Frustrated

[DavidTaylor]

Does anyone have a very common name that they have been able to go FAR back on? I've done most of my research with a bit of help from some professionals, but i've been told because one of my lines is TAYLOR (gone back as far as George Taylor, married in 1804 at St. Leonards, Shoreditch) it will be very difficult to go back anymore. In the meatime, I have a very uncommon name, McQuire, and paid two "professionals" who can't go back much more than the late 19th century! errrrrr

[Little Nell]

David,

Most people's nightmare is a SMITH - I've managed to the late 18th century so far on that one, but no further simply because I got fed up ploughing through pages of parish registers looking for Smiths.  I will return to it one day.  Another nightmare is BROWN - again on a back burner because I need to find a birth date just around the start of civil registration in a highly populated area.

ADAMS - also sounds quite common but I've got back to the early 18th century on that one.  I have generally found that if you find an unusual christian name, that can give you just enough impetus to move backwards.  This is where siblings can be helpful.  So in the case of the Adams family, it was the first name of Valentine which really helped.

Having said that, I hope you don't have too many of something really standard like John.

Casual thought - look at McGuire as a variant for your uncommon name if you haven't already done so - and good luck.

Nell

[Boongie Pam]

I'm feeling your frustration!  

I have what are "locally" common names.  There are tonnes of Carruthers & Scotts in Annan and wider Dumfrieshire and I think the more common a name then the harder it is to be confident you are following the right line.

Wills are good if you are lucky enough to find any because they tend to list a number of people plus their relationships.

Another thought, a professional may say that it is hard because he/she is thinking of the hourly rate.  Yes you can search for a year for the one piece of evidence that helps it would cost an arm and a leg plus y'granny to get them to do it!

I wish you all the luck in your diggin' don't give up!!!

Pam
 

[JillJ]

David,

I can join you with the Taylor family.   My mother-in-law was one!   I made a very brief start on it as a sideline to the Jowett's - got back to the mid 1800's more from family remembrances than anything else - and then parked it up when I found 2 Taylor sisters married 2 Taylor cousins and I couldn't get my computer programme to cope with it!   One of these days I shall have another go!   My lot were in the Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough area so give me a shout if you find a connection - it might spur me on!

Have fun and don't tear too many hairs out!

Jill

[Hackstaple]

David
A young man named McGuire once worked for me. On letters that he received his name was often written as McQuire. His mother told me that she had family documents with both spellings but that was about 20 years ago.

[LindyLu]

I have not been doing this for long but have found once you get back a bit into the past the spelling of un-common names becomes a problem.

I have an uncommon name in England, but common in Scotland...Adie

Now last week I found the family I was looking for in London, but each time the parents has one of their children christened it was spelt differently....

Adie, Adye, Adey etc.....so if they did not read or write which it appears most did not then the person recording it would spell it how they thought it sounded.

The same with my maternal side...when recording the birth, the mother not being able to write the name was spelt Fenny, Fenney, Feny....depending on the recorder.

It does make searching difficult...but fun especially when you find an ancesters you did not know even existed...:-)

Have fun everyone, and thanks all those who give their help, it really makes this more fun, and being able to chat with others doing the same thing is great.

Lindy

[DavidTaylor]

I am always amazed by people who can trace back 1000 years and find their ancestor 400 years ago was the mistress of some royalty (I didn't know they kept track of such things) and they are ultimatly related to Adam and Eve or some crustacean on a beach somewhere!! I would assume in many cases they are taking "leaps of faith" with certain surnames etc?

[Hackstaple]

I made a posting on this topic some time ago. Follow the thread until you see the reply from Bluekitty. It is most illuminating [my own ancestors are printers, labourers, shoemakers, farmers and the like - no Dukes or Kings.

http://www.rootschat.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10725.0#msg34275

[DavidTaylor]

Well Speaking for THIS American, I think its rubbish... I met a fellow here at a local Mormon family search center and he showed me his tree. I kid you not, he claimed to have been related to nearly every famous person in the history of the world. I'd mention a name and he pull it up in his programme and say AH, here is is, GGGGGGGGGGG grandmother Hagar (Moses' mistress for those that don't know,, just kidding).

Well, now that I think of it, my great aunt Betty has red hair and she is the only one in the family, it comes out evey generation or so... My Grandfather, the rude fellow he was, says our female ancestor used to wash the steps at Henry VIII th castle... Maybe I can include that in my tree??