Author Topic: Genealogy  (Read 610 times)

Offline Ripsnort

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« on: April 06, 2006, 08:10:11 AM »
Is anyone into genealogy? I'm looking to update a family genealogy book that has been kept in the family for centuies, recently updated in 1983, (was typed out on a typewrite and this thing is 1" thick! It was updated from a manuscript at that time). It seems that a couple hundred years ago, before Al Gore invented the internet...this has been a past time of my relatives, to keep maticulous records of our family tree and document them.

I'm finding this very interesting and I want to continue the tradition of updating this with my immediate families information.

On my Dad's side, in the 1800's the family came over from Stockholm, Sweden, on my Mom's side, from England  around 1680.

Our family tree on my mothers side is traced back to 1457, of a man named John Fynlay (quoting the booklet "there were many spellings of "Fynley", the original name was spelled Finleigh. It has also been spelled Finley, Findley. The first communion of the Church of Scotland was held at the Finley's town house and the family drinking cups were used for the occasion. )

More recently, William Thompson, born 1755 and died in 1797, served as a captain in Cuberland Company Militia, in 1776. He was with Washingtons army during the cold winter of 1777-1778 and was at White Plain and Valley Forge. He was in the battle of Brandywine and escaped without harm.

All this information was maticulously kept by my relatives over the centuries, and references to archieves back up the claims (Such as reference to " See pages 4,6,27,40,630, 641 in Volume 6, Fifty Series, Pennsylvania Archieves.)

I found a very sombering section of how my ancestors lived in this particular section of our history, as quoted by Rachel A. Craig Brown, who was born in 1841, and captured this Sketch of family history from 1803 to 1925. Here are just some highlites, I won't bore you with all the details:

Quote
In the year 1802, when this part of Ohio was considered safe from indian depredations, four men of Washington Company, Penn.--William and Robert Moore, and John and William Craig (Lineage from the Craig family tree dating back to 1693) came into the Ohio wilderness, a distance of forty or fifty miles, to buy land for future homes (This made no mention of whom they were buying the land from) They came afoot, during the administration of Thomas Jefferson, and bought a section of land, in one body, and each took one quarter. I remember seeing the deed, yellow by age, signed by Thomas Jefferson, and that same deed could be easily found now, in the transfers of one hundred and twenty three years.

John Craig, after building a log home, returned to retrieve his wife (my grandfather and grandmother). My grandparents came horseback, carrying their year old little daughter (my mother) on their knees, to make home in the dense forest. There were no roads except as the settlers marked them out by cutting chips from the big trees along the trail. They called it "Blazing a trail". The had no wagons, for wheeled vehicles could not pass between the tall close-set trees. The Ohio Rivers boats were the only method of transportation, and the river was twenty miles from the farm.

They brought with them, three cows and a man to help drive the, also some horese to pack bedding, provisions and a few necessary cooking utensils, not forgetting the all important axe!. There was no door to the cabin, when grandmother came. The fireplace extended almost across the length of one end of the room. A fire, once kindled by friction, indian fashion, was not supposed to ever go out. Everyone did not possess the skill to make fire in this way, and woe to the luckless wife who let the house fire to cease burn, for the she had to borrow coals from a neighbor, perhaps a mile or two away, carrying the coals in iron kettle, covered in ashes. There were no matches in those days and no cookstoves. All the cooking for the big families was done in those huge fireplaces.

They had no mills, no bridges, no town, no school, no church, nothing nearer than the river, excpet a few scattered pioneers like themselves.

When flour or meal ran scarce, they ground corn for "mush" in little hand mills or coffee mills.The cattle ate the tender growth of young trees and bushes and what grass they could grow among the trees. The pigs fattened on acorns from the oak trees. The maples furnished them with sugar. Nature opened up here storehouses to the, and with health, courage and indomiatable industry they lived and each year gone by saw them more comfortable. Whe a little land was cleared of timber and brush, they raised their corn and a ptach of flax, which women made into linen clothing and bedding.

Every man was a rail-splitter. The axes were heavy and kept sharp. The axe handles were made of the hardest and firmest dry wood, and by constant use became smooth as glass, and were known at times to slip out of the hands and cause accidents. To avoid this, the woodmens had a remedy, they spat on their hands.


These are just snippets! This thing is a book! Very interesting read.

Offline moot

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« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2006, 08:22:22 AM »
Cool :)
Wish I could see/do mine..   Father is half Incan, half Venezuelan Spanish settler, and mother is half French (Brittany), half Creole (Reunion Isl.).
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Offline Whisky58

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« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2006, 08:29:08 AM »
Interesting stuff.

You're a lucky man to have documentation going back to 15th century.  Most attempts by my family to trace ancestory have been foiled by poor records, name changes, different spelling of same name, destroyed records or partners out of wedlock.  Difficult to get beyond early 19th century.

Always a sobering eye-opener to read how people lived (& died!) in past times :aok

Regards
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Offline DREDIOCK

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« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2006, 08:29:15 AM »
Purdy dern cool.

I love reading stuff like that.
You can almost picture on your minds eye the goings on of the day.
The sounds of chopping wood and sounds of the wagons, their contents rattleing about and the wheels bumping accross what isnt yet but may through use eventually may become paths, then roads.

Same thing when I go to a really old building or place where something of note has happened.
If its real quiet and you relax your mind. Yoiu can almost hear little snippets of conversations small reminants of sounds and goings on from hundreds of years earlier as if trapped in a perpetual echo for all those years.

Yea i know its all part of the imagination.
Still pretty cool though
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Offline Ripsnort

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« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2006, 08:36:09 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Whisky58
Interesting stuff.

You're a lucky man to have documentation going back to 15th century.  Most attempts by my family to trace ancestory have been foiled by poor records, name changes, different spelling of same name, destroyed records or partners out of wedlock.  Difficult to get beyond early 19th century.

Always a sobering eye-opener to read how people lived (& died!) in past times :aok

Regards


From around 1780 and back, most of the data is taken from official archieves, there are a bunch of footnotes, etc. of which I won't even pretend to understand what those manuscripts and documents are...

Certainly makes you feel fortunate to live like we do!

Offline Chairboy

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« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2006, 08:40:56 AM »
I imagine that a couple hundred years from now, my descendants will look back at the hardship I endured.  "I don't think he even managed to vacation on Mars, if you'll believe that.  Great-great-grandpa Ben's land conveyance could barely do 300kph, if you'll believe that.  I can't imagine what life without a ztlorp or puzacheng would be like, probably pretty rough.  How did they even LIVE back then?!"

Very cool, rip, thanks for sharing!
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Offline Ripsnort

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« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2006, 08:46:45 AM »
In this section, one of our relatives was condemned to be burned in Rome!

John Craig was a man of considerable learning and singular abilities. He was born about the year 1512 and having obtained a good education, removed to England and became a tutor to the children of Lord Dacre. In consequence of war arising between that country and Scotland, he returned home and entered a Dominican Monestary, and being suspect of Heresy, was cast into prison and kept there for a time.  On obtaining his liberty, he travled first to England and France then removed to Rome where he was in favor with Cardinal Pole that he was approached to instruct novices of the Dominican cloister at Bologna.  Here being advanced to the rectorate he had access to the library and openly professed the Protestant doctrines. He was sent to Rome and tried and condemned to be burned, but Pope Paul IV, having died the day before his intended execution, the people broke open all the prisons and set the prisoners free.  John Craig escaped  to Vienna and obtained some favor at the Court of Maixmillian II, but the news of his being there reached Rome and the Pope demanded his surrender. The emporer, however, instead of complying, gave Craig a safe conduct out of Germany.  He now returned to Scotland and was appointed the marriage of Queen Mary and Bothwell contrary to the world of God, he, while holding this position, boldly refused to proclaim the bond.  He was the writer of "National Convenant" and signed by the King and his household in 1580, and complied "Craigs Catachism"  He died in 1600 when over 88 years old. (From the Scots Worthies and Chambers, Vol. 4, page 705)

Offline DREDIOCK

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« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2006, 08:51:21 AM »
What little I know of my family
I know my Great grand mother Fathers side was an Irish showgirl from Belfast who left she said "escaped" Ireland by dressing up my grand uncle as a girl because some groups was killing the Irish Baby boys (havent been able to find out much of this event)

Also on my fathers side I know my great Grandfather from Puerto Lemon spain  moved with my grandfather to Costa Rica where they had a Bananna Plantation when my grandfather was small back in the late 1800's.
Eventually the family went into financial ruin when a blight wiped them out

Going from stories that have been handed down. I am told that one of my ancestors went off to some Island in searh of gold and was never heard from again and another was a privateer (Pirate) back around the late 1700's  or early 1800's

Again these are stories that have been handed down to my grandfather by his and he to me

What I do know is in reality the last name I use "Mendez" is only part of my last name and in reality my last name is "Rois Mendez" and that only the malke members of my family carry the "Rois" portion of it.
Dont know the reason or meanig behind it and its merely a tradition now I have passed onto my son

I dont know much about my great grandmother other then she was from England

On my mothers side I know even less. My Great grandfather was an immigrant of German/ Prussian mix and one of my ancestors was supposedly a high ranking officer in the prussan army.
My grantmother on my mothers sides father came from Budapest and her mother from Slovakia.

I wish I had the finacial resources to have my family researched in depth. Particularly my fathers side
Death is no easy answer
For those who wish to know
Ask those who have been before you
What fate the future holds
It ain't pretty

Offline Ripsnort

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« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2006, 08:52:22 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Chairboy
I imagine that a couple hundred years from now, my descendants will look back at the hardship I endured.  "I don't think he even managed to vacation on Mars, if you'll believe that.  Great-great-grandpa Ben's land conveyance could barely do 300kph, if you'll believe that.  I can't imagine what life without a ztlorp or puzacheng would be like, probably pretty rough.  How did they even LIVE back then?!"

Very cool, rip, thanks for sharing!
:rofl :rofl I was thinking the same thing...."They actually had to TYPE out their messages when communicating with computers! Can you imagine the callouses they must have had on their fingers!"
:rofl

Offline Ripsnort

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« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2006, 08:54:38 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by DREDIOCK
What little I know of my family
I know my Great grand mother Fathers side was an Irish showgirl from Belfast who left she said "escaped" Ireland by dressing up my grand uncle as a girl because some groups was killing the Irish Baby boys (havent been able to find out much of this event)

Also on my fathers side I know my great Grandfather from Puerto Lemon spain  moved with my grandfather to Costa Rica where they had a Bananna Plantation when my grandfather was small back in the late 1800's.
Eventually the family went into financial ruin when a blight wiped them out

Going from stories that have been handed down. I am told that one of my ancestors went off to some Island in searh of gold and was never heard from again and another was a privateer (Pirate) back around the late 1700's  or early 1800's

Again these are stories that have been handed down to my grandfather by his and he to me

What I do know is in reality the last name I use "Mendez" is only part of my last name and in reality my last name is "Rois Mendez" and that only the malke members of my family carry the "Rois" portion of it.
Dont know the reason or meanig behind it and its merely a tradition now I have passed onto my son

I dont know much about my great grandmother other then she was from England

On my mothers side I know even less. My Great grandfather was an immigrant of German/ Prussian mix and one of my ancestors was supposedly a high ranking officer in the prussan army.
My grantmother on my mothers sides father came from Budapest and her mother from Slovakia.

I wish I had the finacial resources to have my family researched in depth. Particularly my fathers side


Why not do it yourself? If you have living relatives, speak with them and start taking notes.

I've been "passed the torch" by my mother, so I'm in the process of updating this information with our immediate family, particularly my wifes side of her family.

Offline Mickey1992

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« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2006, 08:54:59 AM »
Get it all in digital form (if you have not already).  I use Family Tree Maker.  RootsWeb.com was the best place to find distant relatives until they got asimilated by the all-evil ancestry.com.

I have traced my Swedish ancestors back to the mid-1600 with the help of a professional there.  Unfortunately most Irish records before 1830 are lost, so I have only been able to go back to around 1820.  German and English back to early 1800s as well.

It is really amazing how much data is now out on the web.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2006, 10:32:13 AM by Mickey1992 »

Offline Roscoroo

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« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2006, 08:57:38 AM »
my family's been here long also Rip

Most of them came over in these years
1736 /1756 /1850's  according to The "Fam Bible" dated 1606 or something like that .  They came to WA and settled yakima.(one of my Family burial  plots is  the oldest in the cemetary there   . then over here in Edmonds  I'll have to go see if our book is under glass again in the library there or if my Moms got it again .  
Its pritty cool . and its sort of like a ship log book as for it has all important dates, births,wedd's, moves, ect written in it by all my relatives ... back thru time to the early 1600's .

(Hide the poles  was one of my  Great great aunts biggist worries  she thought we were polish and it really effected her ... when it was romanian the whole time .. )

I hit all my relatives up for family tree history  and ive got most of it luckily  . (Along with being the "Next"  inline for Keeper of the Book  helped )

Did you have any of the name changing going on in yours during the late 1600's  and then again in the mid 1800's ???
  I always thought it was wierd that Thousands of familys did that to protect themselfs from meaningless persicution . wether you were jewish/polish / Celtic/romanian/scottish  ect   ...  if you wanted into the U.S. you better have the right family tree /name or else .

some pritty interesting stuff can be found out if ya like history  :D


also Rip you may have all your Family females direct line for "Daughters of the Revolution"  My Mom and Sister are in that society and its got alot of history  that can be searched too.
Roscoroo ,
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Offline Goomba

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« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2006, 08:58:49 AM »
That's some pretty cool stuff, Rip.  Like Dred, I also enjoy that sense of connection to the past you can get.  Especially when you can read the actual words and thoughts of your own family, from so long ago.

My family came over from Sicily 2 generations ago.  We've been able to get as far back as identifying two of the ships some of my ancestors were aboard (saw them on the manifests), as well as a citizenship document, on my father's side, from the 1800's.

Unfortunately, it's particularly difficult to trace Italian backgrounds, as the record keeping was so poor, especially for peasants like us!  I understand that the Italians really don't understand the fascination we have anyway, so things really take a lot of time.

With such a comprehensive legacy, I'd hazard that you should not only pursue a proper update vigorously, but you might even be said to have a duty to the family to come.  I hope you follow through.

Just an interesting story of my own;  After my paternal grandmother died, we were going through the usual task of sorting a loved ones last effects.  We found, as you would imagine, stacks of old photos of family.  The one that stood out to me was a terrific shot of a tall, proud mustachioed man in WWI, US Army uniform...complete with jodphurs and leggings...standing in front of his pup tent with his rifle.  Picture is what, 90-ish years old?

Well, the thing that made this more than just another old family photo?

The guy in the picture, for all intents and purposes...was me!  Even my wife went pale for a moment, and said it out loud before I did.

Kinda very cool , and very freaky at the same time.

Stick with it, and good luck!

Offline DREDIOCK

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« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2006, 09:08:27 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Ripsnort
Why not do it yourself? If you have living relatives, speak with them and start taking notes.

I've been "passed the torch" by my mother, so I'm in the process of updating this information with our immediate family, particularly my wifes side of her family.


I've had this conversation with my mother.
One of my motheres great regreats is that she didnt enquire more from my grandparents then she did. Unfortunately all my grandparents have passed on as well as my father.
Death is no easy answer
For those who wish to know
Ask those who have been before you
What fate the future holds
It ain't pretty

Offline Roscoroo

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« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2006, 09:15:30 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by DREDIOCK
I've had this conversation with my mother.
One of my motheres great regreats is that she didnt enquire more from my grandparents then she did. Unfortunately all my grandparents have passed on as well as my father.



I was very lucky to get tons of genology from my grands and great greats . But along with that I also have done all the memorials and Ash requests ... I was the Fix it boy for all of them during their twilight yrs .
Roscoroo ,
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