Genealogy and Heritage Light
I've gotten completely sucked into Outlander. Once again, I'm always five years to a decade late watching series like this. I didn't see Game of Thrones until it was completed for five years. Anyway, whenever I watch historical fiction, I go down the side rabbit holes looking for the actual history or the real connections. Now, having a part of my family line that comes from the British Isles, I really get sucked into period pieces set there. I don't believe there's any Scottish blood specifically, Wales was where I've always been led to believe our family came from, but of course I go down rabbit holes on that as well, to see the Scots, the Welsh, and even the Irish, may all have derived from the same indigenous inhabitants, thousands of years ago. I don't know where that leaves the English.
Fueled also by my upcoming trip, my ancestry and possibly seeing from where long past relatives lived is on my mind.y cousin that recently passed was into genealogy, but moreso on her dad's side, who was I believe the 4th generation in the town she grew up in. Now, I can't see myself going to Ancentry.com or the other genealogy sites, but I've poked around Family Search Find a Grave and can get back to my dad's side, his surname ( my maiden name), to my great grandfather, born in 1876, but no indication of where. I think then he might have been the first immigrant on that line, and likely, possibly, from Wales. That's all I have on that one branch, just using the same line by name.
My son asked me if St Paul and Minneapolis had any large neighborhoods like other big cities do, that were Scandinavian originated, since so many ended up in Minnesota. Of course there's entire towns that are heavily Swedish and Norwegian. There was a news story that had mentioned Little Italy and China Town and restaurants so got him thinking. The closest off the top of my head I could think of was Swede Hollow in St Paul, part of the East Side. But of course, another rabbit hole for me to tunnel through. All I really know now of Swede Hallow is the cafe that was near my last office. The cafe has a beautiful courtyard.
I can see how people could get consumed in the research. Maybe a winter hobby.
I am laughing as I read this. I have a friend who would concur totally: sucked down the genealogy hole totally! I occasionally take a dive into that world, then remind myself "come up for air, April, come up for air." Fortunately, I have a nephew who did do a deep dive to put together family histories/trees for my our mutual side of the family, so when something does pop up, I shoot him an email--"Hey, look at this." He has to temper his diving considerably: 3 children, a job, etc. but it is nice to have him in that rabbit hole on occasion!
ReplyDeleteI love watching Finding Your Roots on PBS. My family lines have been researched on both my father and mother's sides by cousins. Goes back to immigrants from France, Wales and Scotland. Genealogy is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was into genealogy and went to Scotland to research our ancestors. It's an interesting hobby to dive into.
ReplyDeleteI have worked on family lines for years, and it really is fun. I was consumed at one point, and now it has been a while since I have done anything. It really is a neat hobby to have, and you can learn so much about who you are from the lineage.
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