Interesting Genealogies?

BobWestbrook · #1 08-14-2010, 09:52 AM

I'm wondering if anyone has dug up interesting facts about their ancestors? I don't personally put much significance to it; it's just fascinating to discover.

My father did extensive genealogical research of my family, and published a book of several hundred pages. The furthest back he traced our family was to a Baron Hugo Van Vredenburch born in Holland in 1525.

funkydjembe · #2 08-14-2010, 10:06 AM

My grandpa (surname Aquino) who came from the phillipines had some Limahong blood in him (guess that means me too). I havent decided if is a good or bad thing,,just history,,hence he was a pirat

DigMe · #3 08-14-2010, 10:33 AM

My great great great great grandfather was in the first company of Texas Rangers and he was awarded land in Texas for his part in the war against Mexico. We still own 350 acres of that land outside of Austin. After that he was succeeded by a long line of law enforcement officers, one of which was a sheriff who was killed in a shootout. I think I had some Huguenot ancestors on the other side of the family that were driven out of France because of their lack of Catholicism. I have Scottish, Spanish and French ancestry that I know of.

bc

jp58 · #4 08-14-2010, 10:39 AM

Ours go back to the 1700's some time. Our name is Gaelic, if I remember correctly, for lover of horses.

Oh and we started a church in the 1800's that still stands, but I don't remember where it is.

**jmattbassplaya** · #5 08-14-2010, 10:50 AM

Here's a few tidbits I've learned over the years.

I had a family member who came over on the Mayflower and his brother (my direct ancestor) came over on one of the boats that would later follow suit.

I get my middle name (Foster) from a father and his two sons because of their unique roles during the birth of this nation. The father went to Harvard and became a judge. The eldest son went to the college that would later become Brown University, became a lawyer, was a staunch supporter of General George Washington, and later became the first senator of Rhode Island. And the youngest son who also went to what would later become known as Brown University, became a lawyer too, and he became the fourth senator of Massachusetts.

My grandfather was the youngest of eight kids and he had two older brothers who both served during WWII. Sadly they both died in battle when their ship was attacked, but their deaths became one of the main reasons why two people from the same family can no longer serve on the same vessel.

funkydjembe · #6 08-14-2010, 11:39 AM

this is darn interesting! makes me feel like a child in the scope of things. allways do your best younguns' 'cause the grand pappy's and mammy's died for us

blendermassacre · #7 08-14-2010, 11:58 AM

If my wife and I ever have a kid, it will be one of the most ethnically diverse kids ever created. I'm mostly of English and Scottish descent, and she is half Honduran, half Iranian. That kid will be a mutt to the max.

**Staccato** · #8 08-14-2010, 11:58 AM

The research is interesting and highly addictive. We're heavy into this, and genealogical
organizations in our family. It is more valuable if heavily supported by primary documentation,
including census, county records, cemetery data, and a variety of certified documents.

If interested in getting started on your family, shoot me a PM.

stratovani · #9 08-14-2010, 12:04 PM

A few years ago my sister did some genealogical research, and she found that one of our ancestors traveled from France to New France - modern-day Quebec - in 1713. I also have an ancestor that fought in the Rebellion of 1837, and he subsequently escaped to the USA in the aftermath of the rebellion. I have distant cousins here in the US that I've never met! Some live in Chicago, and a few more live in Oregon, according to Google.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebellion_of_1837

funkydjembe · #10 08-14-2010, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacatto

If interested in getting started on your family, shoot me a PM.

Yeah? you into the depth of those things? im interested

JimB52 · #11 08-14-2010, 12:30 PM

My great great great etc. grandfather on my paternal grandmothers side was Caleb Doolittle, reputed to be the strongest man in colonial America.
His shoes were built on a 16 inch last, weighed over 300 lbs, supposedly seven feet tall. His gravestone indicates April 31st as his date of death.

Mad Russian · #12 08-14-2010, 01:29 PM

My Great Grandparents (surname Federov) were servants to Czar Nicholas II of Russia. They left for America just as the revolution occurred.

I had an great uncle who was killed in WWII - Battle of the Bulge. I really didnt know much about him until I read this book: http://www.authordon.com/
It chronicles only a few days of his life. But it also details how he died - a 75mm shell to the upper body. The author's father seemed to have made friends with my great-uncle. I actually emailed the author. I told him the last name was spelled incorrectly. He is going to fix it in the next edition. He also sent me a signed hard copy (at no cost) - I ended up giving it to my father. I had not seen him cry like that in years.
I would recommend this book to any WWII buff!

knumbskull · #13 08-14-2010, 01:33 PM

edit

i did sign up for one of those websites, still getting spam 4 years later

MEKer · #14 08-14-2010, 03:13 PM

My direct line grandfather, George Keller, came to the US in 1736 from Germany,landed in Philadephia, married Barbara Hottell a couple years later, purchased land from Lord Fairfax at Toms Brook, VA and the survey was signed by a young George Washington, who became a family acquaintance. HIS son, George (Jr), served in the Revolution as one of Washington's secretaries. Our land and the Hottell property are together now some kind of state park in Tom's Brook, VA and some of the old buildings are still there, along with the Keller graveyard. All records are still extant and in the museum.
Gotta bunch more history that's pretty cool (Civil War, etc.). The Keller-Hottell Society did a complete "in America" genealogy (plus some that is incomplete but goes back to the late 1400's) that takes it up to 1927 that has every single person in it of the family and all relations, marriages, etc. VERY thick book on fine paper. Another book by the Society has just been completed and carries from 1927 to present day.
This is from my father's side.

Lady Kayri · #15 08-14-2010, 06:40 PM

Serious amature genealogist here. Teach the subject in night school / adult ed classes. Member DAR & Daughters of Union Veterans. Most interesting thing about my family though is that I had 3 of my grandparents involved in WWI - my maternal grandmother was a Red Cross / US Army nurse; she was later one of the first public health / school nurses in Wisconsin. When my grand dad lost his job during the Depression, it was her paycheck that kept the family going!

Also have a copy of my g-g-grand dad's diary & letters he sent home while serving as an assistant surgeon in the 3rd Maryland Volunteer Infantry during the US Civil War.

Relic · #16 08-14-2010, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blendermassacre

If my wife and I ever have a kid, it will be one of the most ethnically diverse kids ever created. I'm mostly of English and Scottish descent, and she is half Honduran, half Iranian. That kid will be a mutt to the max.

I hear you!
I'm of Polish descent mainly, with some Slovenian, Slovakian and even a little Jewish thrown in. My wife on the other hand is native Costa Rican and Chinese. When we took our DNA tests, she also ended up having a rather large amount of African DNA as well. Our son therefore is basically..... the planet.

DerHoggz · #17 08-14-2010, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

I hear you!
I'm of Polish descent mainly, with some Slovenian, Slovakian and even a little Jewish thrown in. My wife on the other hand is native Costa Rican and Chinese. When we took our DNA tests, she also ended up having a rather large amount of African DNA as well. Our son therefore is basically..... the planet.

He shall be called...

CAPTAIN PLANET!

Jay Ralston · #18 08-14-2010, 08:00 PM

I know that I am related to Adam through the genealogy of Noah.

MadMan118 · #19 08-14-2010, 08:24 PM

On my fathers side of the family is entirely Japanese. Both of my grandparents were interned at Manzanar and Tule Lake. My grandfather fought in the U.S. army In the 442nd regiment in WWII and the 1st calvary in the Korean war. Thats about as far as i can trace it back. My mothers side of the family is entirely Irish but thats about all I know

**Staccato** · #20 08-14-2010, 09:36 PM

You might be surprised what the DNA projects at familytreedna.com have linked through the males in a family. This is through son, father, grandfather (paternal) and so on, ancestors.

Documentation of the family ancestors, and the DNA comparisons linked my family, father, grandfather, and the males going back to our immigrant ancestor that entered this country in New Amersterdam (part of NYC) in the mid 1650's. This is fascinating stuff, and can lead you to a point well before the Civil War. I consider any research after the year 1900 as only the tip of the iceberg. Nearly all of my 2nd GGF's were soldiers in the Civil War-since they were living in the South...