For all the Genealogists out there!!

[LisasMom]

I am my own grandpa!

Many many years ago when I was twenty three,
I got married to a widow who was pretty as could be.
This widow had a grown-up daughter who had hair of red.
My father fell in love with her, and soon the two were wed.
This made my dad my son-in-law and changed my very life.
My daughter was my mother, for she was my father's wife.
To complicate the matters worse, although it brought me joy,
I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy.
My little baby then became a brother-in-law to dad and so became my Uncle,
Though it made me very sad.
For if he was my uncle, then that also made him brother
To the widow's grown-up daughter who, of course, was my step-mother.
Father's wife then had a son, who kept them on the run.
And he became my grandson, for he was my daughter's son.
My wife is now my mother's mother and it makes me blue.
Because, although she is my wife, she's my grandmother too.
If my wife is my grandmother, then I am her grandchild.
And every time I think of it, it simply drives me wild.
For now I have become the strangest case you ever saw.
As the husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa! :eek:

[LisasMom]

In keeping with granny tradition, I started this thread in the same manner our famous Kay started the granny thread! We can lounge around in our jammies, exchanging links and hints and brick wall frustrations. If anyone has questions or look-up requests or whatever, here is the place to find them! :yes: :yes:

[LisasMom]

If you are looking for a Ohio Death records 1908-1953, the LDS now has
original death certificates/records online. The link to that site is:

http://search.labs.familysearch.org

You will have to register to use the site, but it is free.

[Lynnie]

Grand job, Vicki (I never spell your name right and it is RIGHT in your signature). I need some good sites for British records. Since I am 100% born and raised BRIT, I need something specifically for that. Of course, Ancestry.com and the census records are great. And Genforum.com has been a big help. Any other ideas?

[shazzt]

This site has only just opened. Old Bailey Online (http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/) is FREE and has court records from London's Old Bailey. Really interesting and searchable. I found one of my beloved's relatives on there (always knew his family was disreputable LOL)

[scamptx]

Yay, you!! What fun--I'll be in and out. I'm in Houston for a meeting tomorrow and am staying an extra night so I can go to the Clayton Library here. The head librarian used to be the (I think head) librarian in Ft. Wayne.

[LauraLou]

We (a BUNCH of long lost cousins) have also hit a British brick wall. My 5th great-grandfather is the brick wall. There are several family myths about this man's birth...most have him being born in England and proceed to various ways he got to the colonies. No one has successfully uncovered any documentation in the US or England.

[Impy]

Washington State death records just came on line, too.

The link for the LDS Family Search Labs record search is:
http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html?datestamp=1210298285203#

[Vallie]

I am a very casual genie, I have heaps of info (and the Old Bailey record of my convict!) but it is all very unorganised. I only looked up the Aussies really and stopped when I found the first ones that came out here. All my ancestors so far are Irish or English. In Oz (NSW), The Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages have an online index which is handy to find names and dates. It cuts out after a certain year (cant remember what) because of privacy reasons but the marriage ones go up to the 1950s. The Sydney Morning Herald has a list of deaths called the Ryerson Index that goes up to quite recent times.
My bits and pieces are all in boxes in the garage, waiting for the magical day when I acquire all this time to do something better with them. Maybe I will leave it to my descendants! :lol:

[Vallie]

:lol: That song is so funny and hits home a little! :eek:
Whilst looking up stuff I found some of my relatives were very closedly connected.
Two sisters married two brothers. The sisters and the brothers all had the same surname. So the girls didnt need to change their names when they got married!
Turns out, the girls' father and the boys' father were brothers. But it also turned out that the girls' mother and the boys' mother were sisters! So, a very close cousinship, each having the same grandparents etc. Must have been a very limited gene pool in small country towns! They would be closer related than most of the usual first cousin relationships.

[Vallie]

I hastily add, I am not a direct descendant of that particular branch! :lol:
(they had heaps of kids with no problems though!)

[nachtstern]

I always wanted to check out how my family branches back, but enver got around to it... maybe I should ;)

[LisasMom]

Oh yes, you should Mara! It is so fascinating and you'll never know what gems you'll find!

[shazzt]

Genealogy is like scrapbooking - addictive (I used to do quite a lot of research before I started scrapbooking :) )

[nachtstern]

I know very little, especially on my Bio dad's side, but they do have a romantic war story I just found out (never really asked before).

I am named after my bio dad's mother, my paternal grandmother, who was already dead when I was born (my bio dad was a bunch older than my mum).
In WWII she was a porter/ train conductor, met a sailor, fell in love, got preggo, they wanted to marry but he never came back.
Now I don't even know his name... heck, I don't even know my maternal grandmothers maiden name ;)

But I have to mail my mum anyways (paper work for our marriage, setting a data with the court house and all the complicated things), so I think I will ask what she still remembers ;)

[kaybutler@mweb.]

:lol: That song is so funny and hits home a little! :eek:
Whilst looking up stuff I found some of my relatives were very closedly connected.
Two sisters married two brothers. The sisters and the brothers all had the same surname. So the girls didnt need to change their names when they got married!
Turns out, the girls' father and the boys' father were brothers. But it also turned out that the girls' mother and the boys' mother were sisters! So, a very close cousinship, each having the same grandparents etc. Must have been a very limited gene pool in small country towns! They would be closer related than most of the usual first cousin relationships.

Ooooh..I thik they all came to Bathurst !!!!:lol: :lol: :lol: :yikes:

[GranFran]

Well, if any of you live in or will be near SLC, UT, on July 12 (THIS YEAR) Gundi and I are planning an informal scrap and would love for you to come. Here's the link to that thread: http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31648

[diturpin]

I'm like Shazzt - I used to do alot more genie stuff before scrapbooking. I've gone back in a couple of lines to where they came to the US but one grandfather was German and I don't even know his "real" name - in either english or german - but I do know that he was a butcher! Funny, what is listed on the census sometimes. Alot of my family lived in really rural poor areas so tracing records has been a challenge. I don't think the census workers went out into the fields to chat with the sharecroppers! Then there are the Smiths! I just gave up on them! Does anybody have hints on dealing with really common names? My mom has been nagging me to do some more research with her, so maybe this thread will get me jump started.

[shazzt]

Ugh - I have Smiths as well. Makes it hard!

[LisasMom]

I don't have any suggestions for Smiths, sorry. But one of my lines is Grover which is a common first name as well as the name of a president - Grover Cleveland. In fact, Grover Cleveland was named for one of our distant ancestors, Stephen Grover, who was friends with the President's folks. In that case, when I search, I can sometimes search for *Grover -Cleveland* which will leave out all the references to the President. Not all searches will let you do that though.

[GranFran]

This link might be of interest to those who are looking for ancestors on the E coast. And you can scroll down both the L and R side of the page for freebies. :)
http://www.delmarvaroots.com/

[nachtstern]

I know very little, especially on my Bio dad's side, but they do have a romantic war story I just found out (never really asked before).

I am named after my bio dad's mother, my paternal grandmother, who was already dead when I was born (my bio dad was a bunch older than my mum).
In WWII she was a porter/ train conductor, met a sailor, fell in love, got preggo, they wanted to marry but he never came back.
Now I don't even know his name... heck, I don't even know my maternal grandmothers maiden name ;)

But I have to mail my mum anyways (paper work for our marriage, setting a data with the court house and all the complicated things), so I think I will ask what she still remembers ;)

quoting myself... where is this heading? :no: :yes:
however, my mum remembered a lot more than I could hope for...
I emailed one town in westphalia to see if I could get my maternal grandfathers birth certificate, and am in the process of trying to find out how ot get my maternal gandma's. the town she was born in is now part of Poland.

Seems that I have more eastern european blood in me than I though... my great grandma came from Silesia and my mum thinks her first husband came from even farther east, white russia/belarus maybe.
I still have to look up where and how to get the birth certificate of my bio dad in my home town.

thanks for inspiring me to finally check things out :tup:

[nachtstern]

!! I got lucky!
seems the certificates from the year she was born are kept in Berlin! that makes it easier on me ;)

[LisasMom]

Isn't this exciting Mara?!?!?!? I'm so glad you've decided to do this but even more glad that you are getting results!!! I was a little worried about how we could help you along with most of us being in the US and not knowing a lot about doing the European research, but, look at you flying through all this and finding things right and left!!! Good for you!! Please keep us posted with your progress - the thrill of the hunt is exciting to hear about too!

[nachtstern]

I just downloaded and filled out a form to send to them on Monday.
Even though another page said you need "legal" cause to get the birth certificate of another... hope ancestry research counts ;)

[scamptx]

Mara--I'm delighted that you've started looking into this! When I read your first post, I almost popped in with a reply but kept reading.

For most of us, genealogy research is an on again/off again process. It comes and goes in spurts.

Also, for way too many of us, we get really interested after the people that we want to quiz about facts are gone--which is the other reason I was so glad to see that you've jumped in!

And Vicki--I'm hoping that we attract some of our international friends who are skilled and bilingual--I've got some ancestors from Sweden, Norway, Germany and England...;)

[LisasMom]

Maybe our new CGC can help you with the German ancestors! :lol: :lol:

[nachtstern]

I surely can help with the forms in German that you need to fill out for birth certificates and stuff ;)

[LauraLou]

This link might be of interest to those who are looking for ancestors on the E coast. And you can scroll down both the L and R side of the page for freebies. :)
http://www.delmarvaroots.com/

I can't believe they don't include Massachusetts! Well, they just added two more states so maybe Mass. is in the future.

[LauraLou]

I surely can help with the forms in German that you need to fill out for birth certificates and stuff ;)

I would be thrilled to be able to find the German towns my ancestors came from. I guess they don't exist any more. I tried to find them on Google Earth with no success. My mother's grandfather came from Gelburg, Würtemburg, Germany and her grandmother from Pfaffendorf, Bavaria, Germany. That is where the backwards trail ends for me.

I would be awfully excited to know what those places are called today.

[nachtstern]

I would be thrilled to be able to find the German towns my ancestors came from. I guess they don't exist any more. I tried to find them on Google Earth with no success. My mother's grandfather came from Gelburg, Würtemburg, Germany and her grandmother from Pfaffendorf, Bavaria, Germany. That is where the backwards trail ends for me.

I would be awfully excited to know what those places are called today.

Checking into it now... so far I found ot it was Würrtemberg, the forerunner of the state in Germany now called Baden-Würrtenberg.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C3%BCrttemberg

could you give the years you are looking for?
will keep looking

[nachtstern]

Pfaffendorf seems to still exist....
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=Pfaffendorf,+Maroldsweisach,+Germany&ll=50.170741,10.717506&spn=0.017207,0.040169&z=15&iwloc=addr

even though it seems it is now just a part of another town.
they even have a little castle...

sorry its in German, but you can see the picture
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Pfaffendorf

it is part of Maroldsweisach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroldsweisach

the german wiki links to their homepage. http://www.maroldsweisach.de/
which then gives a room and a phone number for birth certificates
Geburtsurkunden (-anzeigen) Rathaus Standesamt Zi.Nr. 12 09532-9222-30

they might not keep them there though, Berlins archives have a lot of the old ones.
but since there is a lady listed for the court house
Grombach Katharina standesamt@maroldsweisach.de
I could email her if you get me all the info per pm. or you could mail me the message you want to send and I translate it for you so you can email her yourself

[LisasMom]

Wow Mara!! You don't mess around do you??!!??? Great work!

[Teresa]

Wow, Mara, you are turning into a genealogy gold mine. I too have ancestors in Germany but was lucky enough to also find distant relatives who were willing to pass off their research. Some day I would love to wander through some of the areas in Germany that are listed in my "acquired research".

I also found Genealogy to be quite adictive. I got quite a bit of research done right from one back when Ancestory allowed people to view the world tree for free. Now I just rely on links like those mentioned here because this is an off again, on again addiction and I would waste my money on a subscription to Ancestory. In reality, I think if I had a subscription, I would NEVER get off the computer so it's probably good that I don't.

This is a GREAT thread!!!!

[scamptx]

I do have a subscription to Ancestry because it's a birthday gift--and it's one of those love/hate relationships. The search engine is soooooo awful. I keep hoping that it will get better.

And you're right, Theresa, when I get on I end up staying on too long, and going in circles.

That said, I'm willing to do short searches if pm'd with info!

My biggest find was a google. I'd been working on the searches to the point that my brain was dead. It's not a common name, so I just tossed it into google and started flipping through the pages. The answer was on page 18 or so--who knew that my gg-grandfather, from a staunch German Roman Catholic family, father of the g-grandfather who left home and changed his name, had crossed the border from Ohio into a close county in Indiana and divorced his wife!

He's still my biggest mystery, but at least I have the answer as to why we couldn't find him in the cemetery with the rest of the family!

[Teresa]

Here are some of my names and locations that I know a lot about if anyone can link.

Immel, Imel, Emel, Emal - Belefont, Centre, PA
Keller - Centre county PA - That one gets kind of sketchy due to the common name.
Fetzer and Matthias - Frenchtown, Finley Ohio and back to Germany.
Sutter and Tcherrit - Haut- Rhin France

My Morency line dead ends in Dollar Bay Michigan.

Kirkpatrick, Echenrode (Eckenroth), Loman, Keith and McNaulty- Cambria County PA

It would be neat to find a connection to someone here at DSP.

[LisasMom]

Teresa, Do you mean Findlay, Ohio in Hancock County? That is not too far from me, about an hour and a half. But they probably have obits and other information available at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Fremont, Ohio. President Hayes was an avid genealogist and his estate and library have preserved his passion and his vast collection of material. Their Obituary Index (http://index.rbhayes.org/hayes/index/) actually indexes much more than just obits. They also link to probate and court records, funeral home records, newspaper records, etc. And they are continually adding records and newspapers from other cities and counties. You can order copies for $3 or $4 I think. I go over there quite often and can get the copies for you - unless, of course, you luck out and find tons of info that will take me days to compile!!! That would be great but....!!

Anyway, check it out. The rest of the site also. They have quite a lot on the Civil War - especially where Hayes was involved. Let me know if you hit on anything!! :tup:

[LisasMom]

Oh Wow!! I just put Fetzer in the Hayes Obit Index and got 215 hits!!! Hope some of them are yours!!

[Teresa]

Oh Wow!! I just put Fetzer in the Hayes Obit Index and got 215 hits!!! Hope some of them are yours!!
Oh, I'm sure they are.

I want to take a trip that way with my Dad and spend a day. It's really not that far of a drive.

Thanks for the info. I might just have to hit it tonight. Who needs sleep???

[pieohpah75]

WOW. I just came across this thread. I just got "Family tree maker" software for Mother's Day. Most of my research will probably be done in Poland, Ireland, Germany & Sicily. Goodness I don't know where to start...maybe my Mother's memory...LOL! Or maybe I should start by installing the program. I'll be watching this thread!

Dorothy (hope to be a genelogist!):D

[baflien]

I've registered on OneGreatFamily and link to alot of people that helped my lines go back to the 1600's. You can use it for free, but then just see someone linked and not the info. Worked great for me.

[Teresa]

[QUOTE=scamptx;469833]I do have a subscription to Ancestry because it's a birthday gift--and it's one of those love/hate relationships. The search engine is soooooo awful. I keep hoping that it will get better.

And you're right, Theresa, when I get on I end up staying on too long, and going in circles.

That said, I'm willing to do short searches if pm'd with info!
QUOTE]


Thanks so much for that First Name. Wow did that open the door for a ton more info!!!!

[LauraLou]

Pfaffendorf seems to still exist....
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=Pfaffendorf,+Maroldsweisach,+Germany&ll=50.170741,10.717506&spn=0.017207,0.040169&z=15&iwloc=addr

even though it seems it is now just a part of another town.
they even have a little castle...

sorry its in German, but you can see the picture
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Pfaffendorf

it is part of Maroldsweisach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroldsweisach

the german wiki links to their homepage. http://www.maroldsweisach.de/
which then gives a room and a phone number for birth certificates
Geburtsurkunden (-anzeigen) Rathaus Standesamt Zi.Nr. 12 09532-9222-30

they might not keep them there though, Berlins archives have a lot of the old ones.
but since there is a lady listed for the court house
Grombach Katharina standesamt@maroldsweisach.de
I could email her if you get me all the info per pm. or you could mail me the message you want to send and I translate it for you so you can email her yourself

WOW! What a treasure! All of my genealogy is on another computer but I will be heading there soon to incorporate what you gave me and start pursuing more.

I belong to Ancestry.Com, too, with a US all-inclusive membership. Until now, I didn't think I could use the World membership. I can buy the World for just a month, though, when I get all my ducks in a row and KNOW what information I need.

When I get it all together I will email you and see if you can uncover anything. I have the town names handwritten on the back of my great-grandparent's marriage certificate. They married after immigration to Saginaw, Michigan. I have no idea who wrote the information, though.

I really HAVE to do some gardening this morning but it is supposed to rain all weekend. Genealogy is good to do when it is raining.

Thanks so much for the information you have.

[LauraLou]

I would be thrilled to be able to find the German towns my ancestors came from. I guess they don't exist any more. I tried to find them on Google Earth with no success. My mother's grandfather came from Gelburg, Würtemburg, Germany and her grandmother from Pfaffendorf, Bavaria, Germany. That is where the backwards trail ends for me.

I would be awfully excited to know what those places are called today.

Just for fun (again) I did a Google Search for these places and came up with only two...MY post in this thread and MY scrapbook page on my great-grandparents. ACK!

My Great-Grandparents (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=236559)

Looks like I will have to edit the layout and my chart to the RIGHT spelling of the town.

[Vallie]

Laura, have you seen this? there are references to Pfaffendorf parish registers.
http://germanmapguide.com/germandistricts/bavaria-oberfranken/

and a map with Pfaffendorf on it, of course it could be any old Pfaffendorf for all I know! :lol:

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&q=Pfaffendorf,+Maroldsweisach,+Germany&um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=image

[JaeDee]

You ladies are amazing!! I just thought I would add my two cents here! I noticed several links have taken you to The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints web site but none to the home page of the site. http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp
For those lurking or for those just starting out doing geneology this is a good place to start. You must registar but it is free.

There is also a free program call PAF (Personal Ancestral File) that you can download that is also free that lets you organize you data.
When you start you Pedigree Chart there are two ways to look at it.
1) I like to put number one as my oldest son so that both my DH and I are on the same sheet.

2) Put you as number one if you are not worried about DH's ancestorial lines or DH is not in the picture!

Sample Pedigree Chart (http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/Rg/frameset_rg.asp?Dest=G1&Aid=&Gid=&Lid=&Sid=&Did=&Juris1=&Event=&Year=&Gloss=&Sub=&Tab=&Entry=&Guide=PedChart.ASP)

You can print one of these out and do it by hand but downloading the program lets you do it all digitally!

[nachtstern]

Thanks JaeDee!
The Pedigree Worksheets from one of the guides were exactly what I was looking for to keep notes on!

[LisasMom]

Hey CGC!! How is the search going?? Another good form for taking notes is the Family Group Sheet. Lots of info on those for the whole family. I use those the most I think. Another thing I do with those -- when I am at a library or somewhere away from my computer, I use different colored pens or pencils to take the notes. Then I just have to list the source once on the bottom and then use that color pen when noting something from that particular source. That helps me keep things straight when I get home to enter it all into my database program.

Don't forget to fling out any questions you may have. One of us will surely know the answer or where to find the answer! Happy Hunting!!

[Teecha]

Will try this link again lets see if it works.

http://genealogy.about.com/?once=true&

[Teecha]

Thought this may come in handy some time as I ofton got confused with our lot lol.

(http://genealogy.about.com/library/nrelationshipchart.htm)

[scamptx]

I'm going to toss this out here in its very rough, still brainstorming mode. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a lot of fun spending time on the research, and then give up the ghost when it comes to organizing. And what's really sad about that is that I am a pretty decent organizer when I put my mind to it. And I really get frustrated with myself when I know I have something but don't know where it is!!!

As I scan photos and letters into the computer, I realized that I'm getting pretty disorganized there too, and I really want to nip this in the bud.

So here's the draft of ideas. Let me know what you do, what you might suggest and if someone has already invented this particular wheel, let me know!

Filing brainstorm for scans on computer

For letters, documents, photos

(Index is a word doc—can be changed and reprinted.)

Code with first (few) letters of surname

Code with l for letter, d for document, p for photo…

Should documents be coded further? Db for birth, dd for death, etc?

Photos: B.P.1 = Brough photo 1
Then index with explanation of who what when where

Letters: B.L.1 = Brough letter 1
Then index with explanation of who when where—to/from etc.

B.D.1 = Brough document 1
Then index with type, date, who when where etc…

Make labels to put on sleeves for hard copies, letters, photos, documents...

Notebook for each surname—what about when crosses over.

Can cross reference in FTM (family tree maker) in notes portion…just list the index number

Spread sheet to track inventory

[nachtstern]

Hey CGC!! How is the search going?? Another good form for taking notes is the Family Group Sheet. Lots of info on those for the whole family. I use those the most I think. Another thing I do with those -- when I am at a library or somewhere away from my computer, I use different colored pens or pencils to take the notes. Then I just have to list the source once on the bottom and then use that color pen when noting something from that particular source. That helps me keep things straight when I get home to enter it all into my database program.

Don't forget to fling out any questions you may have. One of us will surely know the answer or where to find the answer! Happy Hunting!!

I might actually have to print on of those Family Group Sheets if I have the time and head for it one day ;)

I sent out the form for my maternal grandmothers birth certificate and just got an answering email for the birth certificate of my maternal grand father. I confirmed my address and the lady will sent it to me.
When my mum goes to reserve our wedding date I will have her fill out a form for my bio dads birth certificate, he was born in my hometown too.
baby steps but on my way ;)

[shazzt]

Well I am pretty excited. Lauren and I went for a photo walk at an old cemetary. I knew my gg grandparents were buried there somewhere but it is pretty overgrown and sadly has been vandalised over the years, so I didn't hold out much hope of finding them. We had been there about 20 minutes snapping away, I glanced to my left and saw their grave right there! I was amazed - it was in pretty good condition too! I am hoping the photos turned out ok.

[LisasMom]

That is soooooo exciting Sharon!!! I love to walk in old cemeteries but finding a specific grave with special meaning is a super thrilling surprise!! Way to go!! :clap:

[Vallie]

How exciting Shazz, I have some really way back relatives in NZ too, must see if I can find out more on them ....

[Vallie]

Amazing what you can find when you google! My old NZ relative lived in Wellington and died in 1869. Apparently his old family farm was sold to Wellington Council to be used as the main cemetery. Maybe he is buried there too. I have been to Wellington but didnt know about him then.

[scamptx]

Isn't it fun the little tidbits that we get just from someone else's find! One thread leads to another...

[Emma]

LOLOL! My husband plays this song on his guitar, the kids love it.

I get stuck researching in Britain a lot, since I'm not there and don't subscribe to ancestry.com

Any ideas? I hate the general genweb sites, I would love to find specific stuff.

also, Michigan seems to elude me, a lot of Cornish miner ancestors moved there, and the only online thing I every really seem to find for it is the 1870 census, which I've raided to excess by now, LOL!

Fun thread, good idea to share resources

[LisasMom]

What part of Michigan Emma? I have a lot in Monroe and Wayne counties, around Detroit and Frenchtown.

[Vallie]

I think Cornish are hard to trace because of closed religious beliefs. My husband has old ancestors (and some living cousins) who were Plymouth Brethren and they are a really closed shop wont tell anything to outsiders so that makes if difficult to find out anything on them.

[nachtstern]

I just got my very first birth certificate ;)
It's my maternal grandfathers, and I can't read the names in that script :lol:
but there is a little note on the side that actually states that court in Bielefeld has decreed in 1957 the spelling of the last name to be with s instead of the ß.
the birth certificate is from 1931.
there is also no mentioning of the parents birth dates as far as I can see...
bleh ;)

anyone good at deciphering? help appreciated ;)

[GranFran]

Just a quick note: If any of you are interested in a really good organizational software program for your documents, pictures, notes, etc., etc., etc., :lol: check out this one: http://www.clooz.com/ I've had it for several years but haven't upgraded to V.2 yet, mainly because I was and still am really off and on, and when I'm on I'm usually in a library somewhere. When I get home with the info another sparkly thing gets my attention. :) But one of these days I will upgrade and then.... Well, I hope I'll start entering info and organizing, a bit at a time.

[GailS]

I have a lot of Nova Scotia / Michigan people in my database - I also go back to the Mayflower and really old Scotland too. I haven't updated my online tree in ages, but have a few scattered updates to the tree if you see something interesting. My genealogy stuff is here: http://gailsgenealogy.atspace.com/

[LisasMom]

Fran, I was just at the Clooz site and I'm feeling really confused!! I'm not understanding exactly what it does. Do you still use FTM or whatever (I use Family Origins) and Clooz links documents to the people there? That's what I thought it did but it is talking about importing gedcoms and stuff so does it completely take over FTM or what?? It kind of seems like its having 2 databases and having to enter the info in both of them. Can you help? I downloaded the manual and will study that a little but its 104 pages long!!

[Emma]

Mostly Washtenaw, MI, but I have one Hitchens relative who was born there, and I have no idea what city or county: they're not on the 1870 census, he was born 1864, and the younger sibling was born in another state, so they only lived there a short time. Not really sure where to go with only the state w/o city or county as the birth place!

I have jtaubman looking up some UK ancestry.com stuff for me, I found something at the public library awhile back that I cannot find again: my disk was corrupt, and she can't find it either. I'll have to take another stab at it.

John Henry Hitchens
Elizabeth Jane Jennings

living in Cornwall next door/same street, he was 14, she was 10 not living with her family (can't remember the last name of the family with whom she was living), can't remember which census year (1841 I think?)

I thought it was pretty cute when I found them living next door like that, seeing as how they later married!

[GranFran]

Fran, I was just at the Clooz site and I'm feeling really confused!! I'm not understanding exactly what it does. Do you still use FTM or whatever (I use Family Origins) and Clooz links documents to the people there? That's what I thought it did but it is talking about importing gedcoms and stuff so does it completely take over FTM or what?? It kind of seems like its having 2 databases and having to enter the info in both of them. Can you help? I downloaded the manual and will study that a little but its 104 pages long!!

Yes, you'll have 2 databases, FTM and Clooz. You import your gedcom file into Clooz from FTM so you don't have to enter each person separately. Then when you get anything with their name on it you fill out information on what you have and give it a number. The numbers don't have to be consecutive for each person, they're just used to find things when you want to look at them. You set up your numbering system however it works best for you. For instance, you might have one system for censuses (or is it censii :lol:) and another for something else. I can't remember now, 'cause it's been so long, but you can look that up in the manual. It takes a little work, but you'll be able to go to the program and find the assigned number for any document or picture that you want, instead of plowing through piles--I mean files--of papers. Hope this helps a little. :)

[Emma]

So is clooz a pedigree software? I was using the free Legacy Family Tree, but the LDS church is testing a new web site that will eventually replace the pedigree software, all stored online, so I may switch over. So far I like the test, but not a lot of advanced features available yet!

[pieohpah75]

Is there a good (inexpansive) site that you can order birth cerificates from? Ancestory.com seems too expensive. And unless you are a relative you can not obtain a birth certificate directly from the county in question (the online site, maybe I should call them)! Any ideas, Ladies?

[scamptx]

Most states (unless they have passed laws stating otherwise, and I believe some have!) will send you a birth certificate if it is "old" enough. I would not go through ancestry or any other site, mainly because if it's a legit certificate, the official record keeper is who I would wish to get it from. Most of the time the places that are offering to get the certificate for you are doing it as a paid service. Cut out the middle man!

Let us know specifics, and if any of us have any experience or advice for the particular state or county, we'll be happy to let you know!

[scamptx]

Clooz is a "filing" reference system that helps keep track of hard copy documents. I really appreciate Fran reminding me of it, because when I went out to look at it, I think it has every thing I was looking for to catalog my photos, negatives and letters, and then some! Take a look at their website--it has examples, and I think if I'm remembering a free trial of sorts. It's a database system not unlike Microsoft Access, if you're at all familiar with that.

What I saw in the photo example was perfect--it holds a thumbnail of the photo, you can list all the who what when where's, you assign a place to it so you can find it...then, let's say I'm looking for photos of Aunt Sally , I can run a query, and not only will I be able to find where I put them, but can see the thumbnail to see which photo I want.

How this would work with documents would be similar. Scan a document if you want to see a thumb (not necessary, though), and you could run a query on a family member to see what hard copy documents you had on that person--immigration, birth, death, marriage...I love it!!

I intend to get it, and will keep you guys updated (don't hold your breath too long though, it will probably be July, or August based on budget and time constraints!)

[pieohpah75]

Thanks, scamptx! I'm trying to obtain birth certificates in Cook County, Chicago, IL.... But I have only tried thier website so far...I will call them and see if I can get a BC for long deceased family members.

Also, do some of you come across ancestors that were born "at home" so no official birth certificate exists. What do you then?:think:

[scamptx]

Last night I went to the Williamson County Gen. Society meeting to hear Emily Croom give a presentation on "Hidden in Plain Sight: Details We Sometimes Miss". She was delightful! I had forgotten that she is a Texan and lives in Houston.

Emily is the author of several very, very helpful books:

Unpuzzling Your Past
The Genealogist's Companion and Sourcebook
The Unpuzzling Your Past Workbook: Essential Forms
The Sleuth Book for Genealogists

I would have missed this presentation, except that my Austin group had sent an email, I put it on my Outlook calendar with a reminder and yesterday morning the reminder popped up. (I only wish I'd set the reminder for a few days out--I would have let Fran know dagnabbit! :doh: )

Consider checking out genealogy local groups, no matter how small, because they so often have great presentations, members who are wonderful resources, and access to information you may not have thought of...

[scamptx]

Thanks, scamptx! I'm trying to obtain birth certificates in Cook County, Chicago, IL.... But I have only tried thier website so far...I will call them and see if I can get a BC for long deceased family members.

Also, do some of you come across ancestors that were born "at home" so no official birth certificate exists. What do you then?:think:

I know that for many who were born in my grandparents' era that when social security came into being, "delayed" birth certificates were created to verify who they were and when they were born. I need to research this more--I don't know enough to talk intelligently about it! I do know that both my grandmother and grandfather have one--and next time I'm at my mother's I need to make copies. I didn't even know she had them until a few months ago.

[GranFran]

I know that for many who were born in my grandparents' era that when social security came into being, "delayed" birth certificates were created to verify who they were and when they were born. I need to research this more--I don't know enough to talk intelligently about it! I do know that both my grandmother and grandfather have one--and next time I'm at my mother's I need to make copies. I didn't even know she had them until a few months ago.

My grandmother had one, also, and I got a copy at the county courthouse. :) I love to go to courthouses and page through all the records. I always made copies, but now with our wonderful digital cameras we can just take a picture of the document. :)

And I forgive you, Scamp, for not letting me know about the meeting. Would love to have gone, but if she's in Houston I can catch her another time. We have a genie group at the RV club that my house is near (just across the crick :lol:) and they go to Houston and surrounding towns often for programs or just to use the libraries. Huntsville is a good one, too--maybe you'd like for me to let you know when the next one will be?

[LauraLou]

Thanks, scamptx! I'm trying to obtain birth certificates in Cook County, Chicago, IL.... But I have only tried thier website so far...I will call them and see if I can get a BC for long deceased family members.

Also, do some of you come across ancestors that were born "at home" so no official birth certificate exists. What do you then?:think:

When my mother (who was born at home) went to get Social Security they had no record of her birth. All the old family teasing came to her head at that time. She was the only blond and the siblings used to tease that she was adopted. Finally one of the relatives found a dated and postmarked post card from her father to his sister-in-law announcing my mother's birth (with time, length, weight,etc) and Social Security accepted that and issued something in lieu of a birth certificate. I still have that postcard.

I just updated my blog (http://geneology-nut.blogspot.com/) with a lot of bookmarks I have discovered. Some are collections of other bookmarks. Although I have a subscription to Ancestry.com and use Family Tree Maker, sometimes there is great information at other sites.

[GailS]

Check out http://www.vitalchek.com/. I got my great-grandmother's death certificate from there. I could also get a birth certificate from there if I wanted - they charge $5.50 plus the supplying location fee (in Kane County, Illinois, that fee is $11.00).

The neat thing is that at least for the one I was looking for, as I walked through the steps to order, it showed me the source from which the certificate was being issued - the Illinois Department of Public Health. Even better though, was that when I went directly to that site to order it, they wanted to charge me an additional $8.50 for credit card processing, bringing the total charge to $19.50 vs. $16.50 at VitalChek.

[scamptx]

That's good information to know, Gail. I usually bypass the sites that "do it for you for a cost" but obviously it's worth checking! Thanks!

[pieohpah75]

I have used Vitalchek and it was very quick and easy. You have the certificate instantly provided that they have the one you are looking for. I was going to purchase three but ended up with one. Has anyone tried to obtain an ss-5 form (I think) in lieu of a birth cerificate?

Thanks to everyone, you ladies have been a wealth of information to a beginner!
Dorothy

[Emma]

I've used vitalkcheck a bunch of times: I always check the original county to see if it's cheaper through there: sometimes it is, but usually it isn't. They're reliable and fast.

[gmacochrane]

I just discovered this string and wonder if any of you would like to take a look at my Genealogy website? I created the site when I was teaching a genealogy class and have used it extensively during several years of teaching so that my students could have easy access to many genealogy websites. Feel free to take a look and if any of the links are helpful to you I would be delighted! Here is the web address:

http://www.laurelsfamilycircle.org/isapi.dll?c=h&htx=page

[Fulltime RVer]

Another interesting source for information is old newspapers, of which many are online at newspapers.com. It isn't free though.

I think the best thing about researching family history is the stories you come across. I've never done much of my family history - no time for new addictions. :-)

[omio]

How in the world have I overlooked this thread for nearly a year? :doh: Guess Myrt has gotten a bunch of us restarted on the genealogy thing. :D

[bendipez]

I've taken the plunge and am now swimming in the genealogy pool!!
Actually I'm wandering around ancestory.com land and am totally lost but am enjoying being lost. Wonder what I'll find.

[Granmatoseven]

Hi there, I have been reading this thread and wondered if anyone can tell me how I start looking into my family ancestry? It is actually my husband that wants to look up his ancestry. I did a bit of research with his mother's name and dob and got nothing. and did his parents marriage and got nothing. I think he thinks that he does not exist (lol)

We live in Australia but we originally came from the UK and our parents and families were all from either the UK or Ireland or (my mum) from Pensylvania.

Any direction for a beginner would be much appreciated.

[jenrou]

:D I'm also a longtime genealogy addict. Gradually trying to get all of that paperwork and sources into the pc. Whew!
Good hunting,
Jean

[scamptx]

There are some great free sites where you can start looking up names, but most folks who start getting serious about leads from a distance go to Ancestry.com. Here in the U.S. many of our public libraries have a subscription--great place to start without spending any money!

I'm not familiar with what your options might be downunder, nor am I familiar with how records are kept in your country. Are there any genealogy societies in your area? I've gotten a lot of help from our local society in terms of how to start, and where to look.

Good luck with your searches! It can be thoroughly addicting!

jenrou--I hear you on trying to get all the paperwork and sources in...it's a chore!

[jenrou]

If you don't know where to look on the web for info, sometimes a database www.cyndislist.com will give you a clue. She has been compiling lists of genealogy help and databases for years.
I'm still working through all of my pc problems, but enjoy reading about what you are doing.
Jean

[redbomchele38]

I know I'm not a grandma but I saw the forum for genealogy and I've been tracing my family tree and I'm stuck and I was wondering if I can ask you guys questions or do I have to be a grandmother to use this forum?
Thanks
&
GOD BLESS!
Michele

[LisasMom]

Hi Michele! :wave: Of course you don't need to be a granny to ask questions! In fact, from your picture, you look like you could be one of the grandmonkeys!! That's what a lot of us call our grand kids! :rofl::rofl::rofl: Anyway, ask away! If we don't know the answers it ain't worth knowin'!! :love3::love3: No really, if we don't know the answer, we'll help you find it!

So first question is .....

[diturpin]

My mom and I recently did some research and found out some interesting "bad" folks in our lineage.

It seems that my GGgrandfather stole 8 gallons of homemade blackberry wine, was arrested and charged with burglary. We also think he murdered a man later in life but have been having a rough time locating the correct county. (long story...)

Now his mother was arrested for disorderly conduct. According to the deposition of one of the witnesses, she was involved in a brawl on main street and was behaving in a "war like" manner.

Now her husband, was murdered (stabbed several times) by his brother-in-law. From what we have gathered so far, he didn't like how his sister was being treated by her husband and they fought several times over it before the final battle.

I sure am glad that we broke that cycle before it got down to me!

[redbomchele38]

Hi Michele! :wave: Of course you don't need to be a granny to ask questions! In fact, from your picture, you look like you could be one of the grandmonkeys!! That's what a lot of us call our grand kids! :rofl::rofl::rofl: Anyway, ask away! If we don't know the answers it ain't worth knowin'!! :love3::love3: No really, if we don't know the answer, we'll help you find it!

So first question is .....I am trying to find were my Cherokee Indian blood comes in at as far as I can tell it comes in at my Great Great Great Peter Perry Millican his 2nd wife was Amanda Moore but we can't find out who his 1st wife was and the area I was raised as well as my dad at the time of my 3 Greats grandfather Peter time was highly racist even towards Native American Indians to this day you don't find many in those 2 cities just those with maybe a 3rd to a quarter Indian in them I also know my Great Grandmother Mary Prior Millican had Indian in her but she wouldn't tell anyone for fear of being killed because the area on Signal Mtn,TN that they lived at was swarming with the KKK but she couldn't keep her heritage secret she wanted her grandkids to know so one day she sat down with the older ones and told them that she was half Cherokee Indian and that she couldn't go to her grave and not let her grandkids know about their heritage but they couldn't tell anyone because if they did they would die she also told them that their great grandfather Peter married a Cherokee Indian but she didn't know her name.As you can see from my LO here http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/../gallery/data/7140/thumbs/Page156.jpg (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/../gallery/showphoto.php?photo=317995)
GOD BLESS AMERICA! RON... (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/../gallery/showphoto.php?photo=317995)of my dad you can see the Indian in him I'm 1 of 2 grandkids with red hair the rest are either blond,brown,& black none of my dads siblings had red hair LOL.But I have been thinking tho my dads sister was a little girl when her grandmother told her and you know how sometimes things can get turned around after so many years I'm thinking that great grandmother Mary was talking about Peter and his 1st wife.Peter was a fur trapper in Dayton,Tn which is not far from the Cherokee Reservation (well in our time its not LOL)I found out he was a fur trapper because the graveyard he was buried in at his death was only for fur trappers its a french cemetery and from the info I gathered most of the fur trappers in that area married Indians because they could survive better in the wilderness and forage for food till they could get to a nearby town and help with passage thru the reservation.I found a Sophronia Millican in the "D.A.R."(Daughter's of the Revolutionary War) records as well as the Cherokee Cenus Records but I also found a Sarah Millican and Peters mothers name was Sarah in the Cherokee Cenus and we have no info on her either.From the dates I found for both women Sophronia would be the right age to be Peter's wife and Sarah would be the right age to be his mother so I'm just wondering if him and his siblings were raised on a reservation but for a female family member to be in the "D.A.R." for receiving benefits would be if the male family member was dead or unable to take care of themselves and the female member had to accept the help.I don't know how to figure it out I tried to enlist my stepdads cousin who is a Cherokee Indian Chief at the Reservation in North Carolina but he wouldn't believe I had Indian in me because of my red hair and fair skin course he believed that my dad and his siblings had Indian in them after he saw pics of my dad and my dads siblings and had the audacity in front of my mom to say that my dad couldn't be my dad boy you should have seen my mom the stuff hit the fan then LOL thats when I pulled out a pic of my mom at my age (i was 16yrs old)and there she was spitt'in image of me down to the fiery red hair he was absolutely stunned he still wouldn't help me he just refused to believe I had Indian blood my opinion he just didn't want to help me because I wasn't really family.So I've been stuck ever since.Does anyone know of a free site that has Native American Indian info?or Have any ideas of where I might be able to search?I'm so lost on this right now its not even funny LOL.I've had to stop researching.

[Lynnie]

My mom and I recently did some research and found out some interesting "bad" folks in our lineage.

It seems that my GGgrandfather stole 8 gallons of homemade blackberry wine, was arrested and charged with burglary. We also think he murdered a man later in life but have been having a rough time locating the correct county. (long story...)

Now his mother was arrested for disorderly conduct. According to the deposition of one of the witnesses, she was involved in a brawl on main street and was behaving in a "war like" manner.

Now her husband, was murdered (stabbed several times) by his brother-in-law. From what we have gathered so far, he didn't like how his sister was being treated by her husband and they fought several times over it before the final battle.

I sure am glad that we broke that cycle before it got down to me!


Remind me not to mess with you, just in case :)

[gmacochrane]

Here is a link that might help you. It is worth a look anyway. There is a search box to search for specific indian names near the top right side of the page.

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/cherokee/cherohist.htm

On the left side there is a list of Free Links that you can check out. Here is a list of those links:

Free Indian Records
Index and Database of Rolls
Indian Cemeteries
Indian Census Records
Indian Chiefs
Indian History
Indian Stories, Myths and Legends
Indian Tribe Listings
Indian Tribes and Nations, 1880
Indian Tribes by Location
Native American Books
Native American Land Patents
Native American Queries
South East Research
Treaties with the Indians
Tribal Mailing Lists
How to Search
How to Register

Good luck! I hope you can track down your missing link!

[Lynnie]

Michele, my husband is an expert on SAR and DAR. You have to have a completely traceable line through to the ancester in DAR in order to qualify. That means birth certificates and other data that can prove you, through your parents, grandparents, etc. There is a variety of documentation that will do. If you can prove a connection to the person who submitted your ancestor to DAR that would qualify too (for example, if it was your sister or cousin)

I will ask him when I see him next about the native american registries. There are quite a few sources there, although not much proof in earlier generations.

[redbomchele38]

Michele, my husband is an expert on SAR and DAR. You have to have a completely traceable line through to the ancester in DAR in order to qualify. That means birth certificates and other data that can prove you, through your parents, grandparents, etc. There is a variety of documentation that will do. If you can prove a connection to the person who submitted your ancestor to DAR that would qualify too (for example, if it was your sister or cousin)

I will ask him when I see him next about the native american registries. There are quite a few sources there, although not much proof in earlier generations.

I went to the Chattanooga,Tn Public Library and looked thru their D.A.R. records they have there I was just looking for any Millican's in the area where I lived and my ancestors lived which was Dayton,Tn and North Carolina during my great great grandfathers day and those were the names I found I don't know if the women are any relation to me but from all the info I have been gathering if its in my area of research they end up being related in some way LOL.The mens names are Peter Perry Millican & his father is Calvin Millican and Calvin's father is Harvey Millican and Harvey's father is Julius Millican.My grandfather Robert Luther Millican changed his last name to Milligan after his parents divorced out of pure meanness LOL his fathers name was John Ed Millican which is Peters son.Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[redbomchele38]

My mom and I recently did some research and found out some interesting "bad" folks in our lineage.

It seems that my GGgrandfather stole 8 gallons of homemade blackberry wine, was arrested and charged with burglary. We also think he murdered a man later in life but have been having a rough time locating the correct county. (long story...)

Now his mother was arrested for disorderly conduct. According to the deposition of one of the witnesses, she was involved in a brawl on main street and was behaving in a "war like" manner.

Now her husband, was murdered (stabbed several times) by his brother-in-law. From what we have gathered so far, he didn't like how his sister was being treated by her husband and they fought several times over it before the final battle.

I sure am glad that we broke that cycle before it got down to me!

Honey!LOL! My own grandfather my moms dad used to help run moon shine back in the day LOL.Up till about 10 yrs ago he was still buying moon shine.That story as sad & tragic as it is,is one amazing story to pass down thru the family simply because it is a teaching tool to teach each generation about what not to do and thats probably why the cycle was broken a lesson learned.
Heck I have 2 identical twin great uncles who were named after 2 of the most famous bank robbers of the west and that is Frank James & Jesse James.
Don't get upset about the stories you hear record them preserve them for the future generation.I'm a big believer in recording any family stories no matter how bad they are because they give insights into your ancestors life.I also found out one of my great aunts married Doc Holiday was with him when he died.

[LisasMom]

Michele - I would first start with Cyndi's List and find out exactly HOW to trace Native ancestry. There are several little nuances that make it slightly different than some of the European lines. One big thing that had a major effect on all Native research was the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The federal government made it a CRIME to live east of the Mississippi if you were of Native ancestry. Supposedly, the act started out as voluntary but many tribes immediately acted to get the best land west of the Mississippi. Therefore, the whole tribe was bound to the treaty to leave the east. As the years progressed, the pressure became more intense and there was lots of conflict but mostly just out right LIES, LIES, LIES. Many Natives did not want to leave the east and lied to stay where they were. Many claimed to be half white/half black. It was considered to be more favorable in those days to be black and risk slavery than to be Native and risk removal. If you look at census records for 1840 and even after that in some areas, you will see tons of *mixed* black/white families with no mention of Native blood! And those weren't the only records that were manipulated - even church records contain many lies that the Natives were forced to produce just to stay in their own hometowns in the east. It sounds like you have already encountered some of this. What rotten times eh??

So anyway, check out the ins and outs particular to Native research then go searching in various places for your ancestors. This is one area that you really need to know more about the history of the times and places where your ancestors lived. Cyndi's List also includes lots of links particular to Cherokee tribes and nation.

Good luck and if you have any other specific questions, check back. Keep us updated - your story sounds fascinating!

[LisasMom]

As an example to what I'm talking about in my last post, is my Dad. He thought for sure that he had Native blood through his dad's dad - they were French Canadian and yes, many of them were trappers and had the Native wife and kids in the wilderness and the French wife and kids in Montreal or Quebec. Quite common in those days and although it wasn't openly accepted, it was kept quiet enough to be ignored and not cause too many problems. At least not until descendants started checking into things a little more closely! LOL

But, what had really happened in my Dad's family was that it was his dad's mother who was half Iroquois of the Mohawk tribe from New York. Very early in our country's history, a lot of Iroquois left the colonization of New York and headed for the *Ohio Country*. Many assimilated into Ohio tribes like Shawnee, Mingo and so forth. My particular line joined with the Mingoes and headed away from the Ohio River north to Lake Erie. Here is where history is important again - In northwest Ohio was a huge, mired area called The Great Black Swamp. It was almost impenetrable and as a result, Indians were about the only ones living here for much later than other areas close by.

By the time of the Federal Indian Removal Act, my ancestors had been here way too long to just up and leave! So they lied! They claimed to be half black, half French. I knew my great-grandmother who was half Mohawk and half French, and she looked like she could have been a Mulatto but her sons, including my grandpa looked just like the Natives you see in documentaries and such! They had very coppery, not brown or black, skin, high cheekbones and straighter black hair that was only somewhat courser than whites but not nearly as course as blacks. So you really can't tell by looks alone; my grandpa was only one-quarter Mohawk but looked very much the part. His mother (who was half) and even his granddad who was full-blooded Mohawk from New York neither looked Native.

I've run into so many records that were fudged because of this! But, none of them ever left northwest Ohio! We're all still here! Always keep this bit of history in the back of your mind when tracing early eastern tribes. Much harder to trace than the later plains and southwest tribes.

[redbomchele38]

I will take your advice.

[scamptx]

Vicki, you are an amazing source of knowledge! Fascinating!

My aunt has been nagging at me to find out if my great grandmother was of Cherokee descent. She says older folks in the family teased about it, but no one ever had any proof. Add to that the burned courthouse records, the number of same last name in the area, and all the 'normal' speed bumps--this one will take time to really dig through.

Your history lesson has got me thinking!

[ebears]

I know I'm not a grandma but I saw the forum for genealogy and I've been tracing my family tree and I'm stuck and I was wondering if I can ask you guys questions or do I have to be a grandmother to use this forum?
Thanks
&
GOD BLESS!
Michele

.anyone is welcome here - hope to see you often here.

[ebears]

Hi there, I have been reading this thread and wondered if anyone can tell me how I start looking into my family ancestry? It is actually my husband that wants to look up his ancestry. I did a bit of research with his mother's name and dob and got nothing. and did his parents marriage and got nothing. I think he thinks that he does not exist (lol)

We live in Australia but we originally came from the UK and our parents and families were all from either the UK or Ireland or (my mum) from Pensylvania.

Any direction for a beginner would be much appreciated.

In Australia, Births Deaths & Marriages information is recorded by each state.
If your husbands mother was born in Australia, you contact the Dept in your state.
Here is the link for the New South Wales Dept (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/)
This certificate would give you her parents details and where they were living.

There is a web site listing a lot of cemetry records for Australians on this link (http://www.coraweb.com.au/cemetaus.htm)

People who have UK ancestory often have convict ancestory. If so there are lists of names of convicts who landed in various ships and the names of those ships. Google the genealogy web site for New South Wales. You will get links and associated web sites from here.
New South Wales genealogy website (http://www.genealogylinks.net/australia/new-south-wales/)

My ancestors came out from Scotland in the 1830's (my fathers family) to settle in South Australia. Although I live in Western Australia, I need to go to South Australian genealogy website for links etc.

Hope this helps a bit.

[Granmatoseven]

.

Thanks for all the information Joan. My husband has recently joined a site, I cannot remember which one, so when he gets a bit of time he is going to have a serious go at tracing his family. He probably will not do anything until he has a break from work. I was going to have a go but I think I will leave it up to him. I think he will enjoy working it out. Once again thanks for the heads up on where to start.

:wave:

[redbomchele38]

Heres a site to check out that is free rootsweb.com I love it I have requests for info dating back to 2000 and I get answers every once and while even now.