Show Us Your Pedigree! The Heritage Thread.

cookie · May 13, 2007

Just an over view

The depth of Teutonic influence in Americans is extraordinary on the Lounge. An American told me that around 1789 German was almost the US local language if you counted how many Geman speakers there were. I thought this ridiculous at the time but looking here I see why he may have been right (his name was Wagner!). This accounts for the size of Americans as the German influence is supposed to be the primary source of the huge sizes you see in the USA like size 15 feet etc. You never see this Down Under.

carebear · May 13, 2007

It's the Hessians.

Miss Brill · Jun 4, 2007

On my father's side I am French & Irish. On my mother's side I'm a mix--Dutch, Danish, Welsh (my newest American, my ggg-granfather was a miner from Wales who moved here in the 1840s, the rest of the family dates to the 1600s), Scottish, Swedish (the Colonial Swedes), English, Irish, German...The religions run the gamut from Amish, and Quakers, and Pennsylvania Dutch, to Jewish. I am totally ethnicity-free, unless American is considered an ethnic group.

MudInYerEye · Jun 4, 2007

I was born a poor black sharecropper...

pretty faythe · Jun 4, 2007

MudInYerEye said:
I was born a poor black sharecropper...

If we are goin' by what we were born then ......"I was born a coooooaaallll miners daughter"

Long crazy goofy day, sorry

GeniusInTheLamp · Jun 4, 2007

panamag8or said:
OMG!

In Nicholas Spencer's will, which I just discovered online, he bequeathed Isaac Allerton (along with George Washington's Great-Grandfather) 40 shillings each to purchase a mourning ring. He also gave Col. Allerton his horse, named Hector.

Seems you owe me a horse.lol

eta: the Isaac Allerton in my ancestor's will is the son of the Isaac Allerton that Genius is referring to, but still....

My sister has a Fox Terrier named Hector, but (a) my sister isn't willing to part with him, and (b) even if she was, that dog would be escaping from home quicker than you can say, "Asta".

Technonut · Jun 4, 2007

American by birth. Southern, by the grace of God....

SarahLouise · Jun 5, 2007

I'm a bit of a mixture - my mum is Chinese (originally from Malaysia) and my dad is Scottish. I also have English blood since my mum's dad was half English and German ancestors as I have a German surname. I like being of mixed race as it is unusual but most people think I am Japanese!

PADDY · Jun 5, 2007

Breeding.

Most recently, I am Scots-Irish, but there is also a good dollop of recent 19th and 20th C. Welsh there too.
All depends how far you go back isn't it.

I'd love to follow the geneology path of my family and also get my facial features analysed to see where in this big world I might have originated from.

KittyT · Jun 5, 2007

My maternal side is almost exclusively British. My father's side is more varied and interesting. My grandfather was born to a German mother and a father of strong Spanish decent and immigrated to the US from Mexico city as a young man. His Spanish ancestors had come to Mexico from Galicia. My grandmother was of Welsh decent. My father and his brothers all have that Spanish olive complexion. I, however, got none of the Spanish blood, and ended up with a pale/rosy complexion and blue eyes. My father can pass all right during his travels (he works in Central and South America usually). Unfortunately, I cannot and am subject to all of the leers and oggling reserved for pale gals with light hair when I am visiting him.

rockyj · Jun 7, 2007

A very strong sense of family.

Also from northern Italy. (Cuggiono) Have extented family in U.S ,Canada, and Italy. Visit them all the time.

Tommy Fedora · Jun 8, 2007

All of my ancestors are from Sicily; Palermo, Catania and Serradifalco. I'm the second generation born here in America.
When I was a young boy I remember my grandmother sending money to Italy to help support the remaining family. A few years ago one of my cousins went back to get re-aquainted and found out that they have five doctors in the family and a condo on the Italian Riviera.
I'm trying to get grandma's money back !!

Mike1939 · Jun 8, 2007

My mother is from England, my father is from Scotland and my surname is Irish. I'm the first American in the family and grew up with a picture of the Queen in the livingroom and the house always full of visitors from the UK. I would sit for hours listening to talk of the British Isles as well as the rest of Europe and the Mediterranean Isles. I wonder if this had any effect on me? Oh well, I think I'll have another cup of tea.

gluegungeisha · Jun 8, 2007

My paternal grandmother is a very traditional southern Italian woman. I'm pretty disconnected from my father's family (Italian Catholics + traditional Jewish family = chaos!)...I sure learned a lot about the Malocchio, though. I recall one Christmas spent with my grandmother where a bath was filled and the family had me stick my feet in the water or something to ward off the Malocchio, I was very young, and quite confused. I'm also part Native American (an Appalachian tribe, I think) from my grandfather.

My maternal heritage is a bit confusing due to the changes made after WWII. I'm Russian, Israeli, Polish, Irish, Bulgarian...and more. My grandparents are very frustrated with my mother for not raising her kids to be good, Jewish girls, but I think we turned out alright.

Both families are in New York, though I have a lot of family in the deep south.

My stepdad is a German immigrant.

Harp · Jun 8, 2007

Mike1939 said:
My mother is from England, my father is from Scotland and my surname is Irish.

English surname, though Irish, English, Scotch; and caught some flak
for the handle from a melancholic Christian Brother while at school,
which proved unfortunate as I owe him much for his teaching.

dostacos · Sep 2, 2007

we always thought we had some sort of Scandinavian name then we were contacted by a lady doing our family tree. Turns out we came to the US in 1695 from England

they settled in Virginia, fought in the Revolutionary war. Later we had family on both sides of the Civil war, as certified Prosthetists my dad and I found it interesting that our forefather that fought in the Civil war lost his leg. [most of the deaths were actually disease and 50% of those shot died, and 50% of the survivors had an amputation]

My mothers side has German not sure how long ago, and my Great Great grand mother on both my father and mothers side are full blooded American Indians

Josephine · Sep 2, 2007

I have mainly German (Reckenthaler), some French (or German depending on what time period) from Alsace-Lorraine (Siebert), some English though I kid myself it's Scots (Mitchell), Dutch (Van Syckklen, changed to Van Syckle, came over in 1660), Laplander (Hassell), and Finnish (Widgren). My great grandfather came over from Finland, and my first cousin once removed found his relatives that stayed, and has visited them often. I also have a 4th great grandfather that came over from Ireland. Some other last names in case I have a long lost cousin here: Joss, Kinney, Desmond, Milligan, Timbrell, Cooper, Wilverding, Hollie, Higgons, McMannus, Struble, Sickles, Mayfield, Coleman, Hart, Card, Dennis, Snook, Oldham, Mowery, Tingley, McCoy, Ka(l)tz.

I've very envious of people who live in other counties for the history they have, especially in regards to family. I always get a tickle out of Eddie Izzard's line:

"I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from. And, uh ‚Ä¶ oh yes. You tear your history down, man! Thirty years old, let's smash it to the floor and put a car park here!"
"We've restored this building to what it must have looked like over 50 YEARS AGO!"
Americans: "No! Surley not No! No one was alive back then!"

zaika · Sep 2, 2007

I am a proud Swede (w/ a hint of Norwiegian in there) from my dad's side. I know nothing about my ancestors beyond the mid 19th century, though. And other than trying to learn Swedish and loving lefse, pottatiskorv (sp??? is that even the right name?) and krumkake...I know nothing about the culture. Working in it, though. Gramma's maiden name was Raaen (pronounced Ro-en). Grampa's named passed down to me was/is Lundgren. No I'm not related to Dolph. lol ;P
On my mom's side, mostly German and French (French Canadian).
Gramma's maiden name was Kamke. Grampa's surname that was passed to my mom was Champagne.
For some reason, my family all has really cool last names.
One ancestor, surname Brissette, lived in Quebec, early 1800's. He was married three times, had about 25 kids, and lived until he was 105!!

Josephine said:
"I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from. And, uh ‚Ä¶ oh yes. You tear your history down, man! Thirty years old, let's smash it to the floor and put a car park here!"
"We've restored this building to what it must have looked like over 50 YEARS AGO!"
Americans: "No! Surley not No! No one was alive back then!"

oh my god that's HYSTERICAL! and so true...makes me sad...just a little.

Ecuador Jim · Sep 2, 2007

My father's family traces back to the Sutherlands in Northern Scotland, with some Irish tossed in.
My mom's family traces through Pennsylvania Dutch; and Scots/Welsh, and then to Alsace in France.
When I was young, I always thought I was German; every time I asked about our family history, mom would always say "Heinz 57".

Pok 9'er · Sep 2, 2007

I'm Irish on my father's side and German on my mother's. Although my surname is Norse in origin. So I hail from a Viking who settled in Scotland and whose ancestors many generations later emigrated to Ireland.

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