Hints on tracing your ancestry!

[sirdaniel1975]

Don't forget to ask your older relatives if they have any old letters and old photos. The pics often have names and dates, even location of the studio if they're an old studio print. Letters have addresses and return addresses and infrequent letters from cousins and more distant relatives often outline family connections.

usually they're tucked away in a shoebox in a box in the back of a closet or up in the attic. Clues abound if you gently persist in asking after old letters and pics.

Ron

Ron,

Are you psychic? That's what I was planning my next post to be.. Probably this Saturday. Good Man!

Daniel

[Detroitpete]

Yep, for me it was the whisper of a notion that my grand father made that we were "mostly Scots, an what wasn't was mixed with Irish and Welsh women" that set me on my path to figure out who 'we' were. A traditionally Swedish name that actually traces back to a family in Aberdeenshire early 1720's. This line mixed with Scot/Irish McElewaines, Halls, Corrathers and Adams.

The highlight of this adventure has not only been in 'finding' that next person you are searching for, but also in gathering the details of thier lives you can piece together from the scraps of documented personal history and other sources.

The stories are wonderful, sad and hilarious. In a way--I see this as a "tartan" in itself. The whole process has me thinking about the symbology/meaning of colors and what they represent in our stories to develop a tartan specifically for my family branch--and name it in honor of my grand father.

[Nick the DSM]

Hmm, I wonder if my family has any scriptures or letters lying around.

[sirdaniel1975]

As promised and as predicted by Ron.. here's my post on photos.

This is something that I tend to still accumulate, and have recently acquired many more photos. What's great about the digital age, is that they don't have to give you the photos just yet. You can scan them.. and I strongly suggest scanning photos anyway. If there is a fire or something and you have scanned your photos and had the digitized version kept in a fire safe place.. you've preserved a photo record of your family history.

Here I'm going to show off some of my pictures from Glasgow, Scotland UK. They are circa 1890's -1908.


This is one of the photos I acquired that had the persons named on the back.
1st person GG Grandmother Henrietta Hunt Williamson (maiden name Hunt)
2nd person G Grandmother Nellie (nick name for Helen) McLuskie (not yet married to my G Grandfather)
3rd person GG Grandfather John Williamson (b.1826-1894)
His death date means the photo is from 1894 the latest.


Not named, but most likely Nellie..


Another one of Nellie.. when my grandfather lent me this photo.. He said "that's my mom!"


My Great Grandfather Jervis Coats Williamson


That's one of my grandfather's older sisters "Etta" (short for Henrietta) when she was little.. probably 1908... a story as to which I will explain in another post. Again my GG Grandma Henrietta Hunt Williamson.

[sirdaniel1975]

World War II is an important war for my family.. because my grandmother was a "War Bride." My grandfather was an MP in the US Army and was actually one of the MP's who guarded both presidents. I actually have about 20 photos of my grandfather in his uniform.. but I'll display just these.


Grandma Pear Rodwell Williamson (Rodwell is her maiden name), yes she was a nurse in the British Army during WWII. My grandmother is on the left.. the thick dark haired one.


My grandfather in one of his uniforms.. "John Williamson"


Here's his company, he's the 3rd one in on the bottom right.

A picture is worth a 1000 words.. collect your family photos. You'll be able to associate faces to names and vice versa.

More hints to come....

[sharpdressedscot]

Cool pics!!

[Carolina Kiltman]

Amen to all the advice given above! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have traced my Father's family back to 1689, (with a lot of help!) The first rule of tracing your family tree is that spelling don't count! If it sounds even vaguely like the name, then it may well be. People were often semi-literate at best, and that includes the census takers. I was stymied by the name Elijah, then found out that it was really Elisha. . . and the floodgates opened! Also many immigrants changed their names when they arrived, others had their names mangled by the officials who spelled them as they sounded to their ears. (In NE Missouri is a town named for Raleigh, NC, it is spelled Rolla). I think the point is made. Good luck to you! It is both facinating and rewarding!