Where's your family from originally?

The Old Medic

Council Member
May 16, 2010
1,330
2
38
The World
My paternal line is composed of the following: Scots who came from Scotland to Nov Scotia about 1805. Englishmen who came to Nova Scotia from Yorkshire in 1764. More "Englishmen" who came to Nova Scotia from New York after the American Revolution. Scots who came to "Rupertsland" from Scotland in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and who married native women. My father was born in a hospital in Winnipeg in 1908.

My maternal line is composed almost 100% of people of English descent, and all of the family lines were in the Colonies by 1650. My mother was born in Albany, Oregon in 1913. She was born in a buckboard wagon.

I was born in Portland, Oregon to a Canadian father and an American mother, which is why I have dual citizenship.
 

Colpy

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 5, 2005
21,887
848
113
71
Saint John, N.B.
English, came to Riverview NB in 1782. Before that? Royal Navy. Toll keepers in England. Coal miners.

That is my paternal line.

Maternal line embarked from the Isle of Man about 1800........some question over his origins, as his name was Will Caldwell (Scots), but from Ireland or Scotland. On investigation, we discovered his full name was William Wallace Caldwell.....and we figure that settles THAT debate! :)
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
212
63
In the bush near Sudbury
From Dad's side.... German aristocracy via the Admiralty to pension in Newfoundland - then somewhere around Toronto

...Scotland to Southern Ontario

From Mom's side.... A choice between escaping to the wilds of Canada or the penal colonies.

...Kent, Eng to Toronto

If I got to enter my kids' tree ... it really gets interesting
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
24
38
Calgary, AB
My paternal side is all Prussian - my great grandfather came over (to what became Bruderheim, Alberta) around the turn of the 20th century and my grandfather was born here. Grandma's family came over in the teens.

Mom's side is a little more complicated. She was born in Lancaster, England as the daughter of a Scottish nurse and a soldier in the Belgian SAS battalion, who had already emigrated to Saskatchewan (around Unity) with his family, as a child . After the war, Grandpa and his brother (also in the Belgian SAS battalion) brought their wives (and my mom) back to Saskatchewan.

If I got to enter my kids' tree ... it really gets interesting

I know how ya feel... :)
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
129
63
Toronto
Mostly Irish, fathers side dating back to the 1800's. I can't really associate my self with being Irish though seeing as I have never visited the country nor do I have anything in common with them other then a love for booze.

Part of the problem with Canada is peoples insistence that they hyphenate their nationality. Example being my work where 2'nd-3'rd generation Italians who claim to be Italian first, Canadian second like Canada is just placeholder while they build up their wire pulling here.

F the hyphenated citizens
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
yeah, the italian people gather in communities and continue their italian way of life,
my husband is canadian, (italian immigrant parents), and they did everything in the italian
way, and yes, canada seemed to be second, they liked living here, but brought italy with them,
and stayed very italian, first, that is nice, good food, and such, but I noticed a lot of criticism
of canadian born people, and also other nationalities in canada, 'the italians are the best', it seems.
 

cdarro

Nominee Member
Feb 13, 2010
51
1
8
Alberta
Actually, I'm surprised no one has suggested the LDS church records, or I missed it if they did. Since their church allows them to baptize ancestors into it by proxy, they have excellent records that the public can access. An aunt of mine has traced my (our) maternal ancestors to Cornwall as far back as 1783 using this. Before she did, all that was known for that side of the family is that they were of Scots/Irish ancestry, immigrating to Canada West in 1847, and that there was some vaguely Norse ancestry somewhere. My paternal grandparents came to Canada around 1903-04. He was Welsh, she was from Yorkshire.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
117
63
I don't need to research ancestry. Dad's grandmum had it all down and a cousin picked up where she left off. On Mum's side, there are a couple relatives in Ireland that keep records.
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
7,046
43
48
Actually, I'm surprised no one has suggested the LDS church records, or I missed it if they did. Since their church allows them to baptize ancestors into it by proxy, they have excellent records that the public can access. An aunt of mine has traced my (our) maternal ancestors to Cornwall as far back as 1783 using this. Before she did, all that was known for that side of the family is that they were of Scots/Irish ancestry, immigrating to Canada West in 1847, and that there was some vaguely Norse ancestry somewhere. My paternal grandparents came to Canada around 1903-04. He was Welsh, she was from Yorkshire.
Check my post #4 for LDS site. I believe it's the second one listed. If you cannot find records on their site they are very helpful if you just go talk to someone in their church. They order reels in for you to look at.

I don't need to research ancestry. Dad's grandmum had it all down and a cousin picked up where she left off. On Mum's side, there are a couple relatives in Ireland that keep records.
You are lucky. I hardly know anything about my Dad's side of the family and our last name is as common in Ireland as "Smith" is here.
 

The Old Medic

Council Member
May 16, 2010
1,330
2
38
The World
You want to be VERY careful with the LDS genealogy records. Many of the "genealogies" are phony as all get out, with people adding in families that don't belong together, putting surnames to brides that they can't prove, etc.

I have been a genealogist for over 40 years now, and anything you find on the internet, or in someone elses records (including the LDS records) MUST be verified.

A lot of the crud put on the Internet is pure fiction. People want instant results, and they will incorporate anything into their records, and then put them on the Internet. Then someone else puts their family into those false records and put that on the net.

In the 1880's, it was very popular to pay someone to discover your family genealogy. Lots of pure fiction was written up, putting everyone into "Royal" lines. Unfortunately, a lot of that false data has gotten into the LDS family history files, as well as on the net.

I have spent well over $200,000 over the past 40 years in getting copies of original documents, going to places and copying down church records, town records, etc.

The LDS do indeed have excellent copies of every census of Canada, the USA, Great Britain, church records from all over the world, civil records from all over the world, etc. Those records are invaluable to a researcher, and the good thing is, you can order them through any local Family History Library for a very modest fee.

Be VERY careful of "family genealogies". Sadly, many of them are not all that well done. If they do not provide sources, and copies of documents, then they are essentially worthless, except as a reference point.

As an example, I have a major line of the Cooke/Cook family. My maternal grandmother was a Cook, and her family stretches back to 1640 in early Massachusetts. The first member of the family discovered was Walter Cooke, of Weymouth and Mendon, Mass.

If you go online and look up Walter Cooke, you will find all kinds of "genealogies" that claim to know where and when he was born. You will also find all kinds of genealogies that list Experience Holbrook, and/or Catherine Brenton as his wife(wives).

There is just a simple problem with all of that information. The town records of Weymouth list the mother of 1 (one) of Walter's children as being Experience. No other wife/mother is listed anywhere in those records, and no surname is mentioned for her.

When he died in 1695, his wife in Mendon was Catherine, who outlived him by 2 days. But, once again, there is absolutely no record anywhere that gives a surname for her.

There is no record of Walter Cooke's passage from England, no entry into the colony, nothing at all. It is pure speculation as to where and when he was born (I have personally discovered 17 different Walter Cooke's in England that COULD be the right one, but absolutely no proof that ANY of them actually are him.)

There is also absolutely no record anywhere of a surname for Walter's wife or wives. None at all. It is known that Catherine Brenton was married to someone named Cook, but who? Nobody knows. At that time, in Massachusetts, there were 197 male Cooke's of the right age range. 22 of whom were married to a Catherine or Katherine. So, which one was married to Catherine Brenton? Unknown at this time.

But that is a perfect example of how people shove someone into a family, without any proof at all. Was his wife Catherine Brenton? Possibly she was, but until there is proof of that, you can not list his wife ans anyone but Catherine - , leaving the surname blank.

Genealogy can be a fascinating hobby. It combines detective work, history, research skills, and a host of other things. You get to contact a LOT of distant relatives (I have over 140,000 people in my family database, all connected by blood or marriage. Thank Gog the vast majority of them are dead!)

But, if you are going to do it, please do it right. I have seen far too many family genealogies that Grandma or great Aunt Sue did, that are simply wrong once you get two or three generations back.
 
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MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
Both my parents came from their parents, what a grand thing to happen eh?

1/2 German, 1/4 English, 1/4 Irish Granddad landed in 1904. i don't think he could read English very well because my Father got the middle name of 'White" lol. Those Germans can be so funny at times.
 

Bar Sinister

Executive Branch Member
Jan 17, 2010
8,252
19
38
Edmonton
My wife is something like the 11th Great Grandchild to some King of something. She has all the documentation. From my side I know my moms side came to Canada from Austria in 1906 and settled in Manitoba. My dads side, not so sure. I know he was born and raised in Sudbury area, but that's as much as I know.


Actually Kreskin, the nobility fathered so many bastards it is damned difficult not to be related to some king, Duke, earl or whatever provided you have European ancestry.

As for me British Isles.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
You want to be VERY careful with the LDS genealogy records. Many of the "genealogies" are phony as all get out, with people adding in families that don't belong together, putting surnames to brides that they can't prove, etc.

I have been a genealogist for over 40 years now, and anything you find on the internet, or in someone elses records (including the LDS records) MUST be verified.

A lot of the crud put on the Internet is pure fiction. People want instant results, and they will incorporate anything into their records, and then put them on the Internet. Then someone else puts their family into those false records and put that on the net.

In the 1880's, it was very popular to pay someone to discover your family genealogy. Lots of pure fiction was written up, putting everyone into "Royal" lines. Unfortunately, a lot of that false data has gotten into the LDS family history files, as well as on the net.

I have spent well over $200,000 over the past 40 years in getting copies of original documents, going to places and copying down church records, town records, etc.

The LDS do indeed have excellent copies of every census of Canada, the USA, Great Britain, church records from all over the world, civil records from all over the world, etc. Those records are invaluable to a researcher, and the good thing is, you can order them through any local Family History Library for a very modest fee.

Be VERY careful of "family genealogies". Sadly, many of them are not all that well done. If they do not provide sources, and copies of documents, then they are essentially worthless, except as a reference point.

As an example, I have a major line of the Cooke/Cook family. My maternal grandmother was a Cook, and her family stretches back to 1640 in early Massachusetts. The first member of the family discovered was Walter Cooke, of Weymouth and Mendon, Mass.

If you go online and look up Walter Cooke, you will find all kinds of "genealogies" that claim to know where and when he was born. You will also find all kinds of genealogies that list Experience Holbrook, and/or Catherine Brenton as his wife(wives).

There is just a simple problem with all of that information. The town records of Weymouth list the mother of 1 (one) of Walter's children as being Experience. No other wife/mother is listed anywhere in those records, and no surname is mentioned for her.

When he died in 1695, his wife in Mendon was Catherine, who outlived him by 2 days. But, once again, there is absolutely no record anywhere that gives a surname for her.

There is no record of Walter Cooke's passage from England, no entry into the colony, nothing at all. It is pure speculation as to where and when he was born (I have personally discovered 17 different Walter Cooke's in England that COULD be the right one, but absolutely no proof that ANY of them actually are him.)

There is also absolutely no record anywhere of a surname for Walter's wife or wives. None at all. It is known that Catherine Brenton was married to someone named Cook, but who? Nobody knows. At that time, in Massachusetts, there were 197 male Cooke's of the right age range. 22 of whom were married to a Catherine or Katherine. So, which one was married to Catherine Brenton? Unknown at this time.

But that is a perfect example of how people shove someone into a family, without any proof at all. Was his wife Catherine Brenton? Possibly she was, but until there is proof of that, you can not list his wife ans anyone but Catherine - , leaving the surname blank.

Genealogy can be a fascinating hobby. It combines detective work, history, research skills, and a host of other things. You get to contact a LOT of distant relatives (I have over 140,000 people in my family database, all connected by blood or marriage. Thank Gog the vast majority of them are dead!)

But, if you are going to do it, please do it right. I have seen far too many family genealogies that Grandma or great Aunt Sue did, that are simply wrong once you get two or three generations back.

thanks for that advice, very valuable, and during my geaialogy investigations, I too had to double and triple
check information, as you are right, it is difficult to be sure, and so easy to get excited about something
that 'must' belong to 'you', but may not.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
21,155
149
63
My wife and her friend have spared no expenses in getting stuff verified. One of the interesting things she discovered was that her great grandfather died at Vimy Ridge. She corresponded with the federal government and once they were satisfied with it they sent her all sorts of copies of documentation. They also sent exact replicas of some stuff.