Genealogy...where to start?

[parker_db]

You can also tryhttp://www.ancestry.com, but sometimes they are of no help. Good luck!

I concur. The information available is very limited. Please keep us posted if you have any success.

[arrogcow]

Most libraries will accept research requests from out-of-state; there may be a fee per hour and/or copying costs, but it's usually worth it. You might also be able to hire a genealogist in Virginia to do research for you as well.

Regards,

Todd

Maybe able to help with this. My mother is retiring (today is her last day in fact), and lives in VA. She loves genealogy, and if freekin tireless about tracking stuff down (and doesn't believe it till she has the proof in her hand). I don't know what the going rate for a researcher is, but I can ask if she'd be interested.

Adam

[macwilkin]

Maybe able to help with this. My mother is retiring (today is her last day in fact), and lives in VA. She loves genealogy, and if freekin tireless about tracking stuff down (and doesn't believe it till she has the proof in her hand). I don't know what the going rate for a researcher is, but I can ask if she'd be interested.

Adam

And there's a perfect example of networking. :mrgreen:

Todd

[Birddog]

Adam, thanks for the offer, but it turned out that he was born in WV. Now that I have his death cert. listing his parents, when I get off of work(can't access with govt. computer), I can plug him into ancestry.com and see where it goes from there. That web site I used seems to be a good source; I will post it's name when I get on my computer tonight.

[Frank McGrath]

One of my forebears was named Thomas J. McGrath. His wife's name was Ellen. In the D.C. Address listings are not one, but two Thomas J McGraths, both with wifes name listed as , you guessed it, Ellen. The two families lived within blocks of each other. Both had sonw named Frank. Where does one go when hitting this kind of wall? There are no aunts of uncles left to ask questions. They never talked about previous generations, anyway. Dilligence is the key. When you hit a dead end, back up and go another route. The first hint of an immigrant is 6 gen back, in Philadelphia. Oh, Goody. Road trip.

[Riverkilt]

Whoa! My other addiction since 1970.

Don't forget to pester elders for old letters, papers, photos, souvenirs. Even return addresses can be helpful in the quest when matched with postmarks. Genealogy has been a hobby for centuries so you may luck out and find work your ancestors did and passed on by letter. Ask for the old boxes of letters and go through them carefully, they are rife with clues.

The LDS site can be helpful, but as mentioned it can also be incredibly wrong from bad info just copied and typos from the transcribers. I've seen well documented branches of my family incredibly wrong on the LDS site. Caution and verify.

The Library of Congress has a genealogy room that is pure gold. Found a book on my line of Gordons in there that had my grandfather listed as an infant. Talk about making the work easy - AND, it had personal descriptions of many ancestors. Finding that info is wonderful...and scary...we don't change much sometimes.

When I traveled for a living I often stayed the night in small towns. As mentioned local libraries have genealogy sections. What was amazing to me is how many small town libraries have great genealogy resources that have nothing or little to do with their own area. Ya just gotta look and ask.

I gave my little sister the bug and now she travels to the places our ancestors lived and finds the old newspaper copies for the towns and goes through them. She's added generations on some difficult lines by finding a social notice of parents visiting the small town locals in the social section of the paper. A lot of work but productive.

Don't forget area histories and are pioneer biographies. A great place to flesh out who these folks were.

And, I agree, relatives don't much care...but....I've sent packets of what genealogy has been found info to every brother, sister, cousin, niece and nephew. I figure if some of them keep it somewhere, maybe some day later some descendent may find it.

Doing genealogy at an addictive level I've also found a second cousin deep into the same compulsion. Her work saved me a lot of time on her branches and kept me from buying off on some unproven links.

I've also met other cousins on GenForum and been able to share both ways. One even had photos to share - priceless

And don't overlook all the cemetery lists that are appearing on line. Many old small town cemeteries have lists of tombstones done by volunteers and posted on line. One list helped me prove a link.

And I understand about wishful family stories. I got hooked on genealogy first during a 5th grade genealogy project. My maternal grandmother said my grandfather's lineage went back to the Mayflower. The family scoffed and there was a break in the proof. That cemetery list proved the former break and I was able to prove to the family that she was right. Even better it turned out my father's side also has a Mayflower link to the SAME three Mayflower families. When I told my mother that she and dad were 13th cousins her immedieate response after 35 years of marriage was, "Good, now I can get an annulment!"

And, it seems the more I learn about the various branches of the family the more I get the feeling that the spirits of my ancestors are looking over my shoulder trying to get me to see the right information...yes, it can be spooky too.

Of course, genealogy work is best done kilted...

Ron

[AcuteEnigma]

Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Sunday Jan 18, 1959

"Texas history first takes not of the Driscoll family before the Texas Revolution,
when Daniel O'Driscoll appeared at the McMullen and McGloin Irish colony north of the Nueces.
He was the first of three generations of Driscolls who were to make a strong
impression on their own times and by their benevolences, to perpetuate
their name in one of the great humanitarian institutions of South Texas,
The Driscoll Foundation Children's Hospital.
Daniel O'Driscoll joined the Texas Army Jan 5. 1836, fought at San Jacinto.....

in 1838 he went to Victoria where later he married a widow, Catherine Duzzan, who had one daughter and two sons.
Two boys, Jeremian and Robert, wer born to Daniel and Catherine O'Driscoll
while they lived in Victoria. Daniel heard of a boom in Refugio, in 1843, so he
moved with his family to the little village and became the proprietor of an inn.
He was one of the first county officials to serve after statehood having been
selected as a Justice of Refugio County in 1845. He serviced until his
accidental death July 7, 1849. his wife, Catherine, died three years later,
leaving the two young sons, Jerry and Robert, to be reared by their half-sister,
Mrs. Daniel C. Doughty.
...Jerry & Robert dropped the "O".
...Jerry married Anna Elizabeth Allen and Robert married Julia Fox.
...Robert and Julia had two children while living in old St. Mary's.
Robert Jr., born in 1871 and Clara born in 1881.
Jerry and Anna had three children."

.....much more...

[gilmore]

One of my forebears was named Thomas J. McGrath. His wife's name was Ellen. In the D.C. Address listings are not one, but two Thomas J McGraths, both with wifes name listed as , you guessed it, Ellen. The two families lived within blocks of each other. Both had sonw named Frank. Where does one go when hitting this kind of wall? ...

They could have been the same family. Directories and census records are not without mistakes, much less online records that are typed from them.

[Sketraw]

Since the thread is on genealogy, after 8 years research I have now got my family genealogy up on the web. Ther are still people to find in some strings and dates but there is in excess of 470 records and 120 different names.

Its still a work, probably in never ending progress ...

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

[macneighill]

I know this is late but, that's really great John. I like what you've done with your family tree.