Digging at one's roots

[bjproc]

i've just had mine done, on my surname, the guy got back to 1771, think thats all he was going to go back to anyway, i've managed to look back untill 1690 at Kirriemuir, we've not travelled to far, in 419 years we've ended up 6 miles away

that part was quite easy to look up, as it looks like we owned a farm & handed down, as for about 100 years it was the same place mentioned, Herdhill, Kirriemuir

[Gibbs]

I too, have gotten the bug about researching my family history. From the research that my father has done and my great Aunt, I have been able to determine that both sides of my family are of Scottish and English decent. Gibson is a sept of the Buchanan Clan on my fathers side. But as far back as I have been able to find is that James Littlejohn Gibson, while serving in the Queens Armed forces in Ireland, hopped a freighter to the U.S.A. around 1850. The history from then to today was pretty easy to find and research.

I would like to know if any of you could assist me in how to research the information prior to 1850. Since the Buchanan Society is so widely known and is very active, do you think they would be willing to assist me, a colonial American of a Sept family, in continuing the search of my family roots? Or, do you think they would just blow me off as someone not worthy of their time?

Any thoughs or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[EagleJCS]

I would like to know if any of you could assist me in how to research the information prior to 1850. Since the Buchanan Society is so widely known and is very active, do you think they would be willing to assist me, a colonial American of a Sept family, in continuing the search of my family roots? Or, do you think they would just blow me off as someone not worthy of their time?

Any thoughs or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

There may be a clan/society genealogist who may be able to help, or at least provide some guidance in how to do some/much of the research yourself. You may wind up needing to get the services of a professional at some point, or travel to physically dig through some things yourself. I find that I am nearly at that stage for my main paternal line (the one I'm focusing on at the moment).

The most important piece of advice I have is to verify - get a copy of the birth/death/marriage/whatever certificate, also known as secondary sources. As has been suggested, you can check for military records. See if you can go through newspaper archives. Some court or clerk offices (which one depends on how the government was set up) will have records of property transfers, lawsuits, etc. Look at the emigrant/immigrant lists for the different port cities (some are online at various websites).

Best of luck!

[Erikm]

I got into genealogy a few years back, really hitting a brick wall with my fathers side of the family the Middletons.

About 20 years ago, a man with the same first and last name as my father was staying at his hotel; he walks up and talks with my father saying he was a professional genealogist by trade, and gave my dad some papers showing myside of the family back to Scotland, but this got lost in a move.

I wish I had them today Being that Middleton,is a common place name in Scotland and England even being found in Wales,and Ireland it's very hard to tell.

My mothers said of the family the Gourlay's lived around Kincraig.

[macwilkin]

i've just had mine done, on my surname, the guy got back to 1771, think thats all he was going to go back to anyway, i've managed to look back untill 1690 at Kirriemuir, we've not travelled to far, in 419 years we've ended up 6 miles away

that part was quite easy to look up, as it looks like we owned a farm & handed down, as for about 100 years it was the same place mentioned, Herdhill, Kirriemuir

Now I'm going to have The Ball of Kerrimuir going through my head all day.

Regards,

Todd

[bjproc]

Now I'm going to have The Ball of Kerrimuir going through my head all day.

Regards,

Todd

[Buckeyenomad]

I can go back as far as my great grandparents whom a relative says were both born in Ireland in the early 1800's. I haven't found the link to where as of now.