Trisher

Has anyone joined a site to trace their ancestry? What did you discover?

I am having so much fun! I can get back to the 1500's on my French Canadian side, and even further on my England/Scotland side!

Found some 'Sir' and Lady' titles back in the day of Queen Elizabeth the first. Otherwise my family is mostly made up of hard working people!

JustAbitCrazy

Yes, I have done ancestry research on Ancestry.com in the past. I can't go back as far as you, though. It is very interesting and sometimes confusing when you can't be sure the person you found belongs in your family tree. It takes alot of time, and sometimes some money, making copies of documents, applying for copies of marriage licenses, death certificates, etc. I have only searched one pair of grandparents' lineage.

misspriss

Have you done your DNA?

Boston1954

Both of my parents were genealogists. I am English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, German, Mohican, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish. Whew!

Distant ancestor - Benedict Arnold.

nativetexan

I am but hardly use it right now. years ago i did all my family history searching and got tons of results. this was before Ancestry took over all the other places one could find family history info without paying for it.
got DNA done but didn't learn much at all. nothing new that is.

selm

I found out recently that many libraries have accounts with Ancestry so you can log into your membership that way for free. A relative says when she finds something(birth-death certificates, etc) that she wants to save she emails it to herself from her logon at the library. Haven't tried it myself but found a nearby library with it and plan to do it soon.

Anniedeb

Absolutely! In addition to quilting, I spend hours tracing family history. There are many available sources of information out there. You do have to be careful that you don't just pick up and run with info posted, because in many instances it is incorrect. I have been able to dispel some myths and lore that had been passed along in our family, and answer questions and find "missing" family members. I've had my DNA done, and was a bit surprised by one finding. I find the connection to the past fascinating, and was able to locate and visit the burial sites of both sets of great-grandparents on my dad's side. There also was a previous thread here on DNA. Very interesting!

Ancestry does charge, but FamilySearch is free, google, and your state historical societies have a ton of info. Ours has a library dedicated to records. Death certificates usually have a lot of info. Ask family members for info. Check census info. Church records may give you info. Happy searching!

NZquilter

I would love to do it on my Dutch side, and my DH's Irish family too. We know by his last name that there was noble Irish blood.

I had an Aunt would followed up on my family's American side and she found that we are something like 33rd cousins to Abraham Lincoln. (My hubby says that's nothing to be proud of though! LOL!!)

Trisher

I have ordered my kit!

Stitchnripper

My cousin is a genealogist and she has traced my fathers (her mother) side as far back as she can get. She has found relatives that have settled all over the world. No one has done my mother's side but they all came from around the same place in Russia and fled the pogroms so probably no surprises. Mr Stitchnripper did his DNA because there were some mysteries in his fathers side and the results confirmed a few things. He won some hours at an auction with a genealogy company and had them look into his mother's side. No surprises there. All very interesting.