Has anyone else done this? I know it is impossible to trace every maternal and paternal branch but it is just so fascinating. I have been involved in tracing mine and we have uncovered all sorts of things dating back to the very early 1800s.

Got mine back to the early 1700's, with many many branches

How do you do it this far back?

I wouldn't even know where to start!!! My grandparents, IIRC, had one that went back to their grandparents, but besides that not been done... would like to though

Start with the known and move to the unknown. Speak to parents, grandparents - once they've gone, you've lost a valuable resource.

But basically, from your parents birthcertificates, you should be able to get the names of your grandparents. Your parents will know the dates of birth of your grandparents (hopefully) so you can then get your grandparents birth certificates. Depending on how old you are, this could well take you back to the late 1800's or early 1900's. Civil registration started in 1837, so by following this route you can quite easily get back to this date.

Also, once you've got birth dates prior to 1901, you can resort to using the census (every 10 years since 1801 but only 1841 onwards of any use). For example if (one of) your grandparents was born in 1887 and you knew from the birth certificate that he/she was born in say Brightside and the name of his/her parents, you could search the Brightside census for 1891 for the name of your g/parent who would be aged 3 or 4 and that would then give you the name and age of your great g/parents, as well as the name and age of any siblings alive at that time. If you're really lucky, your g/parents might have had other elderly relatives living with them, as was common at that time.

You then go back to the next applicable census - eg if on 1891 census, your great g/father was aged 33, go back to 1862 census and look for his name aged 3. That should give you the name of your great great grandparents. etc etc

This is a start - you then need to get documentary evidence that they are actually your family and not another one with a similar name. Don't forget to look for similar names and different spellings of your surname - in my research on my wifes side, the name Elms appears. At various stages, this has been spelled Elms, Elmes, Ellmes, Helms.

Once you start getting back before 1837, you need to resort to parish registers and the internet.

You might find the following sites useful:-

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

http://www.ancestry.com/default.aspx

http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/

http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/ENG/

http://freereg.rootsweb.com/

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/

http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/

http://www.1837online.com/Trace2web/

You can also use Sheffield Archives on Shoreham Street, where most of the original church records etc are stored.

It will also pay to get a good book.

Most people would struggle to trace their ancestry beyond 1700. That is the case with my ancestral lines, except for my main maternal one [my mother's maiden name]. With the help of the Genealogist, Ken Ball, I traced my maternal ancestry back to the Macclesfield landowners, the Del Sherd family. They originated in East Cheshire [probably Norman] and bought land in the village of Cawthorne, near Barnsley. With Ball's help, I was able to trace back from today to the late 16th century because of how good Cawthorne parish records are. Then, with the help of another Genealogist at Cheshire County records, a pedigree of the Del Sherd family provided 'the other half', taking my ancestry back from the time the family bought land in Cawthorne [late 16th century, fortunately when Cawthorne parish records began], to Disley, in Macclesfield in the 14th century. The hunting horn of the Del Sherd family coat of arms may be seen on the Macclesfield coat of arms, alongside that of the Sutton family.

I am exceptionally fortunate there. To reiterate, I cannot take any other paternal or maternal line beyond 1700. It is important too, to remember that we are always at the mercy of the clerk who originally recorded the information. Who is to say that a pedigree has not been forged, or the wrong name entered on a birth certificate? Genealogy is a relative, rather than absolute truth.

It is important too to stress that there are often 'embarrassing' secrets to be discovered in any family tree. One might discover, for instance, that one's great grandparents never married. It might not matter two hoots to you, but it may well upset your grandparents or parents! Also, from my experience, practically everybody has a 'well-to-do' ancestor, just as everyone [including the Queen!] has poor, agricultural labouring ancestors at some point. With family tree investigation it is important to remember that it is far easier to fall down the social scale than to climb up it. You may not be a wealthy landowner yourself, but there is every chance you have an ancestor that was...

Timo, you are quite right...in tracing my ancestors I have found that one was so rich, he had 24 houses, a hotel, and paid to have a stained-glass window put in Sharow Church in Ripon in memory of his parents. He was unmarried and had no children and so left everything he owned to his countless employees and their families and his great-nieces/nephews. Obviously, not a penny of this money is evident in our family now. We have also uncovered marital abuse, murder, and more recently...wife-swapping.

I'm not at all surprised, Fragonard. The problem is, if you told non-genealogists, they would most likely disbelieve you. It is very possible indeed. I daren't even think about some of the 'what ifs' in my family tree. A lot depends upon the old custom of primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited everything. Also, some ancestors [like one of mine] can, in common parlance, 'blow a fortune'...

Thankfully my parents have spent the last few years frantically researching it for me, so I won't have to do anything :D

Most people would struggle to trace their ancestry beyond 1700. That is the case with my ancestral lines, except for my main maternal one [my mother's maiden name]. With the help of the Genealogist, Ken Ball, I traced my maternal ancestry back to the Macclesfield landowners, the Del Sherd family. They originated in East Cheshire [probably Norman] and bought land in the village of Cawthorne, near Barnsley. With Ball's help, I was able to trace back from today to the late 16th century because of how good Cawthorne parish records are. Then, with the help of another Genealogist at Cheshire County records, a pedigree of the Del Sherd family provided 'the other half', taking my ancestry back from the time the family bought land in Cawthorne [late 16th century, fortunately when Cawthorne parish records began], to Disley, in Macclesfield in the 14th century. The hunting horn of the Del Sherd family coat of arms may be seen on the Macclesfield coat of arms, alongside that of the Sutton family.

I am exceptionally fortunate there. To reiterate, I cannot take any other paternal or maternal line beyond 1700. It is important too, to remember that we are always at the mercy of the clerk who originally recorded the information. Who is to say that a pedigree has not been forged, or the wrong name entered on a birth certificate? Genealogy is a relative, rather than absolute truth.

It is important too to stress that there are often 'embarrassing' secrets to be discovered in any family tree. One might discover, for instance, that one's great grandparents never married. It might not matter two hoots to you, but it may well upset your grandparents or parents! Also, from my experience, practically everybody has a 'well-to-do' ancestor, just as everyone [including the Queen!] has poor, agricultural labouring ancestors at some point. With family tree investigation it is important to remember that it is far easier to fall down the social scale than to climb up it. You may not be a wealthy landowner yourself, but there is every chance you have an ancestor that was...

Timo, Do you know of a connection between your family and the Shirts of Edale?

I'm currently working on my maternal great great great grandfathers bit of the tree but I've hit a bit of a brick wall, if my theory is correct then I've got info jumping back to 1791 easily but I have to know for sure.
Frustrating - oh yes indeed!

My parents are professional geneaologists, if anyone would like a comprehensive and well evidenced family tree (as a side note, from experience amateur trees generally turn out to not be altogether true - though if you're only doing it for fun I suppose you can still have fun attaching yourself to other people's families).

They've been in it for years and I can honestly say without bias that they're very, very skilled and undercharge hugely (despite having two of the ten richest men in Britain on their clients list, I believe). www.researchingrelatives.com if anyone's interested

My neice went pretty far back. The Longley thread says it all basically.

I fell out of mine and hit every branch on the way down and then landed face first on a rock :hihhi:

....................................

I think I've got back as far as 1841 ish. I say 'think' cos I have yet to confirm a true connection.

Timo, Do you know of a connection between your family and the Shirts of Edale?

Yes. There is a definate connection. Without going into complicated details, the Shirts of Edale are a branch of the original Sherd family of Disley. Sherd was a Macclesfield Forest hamlet and the original name of the family and the Shirts of Edale represent a branch that 'migrated' to North Derbyshire from East Cheshire. The Shirts of Cawthorne are another branch of the main tree.

Hello again Timo,

Thank you for your reply. My husband is descended from the Shirts of Edale. I have been researching the family for a few years. It has always been assumed that the family was descended from the Sherds of Disley, but we haven't found enought concrete evidence. I would be very interested to know where your line and the Edale line meet. I can let you have copies of family documents dating back to the 1700s, proving lots of relationships, including a name spelt the Sherd way.

Do you know anything about the Shirts of Buxton?

I would like to contact you direct, but I am required to post ten messages before I can do so. If you are able to contact me direct to take this further, I would be really grateful.

Hello again Timo,

Thank you for your reply. My husband is descended from the Shirts of Edale. I have been researching the family for a few years. It has always been assumed that the family was descended from the Sherds of Disley, but we haven't found enought concrete evidence. I would be very interested to know where your line and the Edale line meet. I can let you have copies of family documents dating back to the 1700s, proving lots of relationships, including a name spelt the Sherd way.

Do you know anything about the Shirts of Buxton?

I would like to contact you direct, but I am required to post ten messages before I can do so. If you are able to contact me direct to take this further, I would be really grateful.

I will send you a pm asap. The lines meet but pre 1600s. The very best person to ask is a lady by the name of Tricia Shirt [lives in London, but is from Edale]. I'll try to locate her email address for you. Bear with me though as I'm busy at work at the moment.

My parents are professional geneaologists, if anyone would like a comprehensive and well evidenced family tree (as a side note, from experience amateur trees generally turn out to not be altogether true - though if you're only doing it for fun I suppose you can still have fun attaching yourself to other people's families).

They've been in it for years and I can honestly say without bias that they're very, very skilled and undercharge hugely (despite having two of the ten richest men in Britain on their clients list, I believe). www.researchingrelatives.com if anyone's interested


Have employed said people as recommended in order to get me past a hurdle where I'm stuck.
Will feedback online in case anyone else is considering the same :)

There is a Sheffield Family History Society in Sheffield Meet 3rd Monday on month at Cemetry Road Baptist Church Napier St entrance 7.30 pm you will be made very welcome. Has a libray etc at Sheffield Archives.