Do you know anything about your ancestors? Have you ever been interested in getting to know something more about them? As I am curious person with a quite good detective abilities, I got totally excited when I came to know that our registers in the archives are online on the Internet. Ehm… What does it mean?
The thing is that the books where are written the dates of births, parent's name of newbie, their occupation, name of their parents, date of wedding, date of death etc. - this all you can check out on the Internet and if you are pretty good – you can even get like this into the 17th century. To be more specific when I was searching for my ancestors I got into year 1734 and I think it is pretty cool, right? Anyway, do belive me it wasn't so easy as it looks like (ehmmm and that's why I wasn't here lately too active as I fell in love with this hobby :D)…
If you follow your own logic, you don't need to hire any specialist (genealogist – don't mix with gynecologist :D). I just asked my grandmother about some important facts from our history, about some birth certificates etc. and tadaaaaaaaaaaaam… I started my investigation… However, yeah again there is however! You know in the past in my country was used the German langueage and of course it was also used in these kind of books. Luckily, I know little bit German but to read this old German handwriting (called Kurent - btw they have even various types of this Kurent) was the first obsticle… I felt like it would be better if it was written in Chinese or Japanese (haha nothing against guys from these countries :D)… Just have a look and you will undertand, what I am talking here about…
Anyway, luckily I found a forrum, where some nice people were able to translate the text for me and now… I somehow learned to read it – I won't say for 100% but for 80% I am really able to decode it.. in fact I got you used to it :-) What I find really interesting is that there are written also occupations, where they lived (btw numbers of houses are here still the same from 17th century), how they died and many many other interesting things. It is funny to see that in my genes are ancestor's genes who lived in totally different parts of this country. Unfortunately, so far none of them was somebody rich, wealthy etc. :D poor me, yeah I know...
To be honest, I spent many hours on this awesome hobby and I can say I am successful but want to find more and more, even though it is harder and harder as you get deeper and deeper in these old books…
Comments
And here we can see why Luci is crazy, hahaha...
I find very impressive all this research of yours; you could work for the CIA! XD
I wonder how far you're gonna go with it and what other things you can find... because with that info you might also do researches of the 'six degrees of separation' with some celebrities... or with some EC members! :D
Dear Luci, Mr. Rabbit hasn't been caged, yet and he manages to satisfy his predator's needs eating out! Hahaha!
Dear Luci, I am glad my story was interesting for you. I don't understand people who say they don't need to know about the past as they live in the present. Wrong and faulty idea! And I am just happy you are going to nitice my passing away as it will happen very soon. My wife has been making me keep a diet since Saturday as we saw an awful documentary about overweight Americans. And let me tell you, I have never had any extra weight! If I eat only salads and fruits, I will not stand for long! Read my last blog if you are interested
why would it make me tired? It is very interesting and to read letters written by your ancestors woow this is amazing!!! I think people should gather such documents for the next generations like you do in your family... guess my ancestoes were illitterate hahaaa no I am kidding..some of them were respected taylors or cabinet-makers as they were called mistr - guess master in English - sb who is on the top of this profession...
As for religion, here people were mostly catholics and hahaa my grand grandmother was cool as she left church at the age of 20 in 20's .. I looked it up and found out many people did it ...as being religious was sth old-fashioned related to the Habsburk monarchy people disliked and suddenly they were a part of the Czech republic, which was established in 1918, so they wanted to be modern and independent...
Btw...I would notice if you weren't around... so don't pretend to be soooo modest! :D
Luci, dear, first, about your friend living in UK. I think little kids may feel lost hearing two or more languages at once. I can't tell you why I got both my parents, but I spoke something like that:
"Papa (French), will you read (English) mon livre (French) at last (English)!"
My dad didn't speak French and usually said, "Let your mom translate!"
My dad worked for NASA and was often out on business. But when he was at home, he used to reading and explaining me interesting books. He read and told me about our planet, evolution theory, animals and so on. When I was about 3 years old he brought a model of the solar system and started showing and explaining why we don't fall off the earth! But kids start distinguishing languages sooner or later.
OK, about my ancestors. You may not believe that many Americans keep all the documents related to their ancestors. I have a thick file of the birth certificates, marriage licenses, personal correspondence of those who passed away a few centuries ago. My family was not one of the first settlers, but I know some people whose ancestors came here on "The Mayflower", the ship that brought the first setllers to America. In those days they were called separatists. Later, they were called pilgrims and our Thankgiving Day is dedicated to their survival.
Well, back to my family. The first man who came to the USA was William Patterson, a colonel of the British Army. His family joined him some later. He had a son, Henry, who was British born but grew up in America. He was a British officer, too. When the Revolutionary War began, Henry took part of the American colonists, became one of their commanders and fought with them against British superiority and against his father who was still in the British Army and was a general that time. Luckily, they both survived, but never talked ever since. I have some letters from Henry's correspondence with his mother and sisters. When I read them, I feel like living through all those events! Isn't it great?!
The woman who took part in the Civil War was my great-great-grandmother. In those days women couldn't serve in the army. She was a medical nurse and saved a lot of lives. She was together with the Army during all war years and was accidentially killed a few days before the victory.
Perhaps, I should say something about religion as you did. Well, I think the first settlers were protestants as they were Brithish. I have no idea about others, but I know everything about my family starting from my grandfather. He was Brithish from London, a physicist, a university teacher and an atheist. He was invited to teach at Harvard and later on got married to my granny, Henry Patterson's descendant. Since then our family has always been atheistic and devoted to science. But I'd like to tell you about one episode I still remember. Studying at the Academy (high school), I was asked by the admins more than once why I didn't visit a chapel. I didn't know what to say and I asked my dad. He was a wise man. He gave me two books, the Bible and The Pagan Christ by Robert Stone (1901) and said, "Son, read them and make your mind. But read them both to be sure and if you choose atheism you have to know what you oppose. If you choose religion, remember what it is based on. Just use your common sense." Well, I read both and I had no doubts in my believes but I stlll had a lot of doubts what to say at school. I asked my dad again and he said," Danny, the first amendnent to our Constitution declares freedom of faith or its absence. In fact, it declares separation of the church and the state. So, go to school and tell your teachers you will claim them for violating your human rights if they ever ask you again." It was a very good lesson!
Hope, you are not tired of reading all that!
My granny also little bit tried to spoil me - thats what grannies are for, nah? Btw I am of course curious to read more... who fought in war? My ancestors were mostly poor cowards :D hahaaa omg now their ghosts will scare me at nights :D
Dear Luci, is it so hard to believe I was worring not seeing you on EC for long? If I disapper one day, nobody will even notice it!
Well, if there is a street named by your relative in Waco, he might have been famous or did something outstanding for that city. Do you know the details? It is really interesting! The world is so small!
You might have noticed that I often write the senteces about myself on my tests. Why not? It is much easier than to think something up. Yes, I meant myself as I have been bilingual since birth. You won't belive I remember my mom teaching me to speak two languages at once! She said a word or a phrase in English and immediately said it in French. As a result, being a little boy I couldn't tell the difference between the languages. My dad didn't like it and he always said (very strictly):"Speak English, you are American!"
Mom immediatelly interferred, "Why not? Let him speak both!"
Dad:"Darling, look here! He doesn't know the difference between THANKS and MERCI!"
Mom: "At least, he thanks! Would you like him to say OK instead?!"
I had no idea what they were arguing about as I was about 3 and it made no difference for me as long as I understood them both. When I grew up a little, they found the right decision: we spoke only English at home and when I visited my French grandparents, we spoke French. As my parents were very busy with their jobs, I was raised by my grannies, American and French. My French granny's English was not good enough and if they were together I often translated for them! Hahaha! It is funny and pleasant to recall those days! My grannies were so sweet and it was them who spoiled me once and forever! Hahaha!
To be serious, I'd like to tell you some interesting facts from my family's history, but let it be another comment if you don't mind
hahaaa so here we gooo!!! You were worried about me? :o good joke :D I am flattered and your comment confirmed what I thought - Americans are into genealogy, family trees etc. How come I know it? Haha... cousin of my great grandmother went to the USA duting economical crisis guess in 30's and settled down there...his name was Frank Losak and as many of his siblings went there too...there is now in Wacoo city a street called Losak Street :D Son of Frank contacted my grandpa as he was collecting info about us in the Czech republic and was into genealogy but grr I have never met him.. maybe I can contact his family and spend my next holiday in Texas :D
Thank you for sharing sth about your roots, it was very interesting to read and ehmmm... that one sentence in your test about French mother - you meant yourself speaking fluently French as if you have lived the whole life in France? :D
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