Family and Forebears

I have made some updates to Family and Forebears "Family Pages".  The biggest change that I have made are new ancestor charts.  I have updated all eight of the charts with updated information and I've also standardized them to four generations.  I have embedded these from my Google Docs, so you will be able to zoom in and out to view the information more clearly.

Most of these charts go back a little further than four generations in my database.  If you are looking for an old chart that had more info please contact me - I can send you an email with what you are looking for.  Why did I limit it to four generations? Two reasons, it looks nicer, but also because the further I go back the greater the chance of errors.  So, to make sure I don't provide inaccurate information I've only included the ancestors I'm confident about.  All of these charts start with one of my Great Grandparents.

You can have a look at the new charts by hovering over "Family Pages" in the top bar and select a surname, or you can click one of these links.

The Barnes and Howell Family Page

The Davidson and Liscombe Family Page

The Hoogland and van der Mee Family Page

The Warren and Shepherd Family Page

My goal in the next few months is to create biography posts.  I would like to take the information I have collected in my database and share it though a blog post dedicated to one person at a time.  If you would like to follow updates and new posts you can subscribe to emails.  Just enter your email address under "Follow by Email" in the right sidebar.

Until next time...

If you are like most serious genealogists, you've likely had a DNA test done.  I have, and I've tested both of my parents and both of my Grandmothers.  I have also tested my sister, my husband and my In-Laws.  Why so many?  I'm a bit obsessed with proving my research with genetic links to see if the paper trail I've been following (for years!) is the correct fork in the road.  I also use those tests to connect with cousins because they almost always know something about the family that I don't.  It has been a HUGE help with my research, but it has also brought up some ethical issues.

The biggest issue has been possible non-paternity events.  EVERY family tree will likely have a few, but when it's within the last few generations it can cause a lot of stir.  I have discovered a couple already, and even though I want to tell the match something isn't adding up I have to bite my tongue.  Take for example my Grandmother, she seems to have a few mystery cousins lately.  All her family is back in Holland aside from her descendants here in Canada.  Some of  her DNA matches (1-3rd cousins) don't share any of the same surnames in her pedigree but show they also match cousins with confirmed links.  My Grandmother is 93, she lived through WWII in the Netherlands and her parents lived through WWI.  There could be lots of possible scenarios as to why these matches don't share any surnames.  Were they the product of wartime romances?  Is their research wrong?  Is my research

I've been fascinated with my Great Great Grandfather, Duncan Barnes ever since I started researching my roots back in 2005. I hope to get to Newfoundland one day to find out more and visit the places he lived but for now, I'll have to settle for online research. Today I would like to share some information about my seafaring ancestor.

Duncan Barnes was born on Friday, March 20, 1863, in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. He was the son of Ebenezer Webber Barnes and Jane Pike (possibly Parsons, I have conflicting information) and was baptized at the Methodist Church in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland on May 16, 1863.

Duncan was a Master Mariner that shipped cargo around Newfoundland and also took sealers up to the ice fields for their hunts. For a time he was the Captain of the S.S. Aggie, a steamer that took lumber and other supplies, as well as passengers around Newfoundland.

Duncan had three wives in total but also had an illegitimate child. As far as I can work out the mother

I took a risk on this marriage record from England.  I'm so glad I listened to my gut because I'm sure now that it is the marriage entry for my 3x great-grandparents, James Byron and Margaret Mahon.  James and Maggie were born in Ireland and moved to England where their son called Matthew was born in 1862.  Because I knew their eldest son was born in England I cross-referenced the English marriage index and found a James Byron that possibly married a Margaret Mahon. I was hoping it was the record I wanted to see. I'm so glad I took a chance on it. Now I have a marriage date and place, I have confirmation James father was also Matthew, I have occupations to

I'm back at the Irish research and I'm looking for more information on the Reardon / Riordan / O'Riordan family from Macroom, Co. Cork in Ireland.

My 4th Great Grandparents were John Reardon and Mary Shea.  They were married on March 3, 1835, in Macroom, Co.Cork, Ireland.  Witnesses to their marriage were Denis Denahy and John Downy (spelling may be off on these).  Together they had 6 children that I have found.

Daniel Reardon - b. May 21, 1836, in Clondrohid, Co. Cork, Ireland
Denis Reardon - b. April 1838 in Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland
Margaret Reardon - b. April 25, 1840, in Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland
Mary Reardon - b. March 29, 1842, in Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland
Catherine Reardon - b. December 8, 1843, in Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland
John Reardon - b. October 17, 1849, in Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland

Denis Reardon, their son, is my 3rd Great Grandfather. His residence at the time of Baptism is

Original Post 8/21/2015 (Lisa's Family Pages)

I have been working for a few months trying to find out more about my 3x Great Grandfather Joseph Wormwood (aka Joseph W. Warren).  I have discovered so much more about him thanks to a few books and a few newspaper articles found in the Sewickley Herald Newspaper in Pennsylvania.

Original Post 8/14/2014 (Lisa's Family Pages)