trying to find out if I do have Scottish or Irish heritage

[TheOfficialBren]

A word of caution- www.surnamedb.com got the origins of my name totally wrong!

They partially stabbed in the right direction with my surname but it was vague and generalised. I rate it 2 1/2 stars on the accuracy front.

Angela, there is no substitute for good geneological research. Be aware, however, that in many cases records get lost.

For example, the 1840 US Census was lost in a fire. I mean the records for literally the entire US population...gone...destroyed...burnt to a crisp!

Sadly, in the US many lines are untraceable passed a certain date (1840) and an amount of either acceptance or reasonable deduction based upon the 1830 and 1850 censuses must be made.

The lucky ones are folks who have only been here since the late 1800s onward.

Also, spellings sometimes changed in many cases, especially in the hill country where literacy was minimal.

Census takers usually jotted down their notes as best they could. In the early days they knocked on your door and anyone could answer their very brief questions. They were seldom thorough.

Another thing to consider: in the early days of the US, there was no immigration in the modern sense. One disappeared from the parish records in the old country and popped up without notice in the new country. Sometimes people intentionally concealed their national origins (the Irish, Chinese, and Germans [to name a few]did this a LOT during some of America's less admirable periods) by switching names altogether or fibbing about their birthplaces. A Schmidt might say he was a Smith, for example.

Lastly, many names were documented phonetically. The census taker would say, "what is your name?" The reply might be "Colbert" (pronouncing the "T" in the British fashion). They might ask for the spelling. If none could be provided they might jot down "Kolbert" (spelled in the German fashion).

I picked an unusual surname to illustrate my point (we spell it with a "C" and pronounce the "T" in the British fashion in my family).

Best of luck.

CORRECTION: 1890 census burnt in a 1921 fire, NOT 1840 census. The point still stands, though.

[Richrail]

In some of my own research I have found that for some reason the census takers start using just first initial with last name but listing no gender. Good luck in your research and have fun with it. We found an old first name and my daughter real likes it and wants to use it when she and her husband have children.

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Thank you Richrail ! Yes it seems I have some work ahead but its fun work.that is cool that your daughter would like to do with the name. .. thank you.again.... Angie

[georgeetta]

dear maam,
I had my grandfather's name and grgrandfathers name and knew what towns they were sposed to be from ..I used the library free census geneology to chase ..this one and that one ..

I worked my way to ..knowing a detail Granda always said they were tied to the Douglasses ..and found a Morrisons had married a Janet Douglass and had son named David ..they moved ..to Stirling ..and then to Cowie ..then to Aberdeen and GrGranda joined them ..

they list the ages and names ..the info CAN BE WRONG ..so you might see all ages in family rounded to 5 yrs groups ..or this one's age swapped with that one ..it's like a riddle and detective job ..

get a pad ..divide among ..families ..and known info listed #1 ..cousins may give tidbits ..

as you access the geneology software you can modify included info ..birth year +/- 3 or 5 years ..and see what pops up ..much Scottish ..Census info is available but they have 100 yr rules too ..but you might ..contact ..municipality or get a cousin ..thru ..other folks having ..researched prior to you . print the results ..bind them ..make a reference number to each doc ..A family B family etc .. A-16 for example ..say a census result for 1880 Family results . ..you can also run the father ..or mother and maiden name ..church info ..and the older children and where they might have lived when they were first married ..

good luck
dave

[Steve Ashton]

I'll second the comment that there is no substitute for doing your genealogical research. You really can't go by last names to determine origins.

I'll also comment that you must remember that your family tree is actually shaped like a tree with you as the single trunk. Many people make the mistake of following one line of a family. Their family tree then looks up-side-down. That is - here at the bottom are me, my brothers, sisters, and cousins. We all trace our lineage up to King Jim MCII.

When in fact you need to think of it as - Here is me. I have two parents. Who each have two parents, who each have two parents. etc. etc. Each generation gets wider and more interconnected.

If you go back one generation you have four grandparents. Go back five generations and you have 64 grandparents. You can trace your lineage through all 64 people.

OH, and by the way five generations only takes you back a little over 120 years. You are not even back to the American Civil War yet.

[EagleJCS]

Steve, how far back the number of generations goes partly depends on when your ancestor was born in the family.

For example:
Including me (born late 1960's), my father's family goes back 7 generations in KY - that we can conclusively document. That 7th previous generation was born in 1801. A couple of males in my paternal line didn't sire the next generation in that line until their early-to-mid 30's.

[Steve Ashton]

EagleJCS,

I am not talking about timeframes at all. I'm simply reminding people that each generation doubles the number of ancestors.

Here is a simple family tree. You are at the bottom. You have two parents. This is the first generation.



Each of your parents had two parents. And so on, and so on. This example is only four generations and you have 16 ancestors. 8 male and 8 female.
You can trace your ancestry through any one of these 16 people. And each of them had a different name and may have come from widely different places.

If a great uncle died without children he cannot be your ancestor.

The average time between generations obviously differs depending on how old your ancestors were when they had children, but most genealogists use an average of 20 years between generations.

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Hi TheOfficialBren !! Wow thank you.. I've already have dabbled in some reading.. still need to do more.I thank you very much for telling me that records could get destroyed etc. Much to do and think..Thank you ... Angie

[Pleater]

how to tell - well you take yourself off to Scotland - maybe Stirling - then on a misty morning you go outside and the air is like crystal and you walk a little way and then the sound of bagpipes comes to you on the breeze and the mist begins to flow in curtains down the slope, and as the higher land begins to come into view you feel your heart begin to thump and your blood feels like freshly uncorked champagne and you feel that you could climb that hill if the bagpipes kept playing.

In fact you feel that you could run up there, and then fight and win a battle - or you could fly up there and do anything, though you might weep a little afterwards because it is all so incredibly wonderfully - something indescribable.

It is nothing you can understand on an intellectual level, nor do you need to prove anything with names or dates .

Anne the Pleater :ootd: