Genealogy: Your Family History Is Unique. Just Like Everbody Else's
Family history research should be fun and FREE. You'll find some interesting family history stories on this lens which I hope will point out some good genealogy sources and records in the USA and Canada as well as hopefully help with your research in England, Scotland and Ireland.
My Introduction to Genealogy
The first time I really had given my family history much thought was way back in 1977. After watching the TV series "Roots" which featured a multi-generational storyline, I wanted to know something more about my family. I started by writing out my family tree but suddenly realized I actually didn't know my own grandfather's name. I remembered that my dad had mounted his father's war medals in a frame and went and stared at them for awhile. They had been on the wall in the living room in a place of honor for some time but I hadn't really given them much thought. Then I sheepishly realized that my grandfather had died in the second world war in Europe.
My grandfather had only one child, my dad, and had been killed in action when my father was only 5 years old, so my dad had very limited info about him. We got my grandfather's war record and found his information about his date and place of birth, so I then sent away for a copy of his birth certificate.
Imagine my surprise when it stated he was the youngest of nine children! I found his parents' names and went from there. My great-grandfather turned out to be from Scotland (the Glasgow area) and my great-grandmother from Surrey, England (She was the eldest of 16 children, but that's another story).
I've traced some of my family trees back to the 1600s and 1700s, but one only as far back as my great-grandfather John Baker's birth around 1867. There's always work to be done on each line and they've led to Canada, the US, England, Scotland and Ireland and there are countless stories I've uncovered and mysteries that I continue working on. I've come a long way from that little boy who looked thoughtfully at his grandfather's war medals. Hopefully I can help you like so many have helped me in my own journey - which is still going on. Now where did I put that Baker file?
My grandfather had only one child, my dad, and had been killed in action when my father was only 5 years old, so my dad had very limited info about him. We got my grandfather's war record and found his information about his date and place of birth, so I then sent away for a copy of his birth certificate.
Imagine my surprise when it stated he was the youngest of nine children! I found his parents' names and went from there. My great-grandfather turned out to be from Scotland (the Glasgow area) and my great-grandmother from Surrey, England (She was the eldest of 16 children, but that's another story).
I've traced some of my family trees back to the 1600s and 1700s, but one only as far back as my great-grandfather John Baker's birth around 1867. There's always work to be done on each line and they've led to Canada, the US, England, Scotland and Ireland and there are countless stories I've uncovered and mysteries that I continue working on. I've come a long way from that little boy who looked thoughtfully at his grandfather's war medals. Hopefully I can help you like so many have helped me in my own journey - which is still going on. Now where did I put that Baker file?
56 Year Old Accepted Into the Army During World War One?
My 2x-Great-Grandfather's Surprising War Record
Most people have heard about how their great grandfather joined up in the Civil War or the First World War at age 16 by lying about their age and bravely going off to war.I found out recently that one of my own ancestors took a different route. During World War I, my great-great-grandfather actually tried enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces for active duty at the advanced age of 56 by pretending to be a "youthful" 45 years of age. Kind of surprising, but even more so was the fact he was found to be fit for active duty - he passed the physical!
This gives me a look at the mind of one of my ancestor's that I wouldn't have had if I wasn't actively doing family research. He applied in 1916 when the call went out for more men to apply and he stepped forward even though he would normally be deemed as too old to go to war. I found his record online at the Canadian War Records Site while looking for other relatives with the same surname. It lists his address and next of kin and even a physical description (he was about my height and hair color etc.)
This particular database holds records for many of those who enlisted during WWI and you might be surprised what you find. I know I was!
Some Tips to Get You Started
- Talk to your parents and grandparents. Find out where there were born, what their parents' and grandparents' names were. Where were they married? Ask them about the house they grew up in. Are there any family stories?
- Google the internet for the names you've found. You might find nothing, but some distant cousin might already have a bunch of information on the web. I've found countless relatives who are researching an older or younger sibling of an ancestor I am researching.
- Read everything you can get in your hot little hands about genealogy. Go to your local library and check out some of their books from the genealogy section. Also, many family histories get published and are on the shelves of local and national libraries.
- Send away for copies of the certificates of births, marriages and deaths of your family. I'll show you where to look and how to do this.
- There are literally thousands of different websites you need to visit. Rootsweb, GENUKI, Ancestry.com are just a few of them. Hey, don't forget to bookmark this one too!
- Visit cemeteries where your family has been buried. Try to find out if the cemetery has been transcripted. You may be surprised by the amount of information listed on old headstones and they can provide some important clues that may not be available elsewhere.
- Do you have any old pictures of relatives? I've found one of my 3x great-grandfather's sister that looks surprisingly similar to my aunt.
- The LDS church has many local research libraries which have access to their vast holdings. You can do a lot of essential long distance research through their libraries.
- You can join your local genealogy or historical society. These groups can be of great help with your local and international research.
- Read old newspapers for births, obituaries, and marriages. Many are indexed and a lot of newspapers from all over the world are becoming available online.
- You might consider using a computer program to help keep track of all your research.
Here's Some Videos Outlining The Basics About Genealogy
Sometimes it's not enough to just read about how to do something. These videos with help you by visually showing you what is involved with family history research. Maybe I should do a video of my own too. Some of the video is a little fuzzy and I think I can do better.
Genealogy Software Guide
After you've begun compiling records and information about your family, you are going to need to get your family tree research organized. I've put together this Genealogy Software Guide to help you choose.-
Genealogy Software Guide
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The Genealogy Software Guide features the most useful software programs available. If you are looking to upgrade or looking for genealogy software for the first time, you will find reviews and comments to help you decide.
RootsMagic is Popular with Experienced and Novice Genealogists
RootsMagic Family Tree Genealogy Software
Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 07/05/2009)
With the number of genealogy software programs available, deciding on the best genealogy software that is right for you is a personal decision. You want a program that's easy to use and powerful. RootsMagic provides an excellent product at an excellent price.
Here's An Interesting Video About Genealogy
See the reasons why people do genealogy and family history. I used to feel a little embarrassed whenever I mentioned that I was into genealogy, but then I found out that there are a lot of other people doing this too. Either person to person or over the internet, you'll develop a ton of new contacts and find some long-lost cousins who are also looking into your family tree. I've been corresponding with 3rd cousins once removed from Australia to England and most points inbetween and you will too. One of the best hobbys ever!
My Grandfather's Uncle Married Benedict Arnold's Great-Granddaughter
An Unexpected Connection
It's true. I found this link to Arnold last year. Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) fled the country after betraying the US during the American Revolution with his wife Peggy and his children. He lived in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada for five years before he returned in poor health to England where he died at London in 1801, but some of his sons stayed in Canada where they had been given large grants of land. You can see the lens about Arnold following this article.His son, Richard Arnold (1769-1847) married Margaret Weatherhead in Canada and their daughter Sophia Matilda Arnold (1816-1896) married Rev. Vincent Booth Howard whose Loyalist grandparents had also arrived in Canada after the Revolution. Their daughter Julia S.M.Howard married my grandfather's uncle, Robert Smyth, a successful merchant and two-time mayor of the city of Lindsay Ontario. I've traced Robert Smyth's family back to Lastingham, North Yorkshire, England.
I'm sure there are others out there with a connection to Benedict Arnold and his descendants as he had 6 sons that survived infancy: Richard Arnold, Henry Arnold, Edward Shippen Arnold (who died in India), James Robertson Arnold, George Arnold (who also died in India), and William Fitch Arnold. One daughter, Sophia Matilda Arnold (1785-1828) married in India to Col. Pownall Phipps (1780-1858) and they had five children most of whom lived in England.
More About Benedict Arnold
I wrote up this lens about Benedict Arnold after I found out I was related to him.-
Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold
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Early in the American Revolution Benedict Arnold leapt at the chance to fight for the independence of the original 13 colonies from the British, distinguishing himself in several campaigns and becoming a general in the Continental Army. Many consider...
What Does My Surname Mean?
One of the more interesting areas of genealogy is family name origin. Most surnames were chosen during the medieval period when having a surname was first becoming popular. Most last names are derived from one of several sources, the place they lived, their occupation, a physical characteristic, or who their father was.My own surname, Bradshaw, derives from broad shaw, meaning that one of my ancestors likely living new a "broad grove of trees." Other names such as Smith, or Baker, are occupational in nature, meaning that one of your medieval could have actually been a blacksmith or a cook.
Other surnames are "patronymic", meaning that they are derived from the descent from someone. Examples could include Robertson (son of Robert), McWilliams (the Scottish version meaning son of William), or O'Brian (Irish for son of Brian).
A name like Fair, or Brown could mean that your ancestor had been fair-skinned or not. There are names like Long whic could have been a name given to a short person. Other names like Shakespeare could have been given to someone for the way that they shook a weapon in battle.
Here's a website that will provide some answers for several name origins. Hopefully you will find yours there too.
What Are The Best Genealogy Books?
A Short List of Good Genealogy Books
Having a well-stocked stash of genealogy books and reference material is a must when you are doing family research. Not everything you need is available or easily found online, so I like to keep a number of informative books nearby.-
20 Good Books About Genealogy
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Having a well-stocked stash of genealogy books and reference material is a must when you are doing family research. Not everything you need is available or easily found online, so I like to keep a number of informative books nearby for when I need to...
Family Legends - Take Them With a Grain of Salt
But Then Again, There May Be Some Kernal of Truth
Just about everybody who starts out with this family history business hears about "the family fortune that we were swindled out of" or "we lived in a castle in England" or "we are descended from (insert famous name here)."Not that I want to deflate your hopes, but most of the population isn't directly descended from royalty and most lived on a small patch of soil growing enough to get through the year.
I heard the story about how great-uncle Robert returned to England with signed family papers to claim some inheritence but was denied due to the family having spelt their surname with an "i" instead of a "y" as the documents should have been. Still haven't found out about this one, but even if some inheritence was owed, it has long passed to some government agency. I have traced some branches of the family tree that stayed in England, and some undoubtedly left wills but I haven't found them yet. (Still looking!)
As far as Royalty goes, I've found out one story was true. The grandson of the sister of my 2xgreat-grandmother was the driver for Queen Victoria's coach for a time. That's about as close to royalty my various branches seem to have come. Well, not exactly true. Once, Queen Elizabeth drove past within 3 feet of me in a limo and I saw the back of the balding head of Prince Phillip. I could have reached in if I wanted to, but I'd have been tackled by burly guards and wisked off for questioning.
If you find a branch linking up to The Royal Family Tree, it will likely be through your mother's mother's father's mother's father's mother or some such distant connection. But still a connection none the less, right?
What The Heck Are GEDcom Files?
Here are 3 videos to help you figure out what GEDcom files are and how to use them
GEDCOM is an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication.
A GEDCOM file is plain text containing genealogical information about individuals, and meta data linking these records together. Most genealogy software supports importing from and/or exporting to GEDCOM format.
A GEDCOM file is plain text containing genealogical information about individuals, and meta data linking these records together. Most genealogy software supports importing from and/or exporting to GEDCOM format.
Turmoil in Ireland
Experiences in The Irish Rebellion of 1798
In 1798, rebellion broke out in Ireland. Inspired by the American and French Revolutions, the local population were trying to overthrow what they felt was the severe oppression of English rule. The rebellion had its most success in the County of Wexford, in the south-east corner of the island as the rebels held the entire county for several months.One of my ancestors was one of the first to have his house burned out, with his entire family inside and who escaped with the help of a servant. He didn't completely escape because as the large family made it's way to the city of Wexford, he was captured on a bridge by rebels, hoisted on pikes and his body thrown to the river below. One young son was trampled underfoot of the mob and rescued by an elder sister, but the boy was crippled for the rest of his life.
One story passed down was that one of my ancestors had to "cross a field strewn with dead soldiers with her maid" to escape the approaching rebels in Wexford. There were several places in Wexford where this ancestor lived that had been the scene of pitched battles.
I have traced her to Inch by Gorey, a small town in the north of County Wexford which was a hotbed for the rebels. One ancestor was among the first to have his home attacked and burned by the growing rebel forces and there are stories about large groups of refugees being forced to hide in ditches as they made their way to safety.
More About The Irish Rebellion of 1798
Here is a page with some video where you can learn more about the 1798 Irish Rebellion and it's causes.-
1798 Irish Rebellion
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In 1798 Ireland was shaken by a massive rebellion for democratic rights and against British rule.
What About English Records?
Births, Marriages, and Death Certificates. Here's How to Order
If you are planning on doing research on English records, you'll need to know how to order Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates from England and Wales. What are the costs? What information will be on the certificates? Go to the lens above for more details.You can even order them online if you have the full details.
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How to Order Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates From England
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The registration of births, marriages and deaths began in England and Wales in 1837. By obtaining a copy of your ancestor's birth, marriage or death certificate you will have a record that will assist you to go back further in your genealogical resea...
I Finally Found My 3xGreat-Grandfather!
Free Scottish Census Database Search at FreeCEN
I finally found my 3xgreat-grandfather in the 1841 Scotland census! He has eluded and ducked me for so long and it's good to finally see a little more proof that he actually existed!
As you may have guessed, my surname is Bradshaw and I've been tracing my family tree for years. I knew my great-great-great-grandfather was named Thomas Bradshaw and that he apparently lived and died in Scotland. He isn't listed in the parish records and died just before the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in Scotland started being recorded in 1855. He didn't even live long enough to appear in the 1851 Scottish census as his wife was listed as a widow.
I found him listed as Thomas BROADSHA age 33 with his wife, 3 sons (one is my 2xGreat-Grandfather) and sister-in-law. There's a story I heard years ago that my great-grandfather hated the spelling "BRADSHAW" and said that the family used to spell it Broadshaw.
I found him while searching the Scottish census at FreeCEN. This is an online search tool from the good folks at Rootsweb.com. The census info is still incomplete, but searchable.
As you may have guessed, my surname is Bradshaw and I've been tracing my family tree for years. I knew my great-great-great-grandfather was named Thomas Bradshaw and that he apparently lived and died in Scotland. He isn't listed in the parish records and died just before the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in Scotland started being recorded in 1855. He didn't even live long enough to appear in the 1851 Scottish census as his wife was listed as a widow.
I found him listed as Thomas BROADSHA age 33 with his wife, 3 sons (one is my 2xGreat-Grandfather) and sister-in-law. There's a story I heard years ago that my great-grandfather hated the spelling "BRADSHAW" and said that the family used to spell it Broadshaw.
I found him while searching the Scottish census at FreeCEN. This is an online search tool from the good folks at Rootsweb.com. The census info is still incomplete, but searchable.
Have you read these yet?
Some genealogy books courtesy of Amazon
Genealogy Online For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)) by Matthew L. Helm, April Leigh Helm
Researching your genealogy online is like being a more...1 point
The Family Tree Problem Solver: Proven Methods for Scaling the Inevitable Brick Wall by Marsha Hoffman Rising
Complications arising from incomplete or missing r more...0 points
Trace Your Roots with DNA: Use Your DNA to Complete Your Family Tree by Megan Smolenyak, Ann Turner
Written by two of the country's top genealogists, more...0 points
Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County & Town Sources, Third Revised Edition
No scholarly reference library is complete without more...0 points
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy, 2nd Edition by Christine Rose, Kay Germain Ingalls
This user-friendly volume offers readers an opport more...0 points
The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker by Tana Pedersen Lord
With Family Tree Maker, America's top-selling fami more...0 points
Your Guide to Cemetery Research by Sharon Debartolo Carmack
Your Guide to Cemetery Research is a comprehensive more...0 points
Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures by Christine Rose
Finally--the only guidebook devoted exclusively to more...0 points
The Official Guide to Ancestry.com by George G Morgan
Whether you are coming to Ancestry.com for the fir more...0 points
Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, Third Edition by John Grenham
Professional Irish genealogist John Grenham has wr more...0 points
New York State - A Crossroads for Family History
Some Genealogy Records for the Empire State
The State of New York has always been a crossroads of sorts for families arriving in the United States. Some settled in the thriving metropolis of New York City while many pushed on landing farther and farther west. Ric Burns' excellent documentary New York captures the the emergence of the city from a small Dutch settlement in the early years of the 1600s until today.Gateway to the United States Port of Ellis Island
The website for The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
Two branches of my family passed through New York during the first half of the 19th century and both continued on to eventually settle in Canada. One from southern Ireland arrived just after Europe had been racked by the battles against Napolean and the other, a young family from Yorkshire looking for a new start in the new world in the 1840s. Both thrived and have many descendants in the hundreds all over the world.
The family from Ireland crossed into Canada, then called Upper Canada at Ogdensburg, New York but lost all their belongings to a riverman who promised to take the family across to Canada, but stole away with everything they had brought with them because the father wanted to stay behind, unwilling to leave his wife and children. I can almost feel the heartache such a loss for the newcomers. When they finally reached their land, they started a small farm which grow into a village. Their sons and daughters started families and soon they had prosperous farms all over the new province of Ontario.
The second family also landed in New York about 1842 and was directed by the English agent there to head for Canada. They too had farms and a lot of the sons became school teachers and merchants. Several eventually moved again, settling in the area of Pittsburgh, becoming one of the areas early stock brokers. One of the sons was less than a year old when the family arrived and became a merchant and eventually was elected Mayor of a thriving turn of the century city (twice!).
An excellent source for New York researchers: Cyndi's List - U.S. - New York
Another tie to New York, is yet another Irish immigrant who left during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s and settled in Buffalo, moved north to Guelph, then returned to Lancaster NY. One of his many children stayed in Guelph and died in Brantford, Ontario. His Obituary mentions his still living mother in her 90s living in Buffalo in the 1930s. Most of his brothers and sisters married and lived in the Buffalo, Erie County area of New York and many of their descendents still thrive there.
Just three short stories about different families passing through and returning to to the Empire State.
New York records are available at NY GenWeb
Genealogy websites for New York State: genealinks
A list of New York Family History Centers
Genealogy and Family History Stuff on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
How Can I Use The National Archives Records?
NARA holds valuable historical documents and records you can use
The United States National Archives holds a massive collection of records that can be used to help you with your family research. But how do you know what is available and where to find it? Here's the website for the National Archives. Lots of family history information is already available at this site.With more and more people researching their family history, the problem is finding relevent information about their families. The National Archives and Records Administration (called NARA), holds census records and other federal records that can give information about individuals - physical descriptions in some cases, places of birth and residence, and activities and occupations - and thereby expand the researcher's picture of the life of an ancestor.
The records that document military service, immigration, and the settlement of public domain lands are perhaps those most widely used to trace ancestry.
Recently, the National Archives partnered with a genealogy subscription service to bring online some of their previously unavaliable records. These records are currently available for free searching at the NARA reading rooms, and will soon be online at the NARA website.
Here are some Squidoo Genealogy lenses I like
There are lots of really good genealogy and family history lens on Squidoo and this is a short list of some of the ones I give the thumbs up.-
Genealogy and Family History
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Paul Duxbury is fast becoming one of the leading experts on researching your Family History through the internet. He owns a wide variety of Genealogy Websites all of which aim to provide Family Historians and Genealogists with access to helpful...
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Genealogy...Creating an Awesome Family Tree
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Creating a Family Tree is fun and easy. We have gone back to the 1600's with our Family Tree and learned so much great information about our ancestors.
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Genealogy Tips
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Begin with yourself and your immediate family by recording information you already know. Look for important documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates. When you have written down all the names, dates, places, and...
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Finding Your Ancestors, Basic Genealogy Tips
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This is an exciting time for doing genealogy. More and more records are going on-line and more and more people are getting involved and helping each other. Genealogy is a fascinating hobby, however it's easy to jump in and get information overload....
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Write Your Family Legacy
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The importance of family legacy can never be over emphasized. Do your children know their heritage? Who are your ancestors? What were their traditions? What religion were they? What beliefs did they have? Did they fight for a cause and what was it ab...
My Latest Family History Lens
A Small Tribute To My Great-Great Grandfather, James William Goring
Write lenses about those things that you know about. So I have. This lens that I have linked to below is just a small tribute to one of my ancestors, James Goring (1856-1941). If you are related (he had 17 children), stop by and leave a comment.-
James William Goring
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This is a tribute to my great-great-grandfather. Born in Surrey, England, James William Goring married and moved to Manitoba, Canada about 1883. Goring was a successful farmer in Daly, Manitoba and served several terms as a municipal councillor. Bet...
Help me make Family Tree Climber better! What do you want to see?
Questions? Comments? If I can't answer your question, I'll find someone who can.
FamilyTreeFellow wrote...
Great story and info! I love the research, it is so addictive!
Posted June 28, 2009
edah1308 wrote...
Wow, there's enough info in this lens for 3 lenses! I didn't know anything about GEDcoms before thanks.
Posted May 17, 2009
Bradshaw wrote...
Thanks Janusz! Always glad to get a fly by from one of the Angels
Posted April 18, 2009
Janusz wrote...
I flew around to try and find
a lens that leaves the rest behind.
Your lens is Great & so I thrust
a handfull of my Angel dust.
Blessed by a Squid Angel :)
Posted April 17, 2009
LadySquid wrote...
This is an excellent lens, full of very useful and interesting information. Thank you for providing it, as it will prove most helpful to both beginning and experienced genealogists.
Stephanie at the Research Your Family Tree lens-stop by and see us!
Posted April 06, 2009
Merlyn63 wrote...
Another really interesting and inspiring genealogy lens, I only hope that mine can be this good, keep up the excellent work providing great information.
Posted April 05, 2009
pkmcr wrote...
Congratulations on your great achievement in becoming a Giant Squid! Your lenses are awesome!
Take care
Paul
Posted January 14, 2009
Bradshaw wrote...
Thanks Robin! I shocked and happy! I guess I'm "shappy!" I didn't think I would get Giant Squid status. But hey, if I can then so can many others.
Posted January 14, 2009
rms wrote...
Congratulations and welcome to the Giant Squid Lensmaster program!
Posted January 13, 2009
anthropos wrote...
Thanks for joining "Everything Genealogy and Family History" Group. Great job.
Posted January 04, 2009
CafePress Swag
New Amazon Search
by Bradshaw
I've been doing this family history thing for 30-plus years now and it can become an all-consuming hobby. Squidoo lensmaking is fast becoming an addic... (more)
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