genealogy

[ian]

im interested in charting my ancestry,looking to see if im related to any pyrates. ive noticed many people talk about this, and im wondering what a good source would be to begin?

[Captain Sage]

I like familysearch.org and geneology.com

also, the reference section of local library

Captain Sage

[Mad Maudlin McCrumb]

You couild always take the shortcut and marry a former Mormon, they keep tabs on all that kind of thing... I, myself, am a direct descendent of the seventh Duke Lord Murray of Atholl, in the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately the Duke was quite insane, and never married, so we're from the bastard end of the family... and seafarers from way back, but I don't know, yet, if any were pirates,.. will have to go look that up...

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

The tough part about finding pirates in your family, is that before they became part of popular culture, piracy was something that most families would have preferred be forgotten.

I got lucky and found one of my ancestors who had been plundered by pirates, by looking in the index of a book on piracy. This book was specific to the New England coast and specific to the time when my ancestors lived there.

I also discoveded that another ancestor owned a ship that was abandoned after a wreck. The ship was later repaired and used as a pirate slaver. This too, I discovered by checking my piracy books in the back index for familial surnames.

Privateering may be another form of piracy to check on. A lot of that went on during the American Civil War. One of my favorite places to browse for info on American privateering and piracy is the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress. There is an amazing variety of great info there. Try inputing surnames and words like pirate, pirates, pyrate, pyrates, privateer etc.

I hit the genealogical jackpot big time on the LOC collections not long ago. I discovered letters in the George Washington Collection that had been written by my ancestors, a husband and wife, who were both active participants in the American Revolution. They have scanned thousands of documents and they are all cataloged. I transcribed my ancestor's documents, and discovered some long-forgotten information.

My Gr-gr-gr-gr-great grandfather was involved on a spy mission when the US was attempting to take Nova Scotia in the 1780's. Prior to that in 1775, he was captured at sea when he was serving under Benedict Arnold on his Canadian raid and imprisoned. In addition to the secret letters from the 1780's spy mission, there was a heart-wrenching letter written by my maternal ancestor on the 1775 capture, in which she solicited the help of George Washington in obtaining the release of her husband and those of several other women from the same town, whose husbands were imprisoned. I soon realized she'd written that letter only two days after the death of her daughter.

I went to Washington DC and saw the forgotten letters at the LOC and her wedding dress at the DAR Museum. It is great that through the internet more historical documents are being put up on line!!!

[capnwilliam]

Aye, Mate Clare, a very interesting family history there.

Capt. William

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Ahoy maties!

This is a very interesting topic. I have recently discovered that my family name is directly linked to Norwegian Vikings and English Gypsies. Apparently, as I can see, by the years in which the name was recorded, is that in the 1100's they were brutal Vikings; in the 1400's, they were Gypsies who were kicked out of England. Then, the next time the name appears with any kind of notoriety, was in 1700's Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Then, from 1800's-on, my family has some records, such as birth and marriage certificates. Of course, the 1800's were the main years that most immigrants traveled to the U.S.

Who knows? I'll have to look it up, but there is a rumor that we are related to Sir Francis Drake...

"Roberts" is not my actual surname.

Capt. WE Roberts

[the Royaliste]

RRRRRRRRRRR! Ye've gotta past in the Royaliste birthplace! Halifax, 1755