Anyone else into seeking their ancestors?

[darksideofthemoon]

I have become adicted to Ancestry.com and am lucky enough that one side of my family can be researched way back into the dim times.

The other side has hit a brick wall and I have to wait until someone else in the world may have more information.

How is everyone else going?

[kengillard]

You very likely won't. Records in NI were destroyed in the *troubles*

But try PRONI - rootsIreland - emeraldancestors (google them)

Rootschat & Lennonwylie could be useful as well.

thanks nevyn.

[darksideofthemoon]

does anyone have any advice on exactly where to start? Ancestry.com and pay the $$?

My sister has a family tree going back to the Queen Mother....through the Earl of Strathmore etc., but I'd like to trace my families lineage back to there if possible...any help is very welcome.

Gil that would be so interesting. Ancestry is the best way to go when it comes to UK history. Just pay the cheapest amount to start, you don't have to have access to all the extra stuff until you get into it more.

You can pay the extra when you feel you need it, don't both with the USA stuff as it won't affect your tree from your ancestors down to your family.

Start, of course, with your own name, using your maiden surname. The rest should follow fairly easily.

[darksideofthemoon]

I know my fathers family came from Northern Ireland and were rabid protestants...would be interesting to find out more

YIKES :^O So were mine! I am related to the O'Neills of northern Ireland

[darksideofthemoon]

Great topic and I'm very interested. 🙂 All links are much appreciated.

Is Ancestry dot com better than Ancestry dot com dot au or are they the same site? I'm not interested in US connections, just UK, NZ & AUS.

They are all part of the same company chappies. I use the UK one because all my ancestors were over here until my grandfather came out here.

[darksideofthemoon]

most sites give you a free trial. Try them and see if its what you need. what works for one may not work for another. I found ancestry to difficult to navigate and seemed very american based but genes R have been great

It takes some getting used to chuk, but they are easy to ring (in Australia) and ask if you find problems. They are an ENGLISH company, but you do have to learn to avoid the USA influence due to the huge number of American members.

I have tried and am a member of a lot of sites, but Ancestry is the one that seems to find things faster and has more opportunity to research.

You can always come in here if you have problems, one of us will surely be able to help 🙂

PS my friend who is helping me has recently given me my 'driving licence' after months of 'P' plates :^O

[darksideofthemoon]

I think the thing to remember Gil when it comes to the Irish ancestry is, like nevyn said, there are very few BDM records before the 1700s, but there are historical records and you can often find stuff in church cemetary records.

If you have a surname Google it with a date, so often you will find information that way. For instance I Googled 'Dickey' which is my north irish tree and found any number of sites to look at.

I think Flashie is the one to advise here.

Anyone have or know of a 'Hyndman' ?

I have one in 1640 born in Myroe in County Derry, married to a John Dickey. We know she had a brother who was captain in the Derry Siege but that's about it... there are later records of her family in the 1800s but nothing else...

Happy hunting 🙂

[darksideofthemoon]

GIL look at this site

http://www.google.com.au/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=The+earl+of+Strathmore&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&ei=RcrNTZSRMMTQrQe9npHDCg

Lots of stuff there to get you started 🙂

[kengillard]

thanks...I will.

[kengillard]

lots of stuff indeed:^O

[col52]

Hey col, guess what? I read you link and noticed Robert Maxwell... he's one of mine :^O

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell,_5th_Lord_Maxwell

Do you think they put up Hadrian's wall to stop your OH's rellie from diving in England to plunder? Doesn't sound as if it would stop him. 🙂

Robert Maxwell? ooohh-errr. :^O


They may have erected Hadrian's wall for that reason, darkside :^O
May have been to stop my ancestors as well, as we were neighbouring reivers and often collaborators with the Armstrong family. 😮 There were also marriages between the two families.

Look at one of the Armstrong buildings! http://www.scotclans.com/bletherskite/?p=853


Incidentally, both our ancestors and the Armstrongs became too powerful (& troublesome) that it was decided that both familes land would be confiscated and the families scattered "all over the place".
Many were sent to America or Northern Ireland.

It didn't stop either family "getting in the thick of it" though :^O
One of our ancestors became one of the earliest governors of Gibraltar - don't know how that happened :^O