How far back have you been able to go?

[cwdlmdd]

I my self have been able to trace my mothers side of the family back as far as 1640. I learned that they came from Germany sometime during the early part of the 1700 and some of them were involved in the Revalutionary war and later on they moved to Missouri and became involved in t he Civil War. They had people that fought on both the North and South sides. It really gets you interested in history.

 

[kaitoke]

on my wife side 1750 in Scotland and 1860 in Ireland

On my side 1890 in Ireland

 

[Hisrosebud]

Both my mother's side and my father's side came to America on the Mayflower. My father's side was descendents from Mahew who settled Martha's Vineyard, an island off of Cape Cod. His family stayed there until my father left with my mother in 1967. Don't know much about my family prior to America. I know that my father's side has flemish in it and someone is from FLANDERS.

Jane

 

[pegatha]

I believe my earliest ancestors in America came to Virginia in 1623. However, there's a one-generation gap in the documentation between them and their probable grandson of the same surname. All I can say at this point is that the 1623 couple are probably--but not certainly--my ancestors. If they are, I think I can go back a generation or two beyond them in England.

Even if they turned out not to be my ancestors, I have a much better documented link to someone who came here in 1638. His origins, however, are a mystery. DNA testing has failed to link his descendents to others of the same surname back in England. There's still a lot of work to be done, but we have a very active surname group and maybe something of interest will come to light eventually.

 

[SilvrLoreena]

I've been able to trace my mom's side of the family back to the 1600's. They were originally from Netherlands with ties to France, Ireland, and Scotland to fetch their brides. My forefathers lived and died in the same city for about a hundred years (with some travelling to get their brides of course) until my great-great-great-great....well you get the idea. He was 18 years old when he set sail for America in the 1800's. I have his actually writings of his travels and his life. He arrived in America while the slaves were still being sold in New Orleans. He was appauled at this btw. He then travelled up the Mississippi to get to the Northern part of America. Still territories back then. It took him three days to get through Michigan (where I live and his descendants live as well). I drive over the river he took everyday to get to his destination. At at 18 as well. Amazing. I get so in awe over my forfathers and ancestors on what they accomplished. I also traced where the lineage of this grandfather of mine that started the line here in Michigan. He is buried in the same city I live. Amazing, isn't it? I have his whole life story in letters and writings he wrote when he was about 50 or so.

The SilverLoreena

 

[Roots]

Adam and Eve!
No seriously. my roots can be traced all the way back to king David. From there all I have to do is look in the good book.
Even my last name means son of David

 

[pegatha]

I'm not sure I follow you. Are you saying that you have documentation of each generation in your family all the way back to King David?

 

[Paula]

During a visit to Europe, an uncle of mine was able to go as far back as the 1400s, the period of the Spanish Inquisition. He found that there are Sephardic Jews on my mother's side who fled to Italy to escape the punishment and torture of the Inquisitors. Some didn't make it, others did. One of my ancestors was the son of a Spanish priest.

 

[raphink]

On my father's side it was pretty easy to get to 1610 or so (and I bet I could go much more in the past) because his family has always been from the same region in France.

On my mother's side, they were travelers, so I would have to travel a lot to find all the docs. I've gotten to the 17th century though, through a branch of a famous great rabbi of this time, who is a direct ancestor of mine.

 

[kayd1966]

I've traced (with a lot of help) my husband's father's side back to the 1600s but my family is another story...I can't get back past the late 1800s.

I have my Dad's side arriving in Canada but can't find them in England even though I have documentation that they left there.

 

[2timothy223]

We have traced my family back to 1680 and their settlement in America. Beyond that we have not been able to do anything more than trace the origins of the family name.

The American history is fascinating and to see how many of us can trace our ancestry back to those original immigrants is amazing.

 

[Creski]

Well, in a young country like Malaya/Malaysia (independence:1957/1963), it's a bit hard for me to obtain documents regarding my ancestors who lived a century ago...not to mention that most of the village folks at that time were illiterate.


Anyway, the mother of my maternal grandfather supposedly was a "Witch Doctor" before evangelists like John Trevor White came from Britain to our village, and she supposedly lived to be 111 years old . (I'm probably inaccurate with the number--might need to check the tombstone again--but for sure she lived more than ten decades, at least.) I never met her though; born only after her death.

Edited on 1 June 06: I just checked the tombstone yesterday. My great-grandmother (my mom's dad's mother) lived 111 years (or 112, as it was engraved on the stone). Born in 1870, died on 31 December 1981.

But I doubt her name is in any official record book. Some things are just...unable to be officially verified.

 

[DanteRisen]

I've recently been able to go back to around 1700. My family is from Sussex county and one branch came to america and settled in Virginia where one of my direct ancestors later moved to Alabama and founded Trussville, hence our family name being Truss. I would be the 9th generation here in the United States.

 

[Ritterkreuz]

My mother has traced back several branches of the family tree. On my father's side she successfully traced one branch all the way back to the year 995 A.D. It would seem I am decended from English royalty. She had it all figured out, unfortunatle she passed away this past Thanksgiving, but all her records are still intact. For the most part I am Dutch, German, Irish, and English. There is also a little Scottish in me.

 

[STARINELSON]

I'm new to CF and to this forum, but I have been interested in genealogy as far back as I can remember. I have traced my roots all the way back to the 1600's at least.When my family came to America. I know that my paternal grandmother's family originated from Wales, part of the royal family there, and my paternal grandfather's family came from England. I haven't had too much luck with my maternal roots.. brick walls as they say
I have some Indian heritage as well, but unfortunately I haven't been able to prove much there. My ggggrandfather fought in the Revolution and my gggrandfather fought in the Civil War.

Wanda

 

[matthew4102]

First post!!

I love genealogy.

I have my name through my father back to about 1525 or so. Most of their names are prefixed with "Sir" or "Lord" that far back. How he came to America was kind of interesting though. My many-greats grandfather participated in the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 and was sent to Barbados the next year as a slave by the king. He was married there after getting his freedom in 1698. In 1704 he arrived in Maryland and that's where my family stayed until my grandfather moved to california in the 1950's.

Not too much luck with my mom's side. her line's records were mostly destroyed in a fire in New Jersey in the 1800's.

I'm currently trying to prove my grandma on my father's side's line goes back to the Mayflower. It's family tradition to say we are but there's one or two generations between what we have and the person on the passenger list that we think is our ancestor that we don't have records for.

 

[otter272]

I've just started my genealogy search recently. I'm still trying to figure out who my grandfather's parents are (grandfather on my dad's side that is). I think I've figured out where he was born so I'm waiting for an email from the county clerk's office to verify it. At that point, I should be able to figure out who his parent's were and where they came from. I've asked my dad but he doesn't seem to remember his grandparents so he wasn't very helpful in my search.

 

[STARINELSON]

I've just started my genealogy search recently. I'm still trying to figure out who my grandfather's parents are (grandfather on my dad's side that is). I think I've figured out where he was born so I'm waiting for an email from the county clerk's office to verify it. At that point, I should be able to figure out who his parent's were and where they came from. I've asked my dad but he doesn't seem to remember his grandparents so he wasn't very helpful in my search.

do you have any older cousins who might know ? or even internet searches come in handy at times. You come across names & dates that might push you in the right direction. Or family name forums... those are nice too. Especially if you can narrow the region down.


Wanda

 

[Cre8]

I go back to about February.

I my self have been able to trace my mothers side of the family back as far as 1640. I learned that they came from Germany sometime during the early part of the 1700 and some of them were involved in the Revalutionary war and later on they moved to Missouri and became involved in t he Civil War. They had people that fought on both the North and South sides. It really gets you interested in history.

 

[otter272]

do you have any older cousins who might know ? or even internet searches come in handy at times. You come across names & dates that might push you in the right direction. Or family name forums... those are nice too. Especially if you can narrow the region down.

Wanda

I might but unfortunately my family really has never been that close so I'm not sure how to get in touch with anyone who might know. However, my dad gave me the name of one of his uncle's to try and contact and see how much information I can get from him.