I'm curious if any of you have traced your family's genealogy. After putting it off for a long time, I have recently gotten very interested in this. My maternal grandfather is 94 years old and in failing health. He did a lot of work on this over the years, but hardly anyone else in the family took much of an interest. We did look at it, but nobody actually tried to carry on his work.
Well, he's probably weeks if not days away from passing, and I want to continue his research. I should have done this a long time ago...he was always very interested in making sure the family's past was not lost in time. I've spoken to him about it but his mind is going and just speaking is a real effort for him now, unfortunately.
My grandfather found all 8 of my great-grandparents, 13 of my 16 great-great-grandparents (earliest born being 1819), and 4 of my 32 great-great-great-grandparents (no known birthdays). The majority of these relatives were born in Ireland (some of them living their entire lives there).
Anyways, I am curious if anyone else has traced their family history's that far back. And more importantly, if you did any research in Ireland, where did you start / how did you go about it?
Also, I discovered I've got some American roots on my paternal line that I had no idea about. My great-great-grandfather on my paternal line immigrated from Ireland to the USA in the 1830's. His son was born somewhere in Massachusetts in 1855, and they moved to Canada a year later.
And for anyone who is really interested, surnames in my direct family line include: Belyea, Booth, Cowan, Grass, Hamilton, Johnson, Kennedy, King, Maguire, Morton, Newlove and Sanderson. The Kennedy's were part of the group who went Ireland to Massachusetts to Canada. :idea: And at least two Maguire's (father and son) later left Canada and relocated in the Chicago area, where we have lost track of them.
Well, he's probably weeks if not days away from passing, and I want to continue his research. I should have done this a long time ago...he was always very interested in making sure the family's past was not lost in time. I've spoken to him about it but his mind is going and just speaking is a real effort for him now, unfortunately.
My grandfather found all 8 of my great-grandparents, 13 of my 16 great-great-grandparents (earliest born being 1819), and 4 of my 32 great-great-great-grandparents (no known birthdays). The majority of these relatives were born in Ireland (some of them living their entire lives there).
Anyways, I am curious if anyone else has traced their family history's that far back. And more importantly, if you did any research in Ireland, where did you start / how did you go about it?
Also, I discovered I've got some American roots on my paternal line that I had no idea about. My great-great-grandfather on my paternal line immigrated from Ireland to the USA in the 1830's. His son was born somewhere in Massachusetts in 1855, and they moved to Canada a year later.
And for anyone who is really interested, surnames in my direct family line include: Belyea, Booth, Cowan, Grass, Hamilton, Johnson, Kennedy, King, Maguire, Morton, Newlove and Sanderson. The Kennedy's were part of the group who went Ireland to Massachusetts to Canada. :idea: And at least two Maguire's (father and son) later left Canada and relocated in the Chicago area, where we have lost track of them.
