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I've been researching my family tree for over 60years. My brick wall is a widow and two sons in York. ME in 1744. Her husband may have been Nathaniel, as that is the name of their oldest son and his son. This follows a Scots-Irish naming pattern. By DNA, I am Scots-Irish. I have extensively researched in New England (MA & ME), Scotland and Ireland. I am the Co-Administrator of the House of Gordon DNA Project. I look forward to hearing from fellow Gordons and other Scots-0Irish and Scots. On my mother's side, I'm pure Irish, albeit from Armagh in N, Ireland,

Cheers, Jim Gordon

Hi, I'm Holly Hansen, president of Family History Expos. We sponsor events all over the United States where genealogists and family historians come together to meet professionals, national speakers, top exhibits, and each other. We have a great time and look forward to meeting each of you at an upcoming event sometime soon! Check out our full list of events for 2011 online at http://FamilyHistoryExpos.com.

 

I love research, teaching, and sharing with everyone who is looking for new discoveries too.

 

Have a great day!

I have a brick wall that I have had over 30 years. According to my Aunt who had the family bible William C. Baldwin was born29 Jan 1817. He married Margaret Caroline Pickens 6 Feb. 1842 in Fayette County, Tennessee. In checking the census records of Fayette Co, Tennessee, William C. Baldwin was born in Tennessee. His wife, Mississippi. I learn that Margaret Pickens is the daughter of Robert B. Pickens and Nancy Flint. Robert marries as his second wife Hespibeth. They are listed next to my William C. Baldwin and wife, Margaret in 1850 Fayette Co, Tenn.  I later learn they are also listed in the 1850 Independance County, Arkansas and William has been listed as been born in Alabama. His next door neighbor there is his wife's brother. No Baldwins around. In 1860, He is listed in Van Buren County, Ark born in Alabama. In 1870. he is in White County, Arkansas, also listed as being born in Alabama. So, three census has Alabama, one has Tenn. I am thinking the one in Tennessee his in-laws that that information, as he was already in Arkansas. I have papers where his youngest daughter, Josephine goes to Court 18 Feb. 1879 to claim her father's land. The mortality records says he died in Dec. 1879. I will believe the court records. One of his sons death record lists him as Carroll Baldwin, so I am sure it is William Carroll Baldwin. Because he was never surrounded by Baldwins, I have never been able to locate siblings or parents. I have checked church records but they don't have them for that time period. Alabama does not have census records until 1830 by that time there is so many Baldwins it is hard to weed them out. I am not sure what to do

Karen,

I feel like I'm in good company. We know these people existed because we wouldn't be here otherwise. I have managed to find one person who could be related to me if my George D Perkins was the son of Berry Wright Perkins. George had two sisters and one Sarah Perkins married a Thomas Andrew Nash. William Perkins Nash (a decendant) wrote a book called Eighteen Generations of Ancestors of William Perkins Nash. He is deceased but I managed (with help) to find a nephew. Dead end...  The book is on micro film at Salt Lake City and I ordered it. It is almost impossible to read and the best way to make a copy is by camera. Trying to get a good picture to read is very hard indeed! I'm off to our local Family Center to try again.

Anybody out there a Nash? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get decent pictures from micro film?

Am keeping my fingers crossed for you

Judy 

Judy:
I am glad you got that far. Hopefully you will find more.

I live in the UK .   I have always wanted to research my ancestry, and this is where I am so grateful for the Internet.  Without it and the people I have met through it, I don't think I would have got anywhere, let alone as to where I am now.  I have traced back 24 generations of one branch of my family.

 

I have also had family lore to go on, however although there was a kernel of truth in it, it was very misplaced.

 

I have been researching since 2006 and I don't think I'll be shaking off this addiction anytime soon.

 

I look forward to exchanging info with everyone here.  

It is a wonderful tool, the internet. Yes, Genealogy is addictive. But a word of caution. Some people will put anything down to fill in the blanks of their family tree. I have ran into people who have parents birthdates sixty years after their children were born. I had seen people who have children being born to a mother who was 60 years old.

Today, with technology, it is possible, but, back then women fifty or older usually died having children. Most of them went through the change of life in their 40's because of all the hard work.

With you living in the UK, it would be hard to find real documents to verify if what you found on the internet is accurate. Especially that tree you traced back 24 generations. I hope you meet some wonderful people that can help you. hope you never get tired of genealogy. It's a great hobby.

I have been doing family history research for about 25 years.  Right now I am working on my one American line which goes back through Iowa, Wisconsin and New York to New England with a branch into Ohio and Maryland.  Most of my ancestors immigrated from Ireland directly to Upper Canada/Canada West/Ontario.  I find Irish research very frustrating.  I also have a Welsh great grandfather from Brecon, Wales.

 

My offspring are profoundly disinterested in genealogy.  Perhaps it was too many visits to cemeteries in their childhood. My husband is still willing to go on family history expeditions with me.

 

Lois Sparling

Calgary, Alberta

Genealogy is indeed addictive - but integrity must be maintained at all costs! Resist that temptation to fill in the blanks.
II agree with you.

It takes a little while to resist copying other peoples trees.  I had always wanted to do my tree but remember as a child my Great Aunt, visiting archives, writing it all down on paper and it all seemed like too much work.  When I got the family tree software it was so exciting to see a little leaf wiggling with a hint.  It was oooh I can copy all of their relatives and get as far back as possible.  Then I discovered the absolute joy of census docs and realised that a lot of hints were absolute rubbish.  It is frustrating as a UK person that I can really only definitely be sure of stuff back to 1840 but I prefer knowing that where I have gone back to six or seven generations that I do have evidence.  I still look at hints, more for amusement and also to think neugh neugh I have more evidence than you or I know you have got that bit wrong.  But on the other hand, suggesting "blanks" is a good tool.  When you can't find someone, especially women, adding a marriage to "unknown" can help.  Though I do prefer male relatives!!

 

And integrity is expensive!  I've spent too much on birth n wedding certs confirming things!

That is true, Genealogy is expensive, but think of all the correct information you have in your tree. I myself copied others trees. But I do look at dates. If someone has a child being born 60 years before the parents birthdate, I will not copy that tree. Nor will I copy one that has a mother living in 1850 (or other dates, where she is at least 50 and up and someone has a child that would have been born when she was over 50. Back then they did not have children at 50 and over it would have killed them. Because of the hard life they lived women went through menopause in their 40's. 50 is pushing it, and 60 was impossible. So those things is something to look at. Also if you see a family with 16 kids all attached to the same mother. Look at the age of the mother when the last child was born if she was over 50 at the time of the child's birth and if she was, the man's first wife might have died and he may have married again. Perhaps with the same first name as the first wife. If there is at least a six year gap between children's ages, it is a sure bet there is another wife somewhere.

Check to see if there are websites for the places you are looking for. Have you checked Cindislist.com? She has a wealth of links to websites here in the US as well as the UK. Probably other countries as well, I just haven't looked for them. I wish you the best of luck and hope these things will help. I am no expert by any means, but I have picked up some things in the 30 years I have been searching

Karen

 

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