Friday, February 1, 2013

Long Ago, Far Away

Good grief, how did it get to be February already?

The Bag Lady has been doing a lot of family tree research on the computer. Ancestry.ca is addictive. She has traced several lines of her family tree back to the 1600's.... in North America! This surprised her, in a way. Her grandfather on her father's side came to Canada as a teenager in the 1890's, which is probably where she got the notion that her family were recent immigrants.

Of course, she knew that her mother's family had been here a little longer, but had no idea that some lines on both sides had been here so long. Several ancestors on her mother's side left the United States for Canada around the time of the American Revolution.

Her parents met in Halifax during WWII. Her father was from Alberta and joined the navy during the war. Her mother lived in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, which is practically a continent away. They married after the war ended and settled in Alberta.

The oddest thing that she has discovered is that one line of her ancestry on both sides of her family tree can be traced back to Scituate, Massachusetts in the 1640's. Now, she really has no idea how large Scituate was in those days, but thinks it is a distinct possibility that those ancestors knew each other! She wonders if they were on friendly terms. She wonders what they would think of their respective descendents finally meeting and marrying after all those years. (She also wonders how the hell you pronounce "Scituate"...)

Some day, perhaps, she will be able to travel to Massachusetts and stand on ground that her ancestors stood on when they first came to North America. Wouldn't that be cool?


14 comments:

Leah J. Utas said...

It would be totally cool. They probably did know one another. If they got along, it's great. If there was a long standing feud and it resolved itself by your parents marrying (unbeknownst to their generation) it would be even cooler. Whatever the story, it's fascinating.

the Bag Lady said...

Thanks, cousin! (And one of those lines is our common ancestor...)

Reb said...

That is very cool Sis. I always thought we were third gen on Dad's side and about 7th gen on Mom's. Maybe just the being in Canada part on Mom's side? When you win the lotto, we will have to include Scituate (situate?) in our world trip. You are taking me with your, right? :)

Reb said...

You...dammit!

the Bag Lady said...

Well, sis, if you would answer the email I sent you, you could look at the family tree yourself.... shall I send another invitation?
:)

solarity said...

Totally meeting you there, however you pronounce it. Somewhere in Massachusetts is where one of my ancestors arrived from England via the Netherlands. I need to look it up as my memory fades.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

the Bag Lady said...

Look it up, Mary Anne! We might be related! :)

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I've enjoyed following your research finds via facebook. I know I had at least one ancestor in Massachusetts at that time, since he offered the prayer at the first Thanksgiving!

I may just get curious enough to google Scituate...

messymimi said...

Tracing ancestry can be very fascinating, and you never really know what you will find.

Most of mine, though, is in other parts of the world where there aren't such records, so i can only get so far.

On your world trip, make a pass through south Louisiana and we will "pass a good time."

the Bag Lady said...

Okay, Karen, now you have to satisfy my curiosity - who was your ancestor who offered the prayer at the first Thanksgiving?

Messymimi - I would love to "pass a good time" with you in south Louisiana! Perhaps someday soon I'll turn up on your doorstep! :)

Geosomin said...

it's amazing how far back you can go. I have aunts on both sides who have traced our family back but jsut until 1850 or so...I'd love to dig around europe records and go even further back.

JavaChick said...

Situate?

My father-in-law is big into genealogy, specifically of the Annapolis Valley area of Nova Scotia. It was a bit weird, when I got married, to realize that he already had all this genealogical data on my family. I was also quizzed to fill in more recent details.

My family also came to Nova Scotia by way of Massachusetts. Seems to have been a common route.

the Bag Lady said...

Geo - I have managed to find some information on my Swedish relatives, and some on some of the family lines in England - there is a ton of info online.

Java Chick - we may even be related! LOL

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