Family name, to Clan, to Tartan

[Dreadbelly]

Start bugging your family and don't let up. Call or write to all those family members you haven't talked to in years or never met. Start poking your nose around.

That's what I did. Records say one thing. The actual family history is quite another. Look in the thread "What's in a Name" to see what I mean.

Don't let up! Apply thumbscrews if you must!

[Kilts_Knave]

Try this Website:
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Sear...lear_form=true
It has a lot of neat stuff in it, but only about dead persons --no good if they are still living. And yes, some of those sites (like genealogy.com) are confusing and have flawed information--- try finding info on "Pattersons" for God's sake!) Remember we are all amateur "genealogists."

But, to get on topic... Genealogy is worth it; I have found about 25 tartans I can trace back to (mostly Irish) --- we Americans are lucky to have a vibrant and diverse ancestry!

[Big Paul]

Try this http://genforum.genealogy.com/leatham/
If you don't find what you are looking for, make a post, and put as much information, as far back as you can.

[Scotus]

I agree with Big Paul. I have been into genealogy for about 24 years and am working on editing my second published book. GenForum is a good place to find cousins you never knew you had. Others out there might be searching for the same family and will be able to save you a lot of time and work. I have just two warnings. Firstly, realize that you must take the non-primary and non-secondary sources with a grain of salt. Books based on these two types of sources are very good too. Family tradition is probably the worst source of information. You must prove everything. Secondly, genealogy can be addictive and it is rather an anti-social hobby. You can find yourself spending long hours in genealogy libraries or walking through cemeteries looking for dead ancestors.

[Big Paul]

You can find yourself spending long hours in genealogy libraries or walking through cemeteries looking for dead ancestors.

I agree totally! I have spent many a hot summers day wandering the cemeteries of Kentucky... And many a night head long in books..

Another gret place to visit is the Allen Co. Liberary in Ft. Wayne IN.
http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/index.html
It is the largest Genealogial depostitory out side of Saltlake City... I spent two weeks there, every night after work, till they kicked me out at closing.. I found a ton of data.

[macwilkin]

Thanks, Paul -- how could I forget Allen County?

For those working on Scottish genealogy, the Odom Library in Moultrie, Georgia is a "must":

http://www.electricscotland.com/familytree/

http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...about_odom.htm

They are the depository for a large number of clan & family societies, etc. -- a veritable "treasure-trove"! :mrgreen:

Another good source for genealogical information is the Mid Continent Public Library in Independence, Missouri:

http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/genlh/

Cheers,

Todd

[Big Paul]

Also, be very careful of the information you get from LDS (Mormon) Church. I have found, and heard of, many inaccuracies with their data. Much of it is unreferenced and unchecked. don't get me wrong, it's still a great source, just verify everything.

[Sir Robert]

As I have said before but nobody listens to me, The Picts (Native Britons)were Matralineal while the Scots (Irish immigrants to Pictland) were Patralineal so look as hard on your Mother's side as your Dads'. It is traditional.

Start with a simple ancestor chart and start to fill in the blanks. You will be lucky to get back very far by asking Grand-Dad but the farther you get the better. Next ask the oldest relitives that you can, fill in that chart, cousins, aunts as much as you can. From this point research the oldest names in each branch, when and where were they born, look up those records that will get you that person's parent's names. Now when you are stumped then start the internet searches If you are lucky you will find that some Aunt or Cousin has don all of the work for you. Then you connect your tree to their's and you get a free ride back several generations.

What you want is a Scottish name like MacX, this is your link. If you are just looking for a tartan, that is as far as you need go.

Leatham looks English and Jeppsen might be Danish, so keep going farther back.

[macwilkin]

Hi, Scootter!

I worked as a genealogical librarian for two years with our local public library; if your local library has a genealogy department, I would suggest visiting them. Most libraries offer classes for beginners, and genealogy librarians usally have years with of experience in dealing with various & sundry records. Another possibility is a local genealogical society, or the local LDS (Mormon) Church, which maintains family history libraries at their churches, which can borrow literaly thousands of records from the main genealogical library at Salt Lake City. Non-Mormons are welcome to use their records.

A good rule of thumb: start with yourself and work your way back. People are usually tempted to try to find your distant ancestors (like immigrants) first, but that just makes it extremely harder to put the puzzle together. Interview your parents and other relatives, and ask if anyone is working on family history. Documents such as birth & death certificates, etc. will provide good information (usually). Get a pedigree chart (family tree) and fill out as much of it as you can. Once you have exhausted your sources, you can start looking for obituaries, census records, etc. But be forewarned: genealogy is addicitive, and you may find yourself in dusty archives all the time, or travelling around the country, as Scotus said.

A couple of cautions:

1. Document, Document, Document: whilst we would like to believe "family legends" that we are the direct descendants of someone famous, always back up these stories with facts. That being said, I never tried to "burst" a family legend on purpose when I was a librarian, but sometimes the historical facts to disproved them, and some folks couldn't handle that. Family stories are a good starting point -- but like serious research for a class or a degree, must be documented. Also, whilst genealogists are in general very helpful and friendly, they do not suffer those who do not back up their findings with reliable sources -- and you will need friends & contacts as you starting digging deeper.

2. The Internet is a fantastic resource for genealogists -- but also one of the biggest pitfalls as well. It's very tempting to jump on-line and try to find great-great-grandfather in a google search -- sometimes you get lucky, but a lot of genealogical research is still done in archives and libraries with the dreaded microfilm -- whilst some libraries and goverments, churches, etc. are now digitizing records, many are not, and that means getting "down and dirty". Most libraries now maintain computers specifically for Internet databases like Ancestry.com & Heritage Quest, and will again, offer classes with the "skinny" on how to find information. Some web sites, like Ancestry, charge a subscription, but the local library may allow card-holders free access from a library branch.

This link, from my old library, is a nice reference guide to beginning genealogy:

http://thelibrary.springfield.missou...t/basicgen.cfm

Good Luck, and Happy Hunting!

Cheers,

Todd