:52:53 PM
Post by: greggholmes on April 09, 2013, 02:59:21 AM
Post by: greggholmes on April 09, 2013, 04:32:33 AM
viewtopic.php?f=67&t=18322 (http://traditionalmuzzleloadingassociation.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=18322)
Post by: Woodrock on May 17, 2013, 03:06:27 AM
BTW to those that are shocked at finding cousins marrying in their ancestry, and new to ancestry.....if your family has been here since the Revolution, or before there a some pretty close relationships. My first ancestor came to this country in 1632, and we have served in every conflict on both sides since then up to WWII.
Woody