Not sure if it'd be called a hobby, but is anyone else into family history research? If so, have you found any interesting info on your families or individual ancestors? Since I really got into it around 6 yrs ago, I've found quite a bit of info on mine. The farthest-back direct ancestor I found was a knight in the First Crusade, in 1096.
So interesting, but my Dad was from Southern Ireland, so I think would be a problem Also I wouldn't know which site to trust - maybe one day I will give it a try
My ancestry on my dad's side takes me all the way back to being related to King Charlemagne, who was not a very nice person so I really don't like to claim him as a relation. I do have an Aunt way back when who kept a Diary which I have a copy of and she tells of life during the days of slavery and the Civil War. Annie Jeter Carmouche kept a very good record of things going on as she grew up and she also kept track of who married who and their children, etc. down to the time of my dad and his siblings births. For awhile I spent alot of time doing research on many of my ancestors and enjoyed this. Then life got hectic again and I had to put everything away. One day when I have more time I will look into this again and share some interesting things I learned about my dad's side of the Family. His side kept much better records than my Mom's side did...but I do have info on her side too. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28569212
Two of my dad's cousins about thirty years ago traced our ancestry back to the first one who came to America who was born in St. Martins Parish, Birmingham, England about 1630. I have copies of land grants he received in Virginia in 1649 and 1656. I tried to follow the trail they started and traced what seems to be my ancestors before 1100 but there are a couple of gaps where I can't find records for actual proof.
I would like to know more about my family history but I really do not know much about any of it beyond my parents, and a little bit about the grandparents. I do know that my grandfather, who was English, or at least not German, was given to a German family to raise after his mother died unexpectedly, and he later married my grandmother, who was a German immigrant into Texas. There were several brothers and sisters, and raised by separate families who were willing to take them in, so they grew up having different last names. My daughter-in-law joined Ancestry.com, and I think she was able to track her lineage back to some King, also. I remember her showing me her family tree chart; but not which king she went back to.
I'd totally forgotten about this thread... thanks for the replies! Question: might anyone know, guess, or have an opinion on what we should do if we find mistakes (books, online books, websites, records, etc.)? My concern is if errors stand, other people might take them as facts.
I gather it IS genuinely interesting to research one's historical background. I fear doing so in my case might reveal deep-seated sentiment against the Germans, as my Grandparents on both sides always spoke disparagingly of them. Many years later, I learned why. The invasion, and occupation of the Sudetenland, southern Czechoslovakia, by Germany, placed a lifelong spear in the hearts of those folks so encompassed. Whether my direct forebears were involved, I don't know. I do recall, though, that Germans were disliked during our family get-together discussions. Still, I recall no adverse talk in our home pertaining to Germany, between my Parents. Frank
My mom's side of our family is German. Dad's side is Slovak. Possibly a mix. I still remember some of the stories both granddad's told me. My mom's German side were fighters. Mom's granddad brought his wife over here to avoid all the pissant wars of Europe. They had a large family. So, when WW1 breaks out, all the boys join up, go back to Germany and kill Germans. Two were badly injured in the trenches.
My parents and grandparents all came from Sweden. Whether someone, somewhere down the line, moved to Sweden from somewhere else, I don't know but, as far as I know, I'm Swedish. In other words, we may have pillaged a village or two but we weren't responsible for annihilating the American Indians, and no one in my family had an African slave.
@Ike Willis Slovakia is of course a "province" within Czechoslovakia, the Czecho part being Bohemia, I think. We always used the term "Bohemian" in referring to ourselves, though there was Polish blood also. When I left the Chicago area, moving to the Desert Southwest, I was surprised when I remarked to some customer in my service station that his name was Bohemian. He took it as an insult; by then, "Bohemian" meant some sort of Hippie! Frank