Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

[state of hockey]

Now that is fun stuff



We had someone transported for misappropriating sheep (sport in Scotland unless you got caught) and I am not so sure my GGF on Swedish side didn't leave to leave behind some nefarious dealing. He managed to get my GGM pregnant, supposedly on the boat over, and they married a few months later.

The most fun thin I found was a relative noted to be excluded fromt he church because he fathered a child and wouldn't repent. Problem was the child was with someone other than his wife! Oops

Funny, the place my GGF left was Scotland! Went to Australia with his wife and had three kids. One of which my paternal grandfather met at a USO event in New Zealand during WWII. Went back for her after the war was over and somehow convinced her to move to Minnesota. What a sucker!

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

Common law? That would be somewhat odd in the 50s/60s (I'm assuming marriage decades because I know we're about the same age).

If your family "doesn't really know about it", then how did you learn enough to be so sure about your grandfather?

Because my last name is so rare. I was the only one on Facebook for about six to eight years. Until my brother joined. Even now there are still less than a few hundred. It's a dying last name.

There are also zero other people who have ever lived in recorded history with my grandfather's name combo. I suppose it's possible, but I've searched fairly exhaustively.

[leswp1]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

Funny, the place my GGF left was Scotland! Went to Australia with his wife and had three kids. One of which my paternal grandfather met at a USO event in New Zealand during WWII. Went back for her after the war was over and somehow convinced her to move to Minnesota. What a sucker!

My Scottish relatives went to Australia, Sumatra, China (or somewhere in that area, I am forgetting now), Grand Cayman, Brazil, Canada- 4 different Provinces, a number of different states in the US. Schooling in Scotland was quite advanced and required to be provided by the Parish up to a certain age even in the most backwater places. There were a bunch of very educated people and no place for them in Scotland so there was a brain drain and Scots went all over the world.

Because my last name is so rare. I was the only one on Facebook for about six to eight years. Until my brother joined. Even now there are still less than a few hundred. It's a dying last name.

There are also zero other people who have ever lived in recorded history with my grandfather's name combo. I suppose it's possible, but I've searched fairly exhaustively.

Is it possible he didn't use that name? My GGF changed his last name and then went as Karl, Carl, Charles, and Chas without a period at the end.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

I dunno. It's in the Indiana register as his name.

Even when I expand the name search it comes up with no one.

[leswp1]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

I dunno. It's in the Indiana register as his name.

Even when I expand the name search it comes up with no one.

I have manually searched and found people because the transcription was wrong. My GGF was like a chameleon. He went from Sweden to US changed on the way. THen changed every time he moved it seemed.

You can also try draft cards- they have next of kin and addresses.

[Kepler]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

Boston or NYC?

Arizona via Oklahoma via Missouri via western Virginia. The Okie Tour de France.

[leswp1]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

SO EXCITED!!11!!!1!!

who ever posted the free Find my past link- THANK YOU!!!!

I off loaded 400 + docs without really looking to sort thru later. I just found the link to the line of the guy I have been searching for >30 yrs. w00000000000000000t!!1!!!!!! Found the grave, birth stuff of a sib I didn't know about, that they moved earlier than I thought, etc. Have to stop and go be an adult but can't wait to get back at it!

[Drew S.]

SO EXCITED!!11!!!1!!

who ever posted the free Find my past link- THANK YOU!!!!

I off loaded 400 + docs without really looking to sort thru later. I just found the link to the line of the guy I have been searching for >30 yrs. w00000000000000000t!!1!!!!!! Found the grave, birth stuff of a sib I didn't know about, that they moved earlier than I thought, etc. Have to stop and go be an adult but can't wait to get back at it!

That's very exciting, Congratulations. Did you find a link to a famous ancestor or just something you always wondered about?

[leswp1]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

That's very exciting, Congratulations. Did you find a link to a famous ancestor or just something you always wondered about?

Had one side that was supposed to have come on the 2nd Mayflower and lived in Hingham, MA- in Plymouth County. I was stuck on Wm B Whiting who the stork brought in 1845-6 and couldn't find birth or clear proof of his parents so I could not find proof of the connection. Found a sib I didn't know about with all the right stuff for parents. She was well documented. Now have death records, marriage records, gravestone in Hingham. Ran out of time earlier. STILL can't find his birth but have a bunch of documents now that flesh out his info, his parents- back to 1799 with them. Will be able to do way more but like peeling wallpaper it takes time.

[Drew S.]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

Had one side that was supposed to have come on the 2nd Mayflower and lived in Hingham, MA- in Plymouth County. I was stuck on Wm B Whiting who the stork brought in 1845-6 and couldn't find birth or clear proof of his parents so I could not find proof of the connection. Found a sib I didn't know about with all the right stuff for parents. She was well documented. Now have death records, marriage records, gravestone in Hingham. Ran out of time earlier. STILL can't find his birth but have a bunch of documents now that flesh out his info, his parents- back to 1799 with them. Will be able to do way more but like peeling wallpaper it takes time.

One of Governor Bradford's descendants married a Whiting so he might be one of your ancestors.

[leswp1]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

One of Governor Bradford's descendants married a Whiting so he might be one of your ancestors.

Hmm, I wll need to look into that. I have been adulting so haven't gotten further.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

Riddle me this. We always thought my mom's great-grandparents were children of German immigrants. And it started out that way back in 1900, but by 1920, the census records have them claiming French and Canadian ancestry.

Could this be due to WWI? Changing it to avoid discrimination against German-Americans during and after the war?

[St. Clown]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

Riddle me this. We always thought my mom's great-grandparents were children of German immigrants. And it started out that way back in 1900, but by 1920, the census records have them claiming French and Canadian ancestry.

Could this be due to WWI? Changing it to avoid discrimination against German-Americans during and after the war?

Yes, it's possible. There are cities in MN where German was the primary language spoken until WWI happened. German pubs had entire walls repainted, and until recently - the last 15 years or so - all German traces were erased except for the city name and its inhabitants' names. English became the primary language, and all of it done for two purposes. First, these people wanted to show their loyalty to their adoptive home of America. Second, there was a serious anti-German sentiment sweeping through the Midwest at the time, largely because of the large number of German families that settled here over the prior few generations.

[Drew S.]

Re: Geneology Thread: Where did we come from?

Riddle me this. We always thought my mom's great-grandparents were children of German immigrants. And it started out that way back in 1900, but by 1920, the census records have them claiming French and Canadian ancestry.

Could this be due to WWI? Changing it to avoid discrimination against German-Americans during and after the war?

Was 1920 a one off or did they keep using those in future years? It might be a neighbor or someone else who answered the person doing the census that year.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Was 1920 a one off or did they keep using those in future years? It might be a neighbor or someone else who answered the person doing the census that year.

By 1930, great-great-grandma was widowed, so he's no longer listed. She, however still claims Canadian parentage.