hunting for family in the 1700s
By savypat
@savypat (20216)
United States
October 30, 2011 11:09am CST
I do genealogy and have found my family back to the late 1700 in New York, however trying to get beyond that number is an uphill battle, there are no family bibles that would show family records, we have found no church records either. My family were farmers and pioneers so written records are few and far between. The family stories that were handed down prove to be just that stories with if not false basis
at least no proof. No one at the present time in this family really cares, but I love the hunt so it's a cool hobby and keeps my mind alive. Now we have DNA studies and that really takes apart a family tree. Hubby found a whole family who if the truth had been known would have had a totally different last name. As you can guess that didn't make them happy, but those things are happening more and more, can't you just see how your family would react if they found out GGGrandpa spread his seed and created a whole family, under another mans' name. If there was any money involved it could, even at this late date get really messy. Love a mystery.
2 people like this
3 responses
@inertia4 (27961)
• United States
31 Oct 11
I keep saying that one day I will go to a genealogy website and search for my family roots. But I never get around to it. I hope to do it when I get some extra money. I know those sites charge to this. So, when I get some extra money I would love to do this. I wonder what I will find.
@mr_pearl (5018)
• India
30 Oct 11
Wow... That is really a great hobby.. I wish I could do that too, but I am sure I'd not be able to go beyond the 1850s.. It is hard to find the records here, because in those simple days no one thought of documenting these things... :(
Good Luck!!
1 person likes this
@savypat (20216)
• United States
30 Oct 11
If you have a strong family of story tellers you might be surprised how far back you can go. Most cultures have some way of keeping family history, many times it's only the male side. Some times it just in the names, they may go back several generations.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
31 Oct 11
I do genealogy too, and I agree that it is completely fascinating. Australia has limited history to reseacrh, so one needs to go back to England, Ireland or Scotland. If of Aboriginal descent, the options are even fewer, seeing as many aboriginal people were made to take on white names, like my g-grandmother.
It tuned out my g-g-grandfather was a convict, who were the original settlers of
australia. This used to be a secret in our family.There were lots of secrets in our family as it turned out.
In Ireland I was able to go back as far as around 1840, but after that is impossible as a big fire a long time ago destroyed lots of records.
Are you gong to record y0our family history in a printable version? That is what I am aim to do soon.
