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!
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating but it doesn't really have an immediate impact or change anything in current life, so need to be mindful of rabbit holes. I also don't want more of han direct lines. The I'm the "15th cousin twice removed" of the Queen of Spain stuff is boring to me
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know when my direct parental line came to the US on all sides.
DeleteMy Dad was into genealogy and went to Scotland to research our ancestors. It's an interesting hobby to dive into.
ReplyDeleteMy trip, that will touch Wales, has me in a mindset to look before I go just in case I can find family ties.
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI only want to know direct lines,mostly to understand where did all my family originate. In saying that, direct lines get wider the farther back you go.
DeleteI started using Family Search because a cousin suggested it at a reunion. It is free and sated my ancestry itch.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I used on my dad's side/ surname but only got to birthdate and death of great grandfather. I'm assuming no records farther back are linked, and he's immigrated to the US.
DeleteA hobby you enjoy that is endless is a good hobby indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt's less enjoyment and more getting sucked in.
DeleteIt was one of my hobies during lockdown, its easy to get obsessed! x
ReplyDeleteI'll need to do more serious looking in other sources to pick up the search going backwards.
Deletepractical parsimony
ReplyDeleteI have done a bit of genealogy and enjoyed it up to a point. I may try Family Search.
You probably already have knowledge of what it will show if you've done actual research already. As I haven't, finding my great grandfather's name and birth year was a good start.
DeleteThanks for the family search info! I was able to find one of my Dad's ancestors was born in 1690 in Holland. I hadn't been able to find where they immigrated from since their name changed slightly.
ReplyDeleteThat's exciting. I'll spend a snowy afternoon this winter plotting through each of my grandparents as far back as I can and from there, maybe go the more formal routes.
DeleteI am a mutt and according to my son who is into genealogy we are related to a ton of folks from a bunch of mostly European countries. I figure I am from a line of peasant farmers or milk maids
ReplyDeleteOh, I absolutely am as well, though with stronger connections to some nations like Norway where we still have family so I can go back pretty far. My maiden name is as Welsh as it gets so I'm hoping something can be found farther than great grampa.
DeleteMy aunt, sister-in-law and nephew got into ancestry. I believe my aunt got quite far but that was on her maternal side rather than our side of the family. I won't even go there. My mom was Welsh and her maiden name was Jones (have you ever seen the names of the Welsh rugby team!!!!). Trying to get a copy of her birth certificate from Llanrwst for my naturalisation request was a hoot (not). Two thousand Jones's and one "not Jones"!
ReplyDeleteI can guess, based on my maiden name, what the last names were on the other half of the Rugby team.
DeleteI have been into genealogy since I was 15 years old- almost 50 years! I have Fraser roots in Scotland so when we went to Inverness I had to take the Outlander tour!
ReplyDeleteThat's a long time to keep up on a hobby. Your trip sounds amazing.
DeleteThat's a long time to keep up on a hobby. Your trip sounds amazing.
DeleteI found it easier to research my husband's family history as he has a very unusual surname. There are very few with the surname in this town, all descended from the same great grandfather. Before that, they were across the Pennines, but again, very few in the area with that surname. My side is more difficult... one set of great grandparents were Welsh with a common surname, the other Irish with a common surname. Throw my Gypsy heritage into the mix, and I've got a lot of dead ends!
ReplyDeleteYes, things just stop or too many possibilities come up to be if any meaning. My husband's last name had spelling evolutions so hard for my kids if they chose to do this.
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