Ancestors

I was reading through another post where Lynda talks about her forebears in Lincolnshire (I think), and I wondered if anyone else has researched their ancestors?

I had a go, but my Dad's side was Brewer, and it's a very common name. My Mum's side is slightly easier. Her Mum's maiden name was Marecki. Looking back, I found out that my Great Great Grandfather (I think) came to this country from Poland back in the 1800's during one of the Jewish pogroms! So, as I'm a Catholic but with Jewish ancestors I'm what they call a Complete Jew!

So does that make me an Anglo Irish Jew?    

Eleanor wrote:So does that make me an Anglo Irish Jew?    

I suppose it does!   An Anglo Irish Polish Catholic Jew!

That's a mouthful!

How about........weirdo! Much easier to say!

And very true!

 

I started to look into my family history but without dates and being uncertain of names it seemed impossible. On my mums side my great-granda moved to this town from Skye when he was around five. He didn't speak any English and the teachers refused to speak Gaelic to him. School must have been a complete nightmare for him. He was a Campbell who married a MacDonald so thats my excuse for being a bit nutty (the two clans hated each other)
My dad was adopted by his aunt after his mum died when he was only a baby and it wasn't something that we ever spoke about so I know even less about my dads side of the family.

A Campbell marrying a MacDonald?   Did they have a death wish or something?  

 I think he must have.

Wow, you're a second generation Romeo&Juliet lovechild!

 so that's why I've always been terrible at choosing partners!  some kind of weird Romeo Juliet curse thing  

It's fascinating looking back at family history. It must have been amazing to find out so much about your great great grandfather.

I don't know much about him personally, just the period he came to the UK from Poland and the fact that Marecki is (apparently) a common Polish/Jewish name. His appearance in this country coincided exactly with a mass exodus of Jews from Poland - some came here, some went to others parts of mainland Europe & others went to the USA.

I do remember my grandmother telling me that her grandfather was Polish, but at that age (around 7 or 8 years old, maybe) you tend not to place any emphasis on that sort of thing.

I wish I'd asked more questions of my parents when they were still alive; there's so much I'd love to ask now!

I was talking to my mum about the same thing not long ago. We both wished we had asked more questions when my grandparents were here.

Caroline wrote: so that's why I've always been terrible at choosing partners!  some kind of weird Romeo Juliet curse thing  

It's fascinating looking back at family history. It must have been amazing to find out so much about your great great grandfather.

Just stay away from strange young men and apothecaries and you should be fine!

Caryll wrote:I don't know much about him personally, just the period he came to the UK from Poland and the fact that Marecki is (apparently) a common Polish/Jewish name. His appearance in this country coincided exactly with a mass exodus of Jews from Poland - some came here, some went to others parts of mainland Europe & others went to the USA.

I do remember my grandmother telling me that her grandfather was Polish, but at that age (around 7 or 8 years old, maybe) you tend not to place any emphasis on that sort of thing.

I wish I'd asked more questions of my parents when they were still alive; there's so much I'd love to ask now!

It's all really interesting!

Caroline wrote:I was talking to my mum about the same thing not long ago. We both wished we had asked more questions when my grandparents were here.

There are questions I wish I could have asked my grandparents as well.

I was absolutely AVID on researching my ancestors for about 20 years, and with the help of the internet and various near and distant cousins (discovered along the way) have built up quite a good picture of my English forebears.

My father was Polish (Catholic), of peasant farmer stock - WW2 created havoc in the family and it's virtually impossible to trace my Polish ancestry.

That's what stopped my research as well, Lynda - you just can't trace back your Polish ancestors. Many of the papers just don't exist any more.

Although if you know where your father was born, you may be able to find his baptismal records, as being catholic he'd have been baptised shortly after birth.

Well he was born near Lvov, which is now in the Ukraine (which he would have hated to know)

tbh I don't feel the need to explore further, even if it wasn't so difficult. I have my memories (some good, some not so) of him from my childhood, and am very proud of his war record, and that is all I need to know.

I wish you luck Caryll if you feel like pursuing your Polish ancestry.

I think the important thing is that you're happy with what you know!

would love to have a go, how do you do it ?

  

I think it's one of those websites like Ancestry. I tried before, but I'm hopeless.

same here   

Lynne, if you are talking about Polish ancestry then it is very, very difficult.

English ancestry is much easier. Start from yourself and gradually work backwards. Although I haven't done it for a couple of years I can remember the basics to get you started. If you are interested, pm me for more details (or on here if other people are interested as well).

I had a go researching mine once and I got one set of them back as far as 1625! There seem to be an awful lot of blacksmiths in my family with generations of them following each other into the trade.

Well done Wendy! Genealogy can be a gripping and frustrating hobby.