Anyone into Genealogy? I went 12 generations back!

[OlliOlliOlli]

My mom has been researching her family for over 20 years. She could never get the whole story until 3 days ago. A new death certificate was released for her long-lost grandfather, which told her who his parents were.

A new name appeared in our family line since we knew who his mother was. Interestingly also, we also found out we had more ethnicities than we thought. I started researching the name...come to find out, everyone with the name comes from one main patriarch in 1530 in England. There were pictures of the manor in Surrey, too. I found my entire family tree on my mother's grandfather's side including all my relatives, back 12 generations to my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents. I did some more research and also found newspaper anecdotes as far back as the early 1700s about their lives. They were once prominent and wealthy...what the heck happened? LOL

I also found out I am 1/32 Irish, which amuses us because we are predominantly Italian-American but have brown hair with a very heavy copper-red cast

People were always asking my mother about her hair color. When I got older and got out of my hair-dying phase in my teens, my hair grew in this coppery auburn deep brown.

Genealogy is fun! I would like to do more research now! It gets expensive and time consuming, I've been warned. I've got all summer

 

[lux_interior]

that sounds awesome! I wish I had time and money for that, it would be very interesting, I had a grandfather who was adopted... congrats on your findings!!

 

[English Chick]

This sounds so interesting, I have a cousin who is currently tracing the family roots, but has hit a dead end at the moment, there are none many of the old old relatives left to pass the stories onto us........ but he will keep on trying.....keep the board informed it is fascinating!......

 

[Katy]

I used to do a lot, but lately haven't had the time to.

 

[gwennym]

I do a lot more genealogy in the winter, since outdoor work takes center stage the other 3 seasons here in Southern Illinois, but I do subscribe to Ancestry.com and have memberships in many genealogy groups throughout the US and in Germany. I have my father's patriarchal side back roughly 12 generations as well, with my dead end, so far, in Essex, England. Once you get to a certain point, there just aren't a lot of written records.

I have a great time searching and have found a cousin in Michigan from my mother's matriarchal side.....and we share a LOT of similar hobbies.

Gwen

 

[Mourningdove]

Congrats on your findings! Genealogy can be expensive, time consuming and yes addicting! I have spent many years, countless hours doing mine. My searching also started with 20+ years of moms efforts. I have also went and met family in other states as well as cemetary hopping as it's called. I too have traced a grandfathers family(my dads) side and found when the 3 brothers came to America in 1738 from Lancaster England! I wonder if any family exist there today! This is just 1 family line that I have found!
Do you know about all the genealogy sites out there?

 

[TammyTX]

Quote:
I have been interested in this too. Hey the name you were researching didn't start w/an 'H' did it?? I think there was an Earl or something in Surrey with my maiden name.

 

[AHappychick]

I tried to do that many years ago. the search ended when I got passed my great, great grandparents since all records were burned in fires during the war with Armenia and Turkey. Very cool that you were able to go back so far

 

[joebryant]

I spent more than 40 years doing my genealogy, and so did my wife and mother-in-law. I finally quit about six years ago after my having gone back to the sixth century. Sure wish that I had had enough sense to interview all my older relatives when I was young and they were still alive. Talk about "hindsight".

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

I am kinda interested in it. Since I live with my grandmother I am always asking her stuff so I know tons about her side. Basically what I have so far is interesting.

I know that my fathers mother has lots of countries in her background. Her mother was from Germany and her father was from Scotland. Her fathers last name is McDonald and he was related to the first Prime Minister of Canada - Sir John McDonald who was a creep, he married a first cousin.

Then I dont know much about my dads fathers side. The last name is Baker and I know that they had enough money so that my grandfather and his brother never had to lift a finger in their lives. They bred toy fox terriers big time. Somewhere in his background there was an Indian (from India) princess,I always forget what they are called. So anyway on that side I am 1/32 Indian, the rest is English with alittle Irish in there I think.

I have no clue about anything on my mothers side, her parents never talked much about it. It is odd/creepy kinda because my moms mothers maiden name was Baker, I think a couple branches of my family tree might be connected.

I often wonder if there is any Slavic people in my lineage because lots of people have told me I look Russian or some other Slavic peoples.