Christmas genealogy

pinkypinky

No, this is not a thread about fanciful biblical genealogies...

As Christmas is usually a time when family gathers together, what genealogy goals do you have this year?

It's always a good way to get older family members talking about the past.

Or maybe you'll be collecting their used glasses for DNA samples!

I always update the (few) interested family members on any progress I've made during the year.

Also don't forget to review any commercial Christmas offers - there's usually good deals to be had.

Wyldwood

Unfortunately, I am the older generation now

But I would love the opportunity to sit down and chat to some of those gone before, sadly I had no interest when the chance was there.

I will be conferring with those of my relations who are also interested in the family history, however.

Jellybaby1

I'd just like to know how to enthuse my younger generation about their family history. When I do start telling them about their great grandparents they feign interest but I can tell they're just pretending in order to humour mammy!

spurious

I only recently found a surviving sibling of my ggggrandmother so that will be the big news.

Sadly it seems the male line died out with World War One and from what I can see the female line did not marry but I have hopes there may be another missing sibling waiting for me to find him/her.

Have bought some DNA kits and will be getting second cousins to take them. Hopefully they don't come back as half mince pie.

pinkypinky

I am already half mince pie this December.

Hermy

pinkypinky wrote: »

I am already half mince pie this December.

pinkypinky

As in, I've eaten so many that my DNA has surely mutated to be 50% mince pie.

Hermy

Of course. :P

I thought maybe it was rhyming slang for something else.

Markcheese

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I'd just like to know how to enthuse my younger generation about their family history. When I do start telling them about their great grandparents they feign interest but I can tell they're just pretending in order to humour mammy!

Write it all down, and if you can include captioned photos all the better....

spurious

That reminds me, grab the oldest family member you can and get them to identify people in photos. Write the info on the back, or put it in the file name.

tabbey

spurious wrote: »

I only recently found a surviving sibling of my ggggrandmother.

Surviving?

Are you serious? or did a few "g"s get in there?

Any siblings of my ggggrandparents would be 200 years old by now.

OU812

I'm after uncovering (through DNA) a whole new line of family I didn't know existed so I'll be spending a lot of Xmas on that.

Got a match on my dad's DNA & tried contacting the person. Turns out their (half) niece was managing the DNA for them trying to trace any family as he found out in his 70s that the man he though was his father wasn't. He's a first cousin of my dad so it's got to be one of his uncles is the father. Both were married at the time so some shenanigans were going on. Through the person who contacted me, I was able to find out the wife & children of one of these uncles emigrated to the US in the 50s. All dead now but I have found their children who have the same surname as me & have sent them a FB message this morning.

Fingers crossed &'ll be able to get some gaps filled in through them - not too hopeful but there's a possibility of maybe a photo or documents

Sleeper12

Wyldwood wrote:

I will be conferring with those of my relations who are also interested in the family history, however.

Make a cassette tape or whatever modern version they have nowadays. Record whatever you want. Funny stories about your parents or grandparents help bring them to life for the younger generation. Making a recording means the younger ones might listen to it in years to come

Hermy

tabbey wrote: »

Surviving?

Perhaps a sibling that survived to adulthood?

spurious

Hermy wrote: »

Perhaps a sibling that survived to adulthood?

Yes that's what I meant. Those that had survived into their teens had been whisked away by TB in the 1850s, but lo and behold one guy survived to marry in 1870 and give me another group to follow. However, it looks like they may have died out, thanks to World War One, infant mortality and daughters who did not marry.

zmgakt7uw2dvfs

Last week I completed a four-year project of building a very detailed tree of multiple branches going back to the 1700s.

I split it into two trees - one focused on my mother and her siblings, the other on my father and his. As I have double first cousins, there's a lot of overlapping information.

Anyway I commissioned an artist to create lovely designs. All my aunties and uncles have ordered one, so they will be framed and mounted in all our homes.

I'm chuffed to bits and feel very proud of myself!

pinkypinky

That's a lovely idea.

I never feel mine is "done" so haven't created an artwork of it. Years before the Black Family Tree adorned the walls of Grimmauld Place*, I wanted a mural of my family tree, but don't have the space to do it.


*Yes, this is a Harry Potter reference.

zmgakt7uw2dvfs

pinkypinky wrote: »

That's a lovely idea.

I never feel mine is "done" so haven't created an artwork of it.

Before I commissioned the art, I defined who I wanted to
include and exclude. It has a logical consistency. I also have an ever-growing gedcom with more names but they are typically not direct ancestors or “close” relatives. I also ensured to put “Compiled December 2018” on the art so that it reflects a snapshot in time. The most recent entry on the commissioned trees was born two months ago. I heard today another cousin will be born next April. They’re too late!

L1011

I tried to do some fancy presentation for my grandmother's 90th but the three wives of her father and some other (all legal) weird relationships meant it was basically unprintable! Ancestrys tree drawing thing basically gives up

pinkypinky

Her father had 3 wives! Excellent. Please tell me they were Mormons

nim1bdeh38l2cw

pinkypinky wrote: »

Her father had 3 wives! Excellent. Please tell me they were Mormons

Or he was a murderer?

pinkypinky

Hurray! My Dad only has 3 paternal cousins and I only know one of them. He has agreed to do a DNA test for me. I already got one maternal side, so this will help me phase out my own results. Dad unfortunately not around to give me a sample anymore but with his 2 children, sister and 2 cousins tested, I should be able to create an excellent Lazarus kit for him on Gedmatch.

pinkypinky

Also, someone was asking about wall charts recently so I'll just leave this Etsy shop here for reference. Get someone with nice handwriting to fill it in. Would look much nicer than many sellotaped together pages printed out.

https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/FreshRetroGallery?ref=l2-shopheader-name

L1011

pinkypinky wrote: »

Her father had 3 wives! Excellent. Please tell me they were Mormons

Far more boring than that, sequential not at once!

He married a relation of the first one which makes it even harder to render

L1011

Just realised, it's 100 years last week since the first wife died. The third wife is still alive! (Over 100 herself)