Anyone related to Benjamin Franklin?

[Backyard Buddies]

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Ha ha ha. The most fun about that was freaking you out about how I figured it out.

That whole thing was fun. I had a good idea how you were doing it but I was amazed at how fast you were.

It comes from practice. I've been an Ancestry member for years. I also belong to a couple dozen genealogy lists and put in a lot of volunteer hours for other people. Besides, when you've got a bunch of farmers and miners for ancestors, it's fun to live vicariously through other people's family history.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

It would be interesting to see if any BYC members are related. I bet there are several!

 

[Kesta]

can you do mine on my moms side? my dad was adopted

 

[Backyard Buddies]

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Best thing to do is join a genealogy group like Genealogy4Dummies, a great list I belong to. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Genealogy4Dummies/ I joined it when I was first starting out in 1999. You get started by searching online for a "Family Group Sheet" and filling out what you know. Ask anyone from the older generations - who were their parents/siblings/spouses, when/where were they born, lived, died, etc. Once you get to anyone born before 1930, you've got census records to help work backwards.

G4D has many members like myself who do volunteer work. This is where I do a lot of my volunteerism but also where I learned from others how to do what I do. Additionally, there are volunteers all over the Net who are willing to help. If you show up at G4D, announce yourself and I'll be sure to say hi and help you get started.

Obtaining ones history is a long process because of the shear number of ancestors we all have. Think about it - 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 g-grandparents, 16 gg-grandparents, and so forth. Once you get started, you'll be at this for YEARS! And, it's fun.

 

[English Chick]

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Wow Great Yappy, just googled it.......

 

[HorseFeathers]

I'm not, but I have a friend who is pretty sure she's related to Mary Todd Lincon and another whose ancestor came over on the Mayflower and signed the Mayflower Compact. I'm mostly Irish, but Teas on my mom's side and there's a River Teas in England. We think there might be some connection. I'm going to try one of these days to trace back my family tree as far as I can, might be a good idea to get some of that software from the library...

 

[Lunachick]

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Wildsky - you should check out Middleton Place in Charleston, SC. DH and I went there last year and I have to say that place was a fantastic place to visit, we spent the whole day there.

Inside the Mansion has Mr. Middleton's signature behind glass. And a lot of stuff related to him. I'd say it's time for a family trip!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

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Do you know which one?

My husband also has a Mayflower Ancestor - Richard Warren. A lot of people are related to him, including numerous presidents - U.S. Grant, FDR, and other famous folk - Alan B. Shepard, Richard Gere, Sarah Palin, Orson Wells, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Henry David Thoreau according to online sources. But, with that, a word of warning that online sources can't always be trusted.