Genealogy?

[No Deer]

We have traced my family tree, on my father's side, to the mid 1500's England.  Ancestors arrived in the new world in the early to mid 1600s (don't have the file here so don't know for sure).  They were blacksmiths in the mid 1600s in NH, and one of the founding families (Tilton) of Seabrook, NH.  It is our understanding that the king offered a land grant if they would stay in the area, but it got too crowded (now I know where that feeling comes from) and they moved inland to the Andover, NH area.

I participated in the Bicentennial re-enactment of the Battle of Bennington, Vt. and found out a few years later that one of my ancestors fought during that battle.  Wished I had known it when I was there for the re-enactment.

Also had a g-g uncle that was in the calvary and fought the Indians shortly after Custer's last battle.  I have a copy of a newspaper article interviewing him when he was older.  When my father was young, this uncle lived with his family. My father wishes he had listened to the stories that were being told, but as someone else said, you can't tell a 12 year old nothing   .

[No Rod]

We’ve traced my father’s side back to 1680 in France… Huguenots that were chased out of France, Switzerland, Germany and then England in 1720. They settled in the Oley Valley, Pennsylvania. They were farmers, merchants and then doctors. Even had 2 that fought in the AWI and feed the troops at Valley Forge.

[Chiefs50]

We have traced my ancestors (maternal ancestors) to 17th Century Canada.  Great Grandmother was full-blooded Odawa (raised by French family).  Grandfather's ancestors included an officer in the militia.

Mike

[W. Welshman]

My family has ,I have a post under Long-hunter that goes back a few years.Also we have gone back as far as the 15th century to Wales.

[2 Locks]

About 10 years ago I was watching a PBS program about Yosemite & there was quote from someone named Zenas Leonard, and of course the last name caught my attention.

I quick internet search led me to his Autobiography of his years as a mountain man (1831-1835).  A great read, but that's as far as it went.

Luckily my fathers family has preserved their direct lineage back to 1637 when Solomon Leonard came to the Plymouth Colony from Wales.  (with a 10 year layover in Holland)

About 4 years ago I got a one month subscription to Ancestry.com, and it was heads down research every night for a month.  I was able to confirm that the lineage my dad gave me was accurate, and I even was able to trace it back to the early 1500s in Monmouthshire. (sp?)

Then I found Zenas & worked him back until the chain met at my 6th great grandfather, making him the third cousin of my 3rd great grandfather. (I think)

It's a bit of stretch to call him a relative, but  that has been who my persona has been loosely (very loosely) based on up to now.

In some recent reading I discovered that my 4th great grandfather, Lot Leonard, served in the militia under Capt. Condict in 1775 (Mendham Twp., Morris Co., NJ).   He then served as a private in Captain James Archers Company, in the 4th class. And in the later part of the Revolutionary War served as Capt. Of Indian Spies and Rangers (1779-1783) in Washington and Greene Co., Pa.  (Pension #R6291 first rejected and later approved.)

 :shock: how cool is that! Looks like I'm gonna have to start a second persona.  This is gonna cost me big $$$