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rich
30-Aug-06, 15:39
What is the fascination of genealogy?
Getting lost in the branches of the family tree seems to afflict people over age 50 and, in my opinion, is as sure a sign of impending senility as taking up lawn bowling.
You think that is too harsh?
OK then I'll say it has all the scientific merit of astrology with none of the opportunity to pick up young women by asking their sign.
Looked at from a perspecive of DNA it makes zero sense.
Bear with my rudimentary and impaired arithmetic, a legacy of my math teachers at the Miller Academy.
50% of our genes come from Dad, 50% from Mum.
So the input of our grandparents is half that devided by two. (Bear with me, I am no numbers wiz!!!)
Is that 12.5 per cent?
Well you can see that the further you get into the thickets of the family tree the broader and broader things get. After a few generations you are related to everyody which renders geneaology absurd. (I have been reading Richard Dwawkins on the Selfish Gene but I could have got it wrong.) I am open to scientific correction. ANyway the whole thing is baffling and possibly fraudulent.
Remember the fuss about the math teacher in the mid west of the USA who was identified (wrongly? rightly? both?) as a linear descendent of Genghis Khan? Or how about that other great ancestor, Niall of the Seven Hostages?
One piece of my family lore says we are descended from Bloody Claverhouse the persecuter of Presbyterians who got himself killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie. Well, why not - everybody in Europe is likely related to him and we to them!
Let's not get into this "my ancestors are more colorful than yours'" discussion.
Just enlighten me.
Geneaologists ,why do you do this thing?
What is the alchemy behind it?
Whence the fascination?
Why are you not playing bowls with the rest of we drooling dotards????

trinkie
30-Aug-06, 15:55
OMG I've got Sutherlands - I hope you are not one of mine !! he he he

In which case a gentle pruning will have to be done immediately!

Does there have to be a scientific reason - how boring !


Kindest regards and good wishes in whatever you decide to do with your free time.
Trinkie

Bobinovich
30-Aug-06, 16:06
Kindest regards and good wishes in whatever you decide to do with your free time.
Trinkie

Maybe that's the problem/reason - free time. (Semi-)Retired fowk seem to have far too much of it on their hands (those who aren't trawling these message boards anyway - not looking at anyone in particular :eek: ) and genealogy is a wonderful way of whiling away a few days/months/years by all accounts.

MadPict
30-Aug-06, 16:18
Some people just want to pin down their roots - not a crime.

Many people did not know their parents, for whatever reason and wish to find relatives.

Some may know half their family tree and wish to find out the other.

As families moved into the 19th/20th centuries they were not living like their ancestors did, all in one house or one street or even one village. They moved away to find work. They become spread out and maybe lose touch. They might move to other lands across the oceans.

As more records become available online it means people don't have to travel to the Central records Office at Kew to do research. They can do a lot from home. It's a hobby for some.

If you don't like it don't do it.

rich
30-Aug-06, 16:27
But, my dear Mad Pict, the whole point is that geneaology does NOT put you in touch with your roots - at least not after the great grandparents - the thing is too diluted to be of any use. All you might learn if you are from Caithness is is that you are Caucasian, and that in itself is a dubious term.
I remain perplexed. And how can it be fun? Please let me know. I am ready to be converted....

squidge
30-Aug-06, 16:33
Rich

did you watch the programme on BBC recently where some celebrities researched their ancestors and managed to find out some really interesting infomration about them. With a little hard work not only can you find out that fred Bloggs was your distant relative but what he did for work what their lifestyle was and even find them mentione din the newspapers of the time.

Thats what can be fascinating

Naefearjustbeer
30-Aug-06, 16:56
What I find interesting is the fact that some folk go to great lengths to find distant relatives in even more distant lands when they hardy bother with the close kin they have in the county or even country. Either that they are looking to sort out cheap (free) digs for a transatlantic or global holiday. Big pinch of salt to be taken with this post before allowing it to simmer for 30 mins LOL!! :lol:

paris
30-Aug-06, 17:19
As an adoptee, i grew up as an only child thinking it was just little old me and that was that. it wasn't untill i reached an age that i understood all the whys etc that i decided to look on one of the main genealogy sites put in my details d.o. b . etc and hey presto i finds out that im actually one of 12 siblings. I have met them all except one whom i just cannot trace. that is the fun of genealogy my friend......... jan x

MadPict
30-Aug-06, 19:02
I'm not going to try and convert you - if you can't see any point in it, fair enough.

brandy
30-Aug-06, 19:16
*laughs* umm as there are about 60 peeps in my immediate family.. from my great gran and grandad down.. whom we are all very close with.. even spread out on dif continents as i now am..
i still talk to all of them.. all the time.. know all the family gossip and everything.. and we keep our ancestors alive by talking about them and telling stories to the younger generations.. even thought they may not have ever met the person they still know them..

golach
30-Aug-06, 19:28
Sorry Rich, I am a keen geneaologist, and CCWS has helped me greatly, I am finding out more and more about my family history, and I am enjoying it....got more than 210 in my tree, hope they dont all fall out at once

Lavenderblue2
30-Aug-06, 19:34
I wish that I had more time and indeed know-how to pursue this most fascinating pastime - certainly not a task for drooling dotards.

Ricco
30-Aug-06, 19:34
Sorry, Rich - me too. I have ancestors who were Huguenots and others who were Grants. Also, the family line is a long established and highly regarded one through history. Lots of intrigue and no doubt naughty stuff as well. It like digging into the sordid, seamy side of the Sun or the Daily Sport. Luvvley!:D

susan.leith
30-Aug-06, 19:39
For us a family gathering means all 7 of us getting together!! No aunts, uncles or cousins as my parents are both only children. I reckoned there had to be more of us out there somewhere ....... and of course there are. I am in regular contact with "new" members of the family throughout the UK and in Canada, USA and Australia. Genealogy is my hobby - it's not just collecting names or finding my roots, it's finding out about the lifestyles of these people - deaths from measles or whooping cough, occupations passing from father to son, emigration. I've found bigamists, murderers, a multi - millionaire.... there's even a statue of one of my distant relatives in Wick. But if genealogy isn't for you, then that's fine, just as bowling or going to the pub isn't for me. BTW I'm not over 50!

pultneytooner
30-Aug-06, 19:40
PAF is a task specific family tree database, I'm not sure about photos, but you could always put them in your data folder. It is a free download & the most used and therefore most sharable with other genealogists.

you can download it for free, here (http://www.familysearch.org/eng/paf/pafonline.asp)

percy toboggan
30-Aug-06, 19:50
What is the fascination of genealogy?
Getting lost in the branches of the family tree seems to afflict people over age 50 and, in my opinion, is as sure a sign of impending senility as taking up lawn bowling.
You think that is too harsh?
OK then I'll say it has all the scientific merit of astrology with none of the opportunity to pick up young women by asking their sign.
Looked at from a perspecive of DNA it makes zero sense.
Bear with my rudimentary and impaired arithmetic, a legacy of my math teachers at the Miller Academy.
50% of our genes come from Dad, 50% from Mum.
So the input of our grandparents is half that devided by two. (Bear with me, I am no numbers wiz!!!)
Is that 12.5 per cent?
Well you can see that the further you get into the thickets of the family tree the broader and broader things get. After a few generations you are related to everyody which renders geneaology absurd. (I have been reading Richard Dwawkins on the Selfish Gene but I could have got it wrong.) I am open to scientific correction. ANyway the whole thing is baffling and possibly fraudulent.
Remember the fuss about the math teacher in the mid west of the USA who was identified (wrongly? rightly? both?) as a linear descendent of Genghis Khan? Or how about that other great ancestor, Niall of the Seven Hostages?
One piece of my family lore says we are descended from Bloody Claverhouse the persecuter of Presbyterians who got himself killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie. Well, why not - everybody in Europe is likely related to him and we to them!
Let's not get into this "my ancestors are more colorful than yours'" discussion.
Just enlighten me.
Geneaologists ,why do you do this thing?
What is the alchemy behind it?
Whence the fascination?
Why are you not playing bowls with the rest of we drooling dotards????

Of all the things in all the world to choose to have a pop at people you opt for this harmless activity. Your world must be very settled.

scorrie
30-Aug-06, 21:08
What is the fascination of genealogy?
Getting lost in the branches of the family tree seems to afflict people over age 50 and, in my opinion, is as sure a sign of impending senility as taking up lawn bowling.
You think that is too harsh?
OK then I'll say it has all the scientific merit of astrology with none of the opportunity to pick up young women by asking their sign.
Looked at from a perspecive of DNA it makes zero sense.
Bear with my rudimentary and impaired arithmetic, a legacy of my math teachers at the Miller Academy.
50% of our genes come from Dad, 50% from Mum.
So the input of our grandparents is half that devided by two. (Bear with me, I am no numbers wiz!!!)
Is that 12.5 per cent?
Well you can see that the further you get into the thickets of the family tree the broader and broader things get. After a few generations you are related to everyody which renders geneaology absurd. (I have been reading Richard Dwawkins on the Selfish Gene but I could have got it wrong.) I am open to scientific correction. ANyway the whole thing is baffling and possibly fraudulent.
Remember the fuss about the math teacher in the mid west of the USA who was identified (wrongly? rightly? both?) as a linear descendent of Genghis Khan? Or how about that other great ancestor, Niall of the Seven Hostages?
One piece of my family lore says we are descended from Bloody Claverhouse the persecuter of Presbyterians who got himself killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie. Well, why not - everybody in Europe is likely related to him and we to them!
Let's not get into this "my ancestors are more colorful than yours'" discussion.
Just enlighten me.
Geneaologists ,why do you do this thing?
What is the alchemy behind it?
Whence the fascination?
Why are you not playing bowls with the rest of we drooling dotards????

You can trawl back up your family tree to the nth degree. You may find something interesting or nothing at all. The one thing that is certain, is that if those people had not met up and done what they had done, then you would not exist. I think that is 100% certain, better double check with the Maths bigwigs ;o)

htwood
30-Aug-06, 21:14
What's your gripe with it Rich, maybe you're not happy for other reasons, so why blame geneaology. Maybe your complaint is with those who go beyond fact into speculation and fantasy?
Geneaology does put me in touch with my roots. There's nothing like standing at Harpsdale Hill, looking out over river thurso & golden fields of grain, knowing my own family stood there too.

Go ahead and axe your own family tree, but leave the rest of the forest for those who enjoy it. -H

rich
30-Aug-06, 21:23
Scorrie, that's not a bad point.
To the rest of you:
I was querying the usefulness if any of going back beyond your great grandparents because by that time you are not carrying any of their DNA. In other words your ancestors are in one package and you are in another. I wish some maths person would do the sums for me on this.
It's a bit like a kid with a bucket filling it with sea water and saying this is my own personal little bit of ocean.
And why bother tracking down some obscure crofter in the parish records in 1815? Let the dead lie, say I
But please, what is this rare pleasure of delving into or up the the family tree? Can you share it with me????

rich
30-Aug-06, 21:30
I am beginning to feel more and more like an axe murderer!
Htwood, I dont understand why it is important for you to feel that your ancestors are just a breath away when you see a view they once beheld.
The first time I saw Paris I felt as if I was coming home. But as far as I know none of my ancestors got debonced during the French Revolution and I regret to say that I am unlikely to be related geneticaly to Marcel Proust because he was from a Jewish family.
Let me ask you all how far back have you got on the ancestor trail? I gather most people run into a wall by the 18th century.

MadPict
30-Aug-06, 21:34
I was querying the usefulness if any of going back beyond your great grandparents because by that time you are not carrying any of their DNA.

I'm not an expert but I think this statement is flawed.
DNA testing in 1997 established that Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton buried over 9000 years ago, has descendants still living in Cheddar.

How do you say that anything past your GG parent is useless?


Let me ask you all how far back have you got on the ancestor trail? I gather most people run into a wall by the 18th century.

That is usually due to the fact that the Census records before then don't exist....

trinkie
30-Aug-06, 21:37
Richard,
It will be different for each of us.
For me the buzz of finding someone I never knew exsisted - or finding someone who had done some heroic thing during the War.
All the very ordinary folk, their suffering, their work.
It goes on...
Give it a try and see what it does for you.
You seem to have a scientific approach - now I wonder who or where that came from?

Go on , we'll all help you.

pultneytooner
30-Aug-06, 22:00
If any of those direct ancestors had died you wouldn't exist.:)
Did you know that eight U.S. presidents are known to be descended from Mayflower passengers?

acameron
30-Aug-06, 22:18
Without that obscure Crofter - you or I would not exist. Its curiosity, it’s the sense of history, where we came from and who we are. If you are into it you can get hooked on finding that next piece of the puzzle. It’s also a pastime, an interest and an excuse to get the brain active (and nothing wrong with that) - You decide, choose something like genealogy or watch Eastenders.
You may choose the latter as it maybe your niche, but whatever it is good luck to ye, and good luck to all amateur genealogists.

Can I ask why are you so negative about something you have no intrest in? or are you short of players for the bowls but there all too busy? lol

Kenn
30-Aug-06, 22:29
I've had a few delves into the past mainly out of curiosity and have been able to confirm that stories told of the family were true having located the person in the right place and with the right occupation.
I have also been able to pass this information on to younger members of my own family who have seen photos of grandparents,great grand parents but did not know where they originated from or what life style they had.

Go on Rich admit it you must be a bit curious as to whether great,great uncle Tobias really did live up to his reputation!

paris
30-Aug-06, 22:31
As i posted earlier, i was adopted so i wanted to know about my birth family going back as far as i could. On my g/g grandmothers side i found out that my family was the last known smugglers in kent, on my g/g grandfathers side i found out they were nearly all railway workers and one was murdered. As a little girl i wasnt really interested but as i got older i wanted to know where i came from ...ok no jokes there please LOL . 2 yrs ago while living in caithness i phoned social services and a social worker came out to our home and i explained that i even though i had found all these family members i still didnt have any paperwork regarding my adoption/birth family. within 4 weeks she had the lot and arranged a meeting . I was gobsmacked as for years i couldnt get anywhere with s/s or banados. That led me to trace members to add to my family tree, and one day i can give it to my children. Its great fun talking to people who i didnt know anything about me . jan x
P.s both sets of parents have been dead for many years now so i cant upset anyone either .

changilass
30-Aug-06, 22:33
I started tracing my family tree about 5 years ago (will be 42 soon - so not reserved for the over 50's) and have found new friends and family that I did not know existed. I have found a realtive who lives a few streets away from where I recently moved from, but have walked passed him on the street not knowing.

I can trace family back to the 1700's in the local area, and have , like many others, explored a few places I would probably not have traveled to.

It is an interesting pasttime, and as we are hoping to adopt, hopefully it is a skill I will be able to pass on to our children in order to help them understand where they came from.

paris
30-Aug-06, 22:49
I started tracing my family tree about 5 years ago (will be 42 soon - so not reserved for the over 50's) and have found new friends and family that I did not know existed. I have found a realtive who lives a few streets away from where I recently moved from, but have walked passed him on the street not knowing.

I can trace family back to the 1700's in the local area, and have , like many others, explored a few places I would probably not have traveled to.

It is an interesting pasttime, and as we are hoping to adopt, hopefully it is a skill I will be able to pass on to our children in order to help them understand where they came from.

You must have a good heart hoping to become adoptive parents. good luck to you both . jan x

Lolabelle
31-Aug-06, 00:19
It's is an interest, people are curious about the past and who they were related to, what those people did, how they lived, loved and died.
It's like asking why people like anything, why do I write childrens stories, why do people like to read sci fi stories, they aren't true. But it is thier interest.
I don't know why anyone would play lawn bowls, but judging by the amount of bowling clubs around here, they do. Why do we do anything besides eat, sleep and drink, (and the waste disposal that follows the eating and drinking). People find different things interesting, and that is good, because otherwise we wouldn't be able to get books from the library, everyone would be fighting over the one book, and conversation would dwindle.

Rheghead
31-Aug-06, 00:30
I started on my family history just for a project to do as I am interested in history anyway. I thought it might just be a journey or a quest that no one in my family had bothered to do before. It has given allsorts of things to learn about from 17th century lead mining to 19th century veterinary surgery against all the backdrop of the international stage at those times. So my family history is actually history in itself.

I heard a quote that goes along like this "A man who goes without a sense of history remains a child throughout his lifetime", I don't know who said it but it just sums it up for me.

EDIT, I showed my niece who is 17 her family tree and she wasn't the least bit interested, she reminded me of myself when I was that age, so now I refuse to show anyone it unless they really express an interest. But the fascination is the quest or the thought process, showing my niece the family tree was like showing her how a magic trick was done before actually showing her the magic trick. I will leave her to find her own right time to do her own research and I will go to my grave clutching my own research.

Lolabelle
31-Aug-06, 00:35
Where are you Kingetter, you should explain it, it's what you do!:cool:

MadPict
31-Aug-06, 00:53
I showed my niece who is 17 her family tree and she wasn't the least bit interested, she reminded me of myself when I was that age...

I think you hit the nail on the head - when you're young and more interested in things that young folk are, family history and talking to the olds is the last thing you want to do. When you get older and perhaps a little wiser you realise that you perhaps missed out on the chance to ask older relatives a lot of important questions.

I know I did... :(

Lolabelle
31-Aug-06, 00:59
I think you hit the nail on the head - when you're young and more interested in things that young folk are, family history and talking to the olds is the last thing you want to do. When you get older and perhaps a little wiser you realise that you perhaps missed out on the chance to ask older relatives a lot of important questions.

I know I did... :(

Me too, so many questions now that there is no one left to ask. :~(

Kingetter
31-Aug-06, 01:17
Where are you Kingetter, you should explain it, it's what you do!:cool:

Like paris, I'm an adoptee, though I found this out late in life. At the time I made the discovery, my past life suddenly seemed to be a lie - I had no blood ties with anyone - that worried me very much, and that probably underpinned my search for my Birth Family.
With the passing on of my Adoptive Parents and having no brothers or sisters, I'd be without family - is that not a good reason for getting involved?
Thus I started into Genealogy which I took to possibly also because I'd always enjoyed History at school.
Aside from my own 'family interests', I also help others with theirs and I find it absorbing, challenging, fascinating, educational, and much more besides.
By following this 'hobby', I've gone from 'no family' to having a great many (albeit distant relatives). How positive can you get?
I respect the freedom for people not to be interested in it, and I started before I was 50.

Lolabelle
31-Aug-06, 01:27
Like paris, I'm an adoptee, though I found this out late in life. At the time I made the discovery, my past life suddenly seemed to be a lie - I had no blood ties with anyone - that worried me very much, and that probably underpinned my search for my Birth Family.
With the passing on of my Adoptive Parents and having no brothers or sisters, I'd be without family - is that not a good reason for getting involved?
Thus I started into Genealogy which I took to possibly also because I'd always enjoyed History at school.
Aside from my own 'family interests', I also help others with theirs and I find it absorbing, challenging, fascinating, educational, and much more besides.
By following this 'hobby', I've gone from 'no family' to having a great many (albeit distant relatives). How positive can you get?
I respect the freedom for people not to be interested in it, and I started before I was 50.

Here, here!!!!!!:D

DrSzin
31-Aug-06, 02:07
I am beginning to feel more and more like an axe murderer!Well, that makes two of us. I don't have the slightest interest in genealogy either. Let's start a clique. :)

Maybe it's because my parents are from big families - I have 11 sets of aunts & uncles, at least 25 cousins (I don't know the exact number), 6 nephews & nieces, God knows how many second cousins, and a large close-knit clan of in-laws. That's enough to keep anyone busy - I have no desire to know about any more-distant relations.

_Ju_
31-Aug-06, 09:01
Small Communities of people, all more or a less related, with their own local histories and the personla family lore used to give people a sense of belonging. People now-a-days move around alot and communities are anonymous. This sense of this belonging (which is important to our herd instincts) has been lost. Genealogy, I think, is a way of recouping that.

I am very interested in my family history, but then having lived in 6 countries and having suffered 16 house moves (that I can remmeber), I have never felt rooted.

Ricco
31-Aug-06, 09:24
I am beginning to feel more and more like an axe murderer!
Htwood, I dont understand why it is important for you to feel that your ancestors are just a breath away when you see a view they once beheld.
The first time I saw Paris I felt as if I was coming home. But as far as I know none of my ancestors got debonced during the French Revolution and I regret to say that I am unlikely to be related geneticaly to Marcel Proust because he was from a Jewish family.
Let me ask you all how far back have you got on the ancestor trail? I gather most people run into a wall by the 18th century.

Not at all, Rich. You just like to be controvertial at times. No problem. :)

The interest lies in finding out who your ancestors were and what they did. What was life like back then? Sort of a time travel soap, I guess.

As for the maths, well I'm no mathematician (can only just spell the word!) but knowing that there is a huge amount of DNA material passed down from your parents on a 50-50 basis means that there is a great deal passed on through the generations. Someone may even find that an ancestor was indeed an axe murderer! LOL

golach
31-Aug-06, 10:48
Geneaology does put me in touch with my roots. There's nothing like standing at Harpsdale Hill, looking out over river thurso & golden fields of grain, knowing my own family stood there too.
H and nothing better than a stroll after lunch around the cemetarys of Leith with new found friends trying to find our relations :D

Rheghead
31-Aug-06, 11:04
Someone may even find that an ancestor was indeed an axe murderer! LOL

I found out that my ancestor was murdered in a village pub in 1832. Strangely, I moved to this village in the Lake District about 8 years ago and made the pub my local. I did get a bit of 'incomer' rubbish from the locals for moving there4 miles from the nearest town, talking about insular eh?:D

Anyway, if I'd known, it would have given me great pleasure to retort back to those sort of comments at that time with the knowledge that I could trace my my colourful family history connections with that village.

DrSzin
31-Aug-06, 11:20
I was querying the usefulness if any of going back beyond your great grandparents because by that time you are not carrying any of their DNA.Yes you are. Here's a standard simple-minded model:

We inherit 1/2 of our genetic material from each of our parents. On average, we inherit 1/4 from each of our grandparents, 1/8 from each of our great-grandparents, 1/16 from each of our great-great-grandparents, and so on. The average fraction decreases exponentially in this model but it doesn't actually reach zero in finite time.

What actually happens is a good bit more complicated than this because our parents' genes are not all independent, and the model only predicts averages once you go back past your parents. It also assumes genetic material is continuous, and we know it isn't. It's 16 years since I learned any genetics, and most of it went in one ear and out the other. Surely someone on the Org can do better than the simple-minded model above? Canuck perhaps?

Rheghead
31-Aug-06, 11:25
I thought that there was mitochondrial DNA that does not get changed through the generations except by mutation?

Dusty
31-Aug-06, 12:39
I have discovered:
That there were once thriving villages and industries where only cows now graze.
That an iconic local photograph shows where one of my ancestors lived and died.
That some of my ancestors moved from the borders to Caithness and that my Caithness born ancestors have at times lived and worked all over the world.

You don't get personalised stories like that in books, that's what I like about genealogy.

DrSzin
31-Aug-06, 13:00
I thought that there was mitochondrial DNA that does not get changed through the generations except by mutation?Yup, it comes from your mother. Unless you're a banana. No, I'm not kidding - go look here (http://experts.about.com/e/m/mi/Mitochondrial_DNA.htm). :)

And it's yet another correction to the simple model.

rich
31-Aug-06, 14:18
If any of you are really interested inthe role DNA plays in genealogy google your way to Sally Hemmings and the Black Jeffersonians for an example of the strengths and weaknesses of DNA evidence.

Sporran
31-Aug-06, 20:01
One of these days, when I have more time, I might delve into the genealogy of my family and my husband's. About 10 years ago, my mother and aunt discovered they had a cousin in New Zealand that they hadn't previously known about. He found them through his genealogy search, and he wrote to my aunt. My maternal grandfather came from a fairly large family, and the cousin was a relative on that side. He subsequently came over for his first visit to the UK, and met some of his kin.

A number of years ago, my husband's great uncle decided to do some genealogical research, after he retired from being a family doctor. His parents or grandparents had emigrated from northern Italy, and bore the surname of one of the famous Florentine Renaissance artists. Through his research, the retired doctor found that his family was indeed descended from the artist, who had lived a few hundred years before. When we went to Florence on holiday, we saw a self portrait of the artist, and were amazed to see a fairly strong resemblance between him and my husband's great uncle! It may all just be a coincidence of course, but my mother-in-law, his niece, was talented enough to win a scholarship to Boston School of Art when she was young. My husband and our sons, his brother and niece all display artistic talents, in fact. Perhaps it's all in the genes, who knows.....

trinkie
31-Aug-06, 21:03
Hallo Richard,
Re Genealogy, I found this in The Scots Book by Douglas....
it may help you to understand ?

......And so ye see, auld Pittoddles, when his third wife dee'd, he got mairrit upon the laird o' Blaithershins' aughteenth dochter, that was sister to Jemima, that was mairrit till Tam Flumexer, that was first and second cousin to the Piddoddles, whase brither becam laird efterwards, an' mairrit Blaithershins' Baubie - an' that way Jemima becam in a kind of a way her ain niece an' her ain aunty, an as we used to say, her guid-brither was mairrit to his ain grannie.


NOW do you understand why we do it?

bigpete
31-Aug-06, 21:52
serendipity - A true story!

Four years ago I was just surfing the web - as us old gits do from time to time - and put in an 'ego search' of my name and came across someone asking for details of someone whom I instantly recognised as my grandfather.

I registered with this genealogical forum and sent an email to say this person was my grandfather. I got an email back asking for the names of two of his son's. I gave my uncle Harry and my Father; Leonard. Emails back and forth until it transpired this was an unknown cousin in Wales and still later that I had a cousin down in Plymouth and another in Torquay who - between then for 40 years - had built up the family tree going back to 1529 - 477 years.

I got in touch with 'Cousin David' and a few months after that received through the post a stack of some 20 odd A3 sheets covering our 'tree'. I recognised a fair number, but it was interesting to note that the vast majority stayed in the same town in the West Country, hardly moving.

I was forwarded interesting snippets such as one of my forbearers had been instrumental in forming the Met's Flying Squad (I've since been regularly visiting his son in London). Got an Admiral back in the 18th century, another who was an Able Seaman on a ship blockading Boston in 1814 and one of the same name on the same HMS ship in 1914 in the Great War, and so on, AND found out I've got Scottish genes; my great great grandmother was born and bred in Perth in 1822, before moving south..
So yes, go for it, it's fascinating, it was by pure chance I discovered I have 'family' all over the world!

Kingetter
31-Aug-06, 22:35
Grandma Climbed The Family Tree

There's been a change in Grandma,
We've noticed as of late;
She's always reading history,
Or jotting down some date.

She's tracing back the family,
We'll all have pedigrees;
Grandma's got a hobby ...
She's Climbing Family Trees!

Poor Grandpa does the cooking,
And now, or so he states ...
He even has to wash the cups
And the dinner plates.

Well, Grandma can't be bothered,
She's busy as a bee
Compiling genealogy ..
For the Family Tree.

She has no time to baby-sit,
The curtains are a fright;
No buttons left on Grandpa's shirts,
The flower bed's a sight.

She's given up her club work,
And the serials on TV;
The only thing she does nowadays
Is climb that Family Tree.

The mail is all for Grandma ...
It comes from near and far;
Last week she got the proof
She needs to join the DAR.

A monumental project ...
To that we all agree;
A worthwhile avocation ...
To climb the Family Tree.

She wanders through the graveyard
In search of date and name;
The rich, the poor, the in-between,
All sleeping there the same.

She pauses now and then to rest,
Fanned by a gentle breeze ...
That blows above the Fathers,
Of all our Family Trees.

Now some folks came from Scotland,
Some from Galway Bay;
Some were as French as pastry,
And some were German all the way.

Some went West to stake their claims,
Some stayed there by the sea;
Grandma hopes to find them all,
As she climbs the Family Tree.

There were pioneers and patriots,
Mixed with our kith and kin,
Who blazed the paths of wilderness
And fought through thick and thin.

But none more staunch than Grandma,
Whose eyes light up with glee;
Each time she finds a missing branch,
For the Family Tree.

Their skills were wide and varied,
From carpenter to a cook;
And one, alas, the records show ...
Was hopelessly a crook.

Blacksmith, farmer, weaver, judge ...
Some tutored for a fee;
One got lost in time,
All are now recorded on the Family Tree.

To some, it's just a hobby,
To Grandma it's much more;
She learns the joys and heartaches
Of those who went before.

They loved, they lost, they laughed, they wept
And now for you and me ...
They live again in spirit,
Around the Family Tree.

At last she's nearly finished,
And we are each exposed;
Life will be the same again,
This is what we all suppose.

Grandma will cook and sew,
Serve crullers with our tea;
We'll have her back, just as before,
That wretched Family Tree!

Sad to relate,
The Preacher called and visited for a spell;
We talked about the Gospel
And other things as well.

The heathen folk, the poor and then,
`Twas fate, it had to be;
Somehow the conversation turned to ...
Grandma's Family Tree!

We tried to change the subject,
We talked of everything;
But then in Grandma's voice
We heard that old familiar ring.

She told him all about the past,
And soon `twas plain to see ...
The Preacher, too, was neatly snared by ...
Grandma's Family Tree!

~ Virginia Day McDonald ~

rich
31-Aug-06, 22:40
As I said at the beginning my arithmetic is terrible re DNA or anything else. So I picked out a famous case where DNA evidence could alter our perception of USA President Jefferson. It all concerns the claims by a group of African Americans called the Black Jeffersonians.
They claim descent from Sally Hemmings who was one of Jefferson's slaves. They have a strong family tradition that they were descended from Jefferson who apparently took Hemmings with him on a diplomatic stay in Paris where the French noticed the extraordinary affection they were showing each other.
The claim of the Black Jeffersonians was recently put to the test by DNA.
Now here's where it gets really difficult. The scientists sampled the y chromosome of Jefferson and several male relatives including his brother. They also sampled DNA from Jeffersons alleged black, descendents (The y chromosome is the one that males have to determine their sex, females depend on mitochondrial DNA which is different.Phew!!!)
Well, the results showed that Sally Hemmings did indeed have DNA from the Jeffersons but not from the president. (Double Phew..!!.)
At this stage the whole thing got horribly politicised because Republicans love Jefferson and they claimed it was all a democratic plot to make Bill Clinton's behaviour acceptable. (Got that? Triple phew....!!!!)
Now here's where I really need help. What the heck was being measured? My son in law who is a zoologist explained it to me but it still doesn't make sense. What is measured as the genetic fingerprint, I still dont know, due to the fact that we were having beers. However I remembered him saying that the whole identification process depends on statistics. He also said that a lot of statistical methodology around DNA is fraudulent.
The iimportant thing to remember is that we are all descended from the sexual union of two ape like creatures. Which means we are all hopelessly interbred as a species.
So my major point - that after a few generations everybody is related to everybody else stands up. (Quadruple whew...!!!!)
Except for those pesky Jeffersonians...
Anyone like to help me out????

MadPict
31-Aug-06, 23:22
Have a few more beers and forget about it.....:D

golach
01-Sep-06, 00:26
Rich, you are on the wrong side of the pond.......we over here, want to ken all about our familys, you over there, wish you could find out who you belong too[lol]

Kingetter
01-Sep-06, 02:41
"I've been doing my family history for nearly thirty years,
Diligently tracing aunts and uncles and my peers,
From Peterhead to Peterborough, Peebles to Penzance,
My merry band of ancestors has led me quite a dance.
There's cooks from Currie, guards from Govan and chimney sweeps from Chester,
There's even one daft fisherman lived all his life in Leicester.
There's no-one rich or famous, no, not even well-to-do,
Though a second cousin twice removed once played in goal for Crewe.
I've hunted Record Offices from Livingstone to Jarrow,
The little grey cells of my mind would humble Hercules Poirot.
I've deciphered bad handwriting that would shame a three-year-old,
And brought the black sheep of the family back into the fold.
My bride of just three minutes I left standing at the church,
As I nipped into the graveyard for a spot of quick research.
And there I found an uncle who was sixty years deceased -
It was far more satisfying than a silly wedding feast.
After three whole weeks of wedded bliss, my wife became despondent,
She named the Public Record Office as the co-respondent.
I didn't even notice when she packed her bags and went -
I was looking for great grandad's will who'd died in Stoke-on-Trent.
Now my thirty-year obsession is lying in the bin,
Last Tuesday week I heard some news that made me jack it in.
For my darling, aged, mother, who is not long for this earth,
Casually informed me they'd adopted me at birth!"
Author's name unknown.

canuck
01-Sep-06, 03:42
rich if I had realized 2 years ago that the family tree stuff was not important to you I would have been far less anxious taking the pulpit steps in your many great grandfather's church.

As to the actual searching out of the data used in genealogical research, a gentle stroll on a glorious sunny day through the graveyards of family hometowns can be quite relaxing. However, hours spent looking through obituaries on microfilm is far less than exciting. Fortunately, I have a few cousins that have taken on these tasks and have produced wonderful volumes of family history. I am quite happy to devote a portion of an evening listening to them recount their findings.

Kingetter
01-Sep-06, 03:53
There's another area of Genealogy which is being increasingly used and that is for Medical Research into genetically inherited diseases and other medical problems. It is I believe a valid and beneficial reason for Genealogical Research.
We know that in the various worlds of animals - records are kept - pedigrees etc so why not humans (though not for breeding purposes!!)?

Oddquine
01-Sep-06, 04:41
I'm into Genealogy to the extent that I moved up here to get nearer to the Wick Library Heritage Section and still not be too far from the Inverness one!

In my case it is a bit like completing a jigsaw...(I LOVE jigsaws)........I have only been online doing it for a few years, but have found my maternal grandfather's brother's family in Canada......and the other day, my maternal grandmother's brother's family in Canada..I've found my maternal grandfather's sister's family in Australia, and my maternal great great grandfather's second family in New Zealand...amongst many others.

My jigsaw on the Caithness side is up to around 5000 connections.

My son is convinced that the Garden of Eden was in Caithness, and this is where Adam and Eve originated.............and that everybody is related to everybody else.........and as I go backwards and sideways in my own tree.........I'm inclined to agree with him.