How far back have you traced your family history?

Question

How far back have you traced your family history? I'm interested to know how far you've gotten and have you found any interesting things about them?

Answer 1

Not too far. I found my seventh great-grandfather. He lived in Fürfeld, Germany, I believe. His son sailed across the ocean to America in the early part of the eighteenth century with his four oldest children and his wife, who died en route. His three younger children stayed in Germany. Their descendants are still here. (I'm currently living in Germany with my husband, who is US Army.) I haven't met them though...I'm half afraid they don't speak English, and my German is...well...not that great, lol.

That's on my dad's paternal side. Another ancestor on my dad's paternal side was Cherokee. I haven't been able to find more details about that, though. My dad's maternal side is impossible to trace. I've found NOTHING on them.

I've traced part of my mom's paternal side to Canada in the late eighteenth century. They moved there after the start of the Revolutionary War.

I've also traced another part of my mom's paternal side to Ireland. They left sometime in the early nineteenth century. The RUMOR is that they were distantly related to the Kennedy family. I'm actually not too proud of that.

Other than that, I haven't really found out anything.

Answer 2

Interesting that you use a system of mens names in your family. Didn't the prophet only sire daughters? If that's the case you may not be accurate. Presently only some members of the Hashemite people can accurately trace their lineage back to the prophet. You'd be better off with accurate documentation using birth, marriage and death records as opposed to a guess based on names.

Answer 3

The early 1500's. I have ancestors who came over on the Mayflower, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and people who have fought (and sometimes died) in every war in American history including King Phillips War.

Probably the oddest thing I've discovered is that my great-great-grandfather helped found the library in which my wife now works. Karma?

Answer 4

My Mom has traced her side back to the Nina, you know the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria on one side and even further on the other. Turns out I come from a long line of royalty, Ministers, politicians and a few thieves, like Frank James.

Answer 5

my sister did. she got back to the 1500's in some cases. we found some interesting stuff along the way. a few skeletons. it was a lot of work. it took her about twenty years. she would have kept going but, she passed away 2 yrs ago. i'll always love her for putting in so much time and energy so that we could have all this info.

Answer 6

My grandfather has his line traced through to Charlemagne, so that's what, the 8th century? They are much more into doing all the geaneology than I am...

And aparently there is a point when it's only so reliable. People used to lie in their records to be considered of noble blood.

Answer 7

I can trace one of my English ancesters back to 1796. He was forced to come to this country because he was a duke in England but wanted to be king but they already had one. He fled befor they could arrest him.Maybe that explains why I have so many outlaws in my family.

Answer 8

I've gone back as far as to my great,great,great,great,grand mothers mother but it does nothing today in my life so I stopped searching. And she was a Kings daughter in Africa

Answer 9

my mom traced her family tree back to the late1700's it is so neat to see where your family came from and things that thy did

Answer 10

1796 believe it or not i started with my parents and got alot from my 92 year old grandma then u can research throug relatives and web sites do it its great