Geneology

[jkdesq]

Here is another helpful resources when doing geneological research.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Britain.html.

To add to my previous post, post-1855 are more helpful than you might think. As all deaths were registered after this date, it is possible to find information on people born in the late 18th Century. You can find marriages for people born in the 1830's. As places of birth, etc. are included, you can piece alot of things together.

[Alan H]

Two things. Beware Geneology.com. I get more spam,and I mean two-three messages a DAY from them since I did a trial membership.

There's a little problem with doing geneological research in Ireland. You see, at one point the English decided to bring all the family, court and parish historical records together into one place. They did that,though of course they missed some stuff. Then, around 1920 some Irish rebels decided that the building that housed those records would be a good place to attack. In the ensuring fire all those records were burnt to ashes.

So there's not a whole, whole lot to go on, I'm afraid. There IS stuff, but you'll be depending heavily on wills, probates and English taxastion records and surveys of surnames which won't be very specific. Researching THAT stuff is next to imossible on the internet....well, the surnames isn't but the other stuff is.

If your Irish ancestors date back to the 1700's and you can document all the ancestors between you and them , you've done a stunning good job. I know my Scots/Irish ancestor McKNight emigrated from Ulster in 1733,but I also know full well that to go much further back than that is going to be seriously difficult, so I haven't pursue'd it.

[highlander_Daz]

David as records in Ireland are spartan at best, whilst your ancesters went to the states many Irish came to Glasgow or the midlands in England many catholic churches keep very accurate records (although written in latin) so church records are very helpful.

[Cawdorian]

Alan,

You are absolutely correct, if you have traced your ancestor back to Ulster you have done a good job. I have one ancestor traced and documented back to Ulster, he came to the US about 1724, after that the records are almost non-existent. They found the birth record in Ulster, but that's it. Much of the information on the internet from that time period back is incorrect. The incorrect information seems to get posted over and over again.

Jim

[Hamish]

I have no proven details about my family other than details of my parents and that my late father told me that his mother came from Sutherland in Scotland. I've no dates for her nor precise locations to go on.

With that information, I went to Rootsweb.com, put in my own details and as much as I could of my parents - but the search told me that nothing could be found!

Do I exist?

[prattw]

I have no proven details about my family other than details of my parents and that my late father told me that his mother came from Sutherland in Scotland. I've no dates for her nor precise locations to go on.

With that information, I went to Rootsweb.com, put in my own details and as much as I could of my parents - but the search told me that nothing could be found!

Do I exist?

Rootsweb.com is rather USA-centric, Hamish. The UK equivalent is GENUKI <http://www.genuki.org.uk/>

Your best first step would probably be to locate your parents in the census, as children, with their parents. That will give you the general area of their parent's birth, and you can go from there. There's good odds you could follow your family back at least into the early 19th century in the census.

Will Pratt

[Hamish]

Rootsweb.com is rather USA-centric, Hamish. The UK equivalent is GENUKI <http://www.genuki.org.uk/>

Your best first step would probably be to locate your parents in the census, as children, with their parents. That will give you the general area of their parent's birth, and you can go from there. There's good odds you could follow your family back at least into the early 19th century in the census.

Will Pratt

Many, many thanks for that link Will. I have just taken a quick look, went to the 1901 census and popped in my father's details - only to remember that he was not born until 1902!! My mother was born, I think, in 1906.

It appears to be a very detailed site, so I am going to have to isolate myself for a day or two at some point and get into it.

I appreciate your help.

[jkdesq]

Hamish,

If you were trying to find your people on the Rootsweb free census page, I'm not suprized that you didn't find anyone. If you look on this page http://home.chilitech.net/~mmjeffery/myweb9/index.htm, it gives the status of the different counties. It looks like little attention has been paid to the Sutherland, Ross & Cormarty and other counties in that area.

Further the rootsweb site covers only earlier censuses (ie. 1841 to 1871). I would imagine you are more likely to find your father's mother and her parents in a later census (ie. 1881 to 1901) -- census have been taken in England and Wales and Scotland every ten years. As you may (or may not know) only 100 year old census are available to the public. So there is nothing available past 1901. You'll have to wait until 2011 to see 1911.

I would suggest, if you aren't opposed to paying a little, going to http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and looking up 1901. My guess is that you will find your grandmother with minimal problem.

[jkdesq]

Rootsweb databases are being pieced together by volunteers. The information is incomplete and the servers they have aren't sufficient to handle the hits. If you can afford to, go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. It is alot more complete, easy and convenient.

[Hamish]

Hamish,

If you were trying to find your people on the Rootsweb free census page, I'm not suprized that you didn't find anyone. If you look on this page http://home.chilitech.net/~mmjeffery/myweb9/index.htm, it gives the status of the different counties. It looks like little attention has been paid to the Sutherland, Ross & Cormarty and other counties in that area.

Further the rootsweb site covers only earlier censuses (ie. 1841 to 1871). I would imagine you are more likely to find your father's mother and her parents in a later census (ie. 1881 to 1901) -- census have been taken in England and Wales and Scotland every ten years. As you may (or may not know) only 100 year old census are available to the public. So there is nothing available past 1901. You'll have to wait until 2011 to see 1911.

I would suggest, if you aren't opposed to paying a little, going to http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and looking up 1901. My guess is that you will find your grandmother with minimal problem.

You too are very kind, jkdesq. I'll bookmark that link also for future use. Unfortunately, I know nothing about my grandparents other than, as I say, my father once telling me that his mother came from Sutherland. I've no idea where in Sutherland, when she came south to England, or even what her full name was. Neither of my parents were remotely interested in their roots, and my father certainly had no wish to be reminded in later life of his Scottish connections. He was horrified when, at 14, I became besotted with Scottish Highland and Country Dancing - and pleaded for a kilt!!

I really must have another attempt at tracing my roots in the long winter evenings to come.