How far back can you trace your family history?
What do you know about your ancestors? I can trace one side of my family back to 1700 and the other side I have traced back to the mid 1600's. Does knowing about your ancestors help with the way you live your life today?
I can only go back to about the early 1800's on my mom's side but, on my daddy's I can trace our family back to an ancestor who was born in Wales in 1584 and sailed for America as a young man (YAY for the Virginia Colony!). It doesn't really affect who I am, but it helps to know where I came from.
Actually knowing about ancestors do not help me to live my life here and now. So i prefer not to dig as history do not interest me that way.
Thanks for the question.
I was able to track my father's side of the family back to the early 1600s. I traced my huband's family back to the 1600's as well. It was important to my husband to know more about his family, because his mother left him with his father when he was only a baby, and his father died early at the age of 40. Therefore, my husband really didn't know much about his ancestors. He was thrilled to find out that his grandmother's family (on his father's side) was one of the original settlers in New Jersey. I think that knowing more about his ancestors gave him the sense of family that he was missing.
My great-great-great grandmother. I don't know too much about two of my grandparents history, yet I know the other two histories. Where they lived mainly, though I don't know their occupations.
I have been able to trace my maternal line back to the 1700s in Poland through research at a church there. It's taken a lot of work to get that far, but it's exciting and have all the documentation needed. I'm also working on some final documents on my son's ancestry (husband's side) so that he can one day join the Sons of the American Revolution.
The farthest-back ancestor I've found so far participated in the First Crusade in 1096.
Following my paternal grandmother's line, I can trace directly back to Egbert, King of Wessex 809-839. The King was my 40 something or other great great grandfather.
On my paternal grandfather's side, I am having trouble getting past 1770 South Petherton, Somerset England!
Knowing your ancestors always helps to build confidence upon your regular activities.
1. When one tries to find out the reason behind certain behavioral patterns s/he follows, he will find this interesting.
2. Knowing ancestors produces a sense of association with them. This results into indirect copying their positive or negative aspects.
3. Going by book of affairs of ancestors if any (present till date) will let them decide which path to take in complex situation.
4. Family members can present quick solutions to modern day issues recollecting similar situations from the past encountered by their ancestors.
5. Sense of duty exfoliates among family members knowing mighty tasks successfully executed by their ancestors.
6. Family bonding gets stronger time to time when you push your imagination and recollect the days of integrity and valor to fight against odd.
7. Any genetic disease prevalent among the ancestors make you aware of the facts associated with them. In future you may take bold steps toward curing these diseases without any hesitation/delay.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to identify my paternal great-great-grandfather yet in Germany. Some of the ancestors on my mother's side go back to around 1500 in Switzerland.
by Randy Godwin 12 years ago
Have you traced your roots back for more than a few generations?Just how far back can you trace your family tree?
by Elayne 9 years ago
Where do your ancestors come from? My mother's side is Danish and my father's side mostly Scottish.
by India Arnold 13 years ago
What are the best sites for discovering family history?
by Greg Schweizer 8 years ago
Why are people so concerned about their heritage/ancestry?I am not asking this question to be mean. I am just curious. Personally, I know that my ancestors came from Germany. I am satisfied with knowing that. I don't need to know specifics of 100 or 200 years ago. That part of my ancestry doesn't...
by Phyllis Doyle Burns 9 years ago
What was 'The Far Side'?Can you elaborate on that?
by George Thomas Saviel 3 years ago
Hi all how are you doing with your family history research.
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