In addition to the master tree that records my direct ancestors and their descendants, I have a number of research trees which I use to explore the unlinked family clusters of DNA matches that every genealogist will eventually end up with. These clusters are formed of numerous DNA matches who all descend from the same… Continue reading Playtime
Tag: Canada
Wide Open Spaces
I’ve already told the stories of three family members who were amongst the many thousands emigrating from Scotland to Canada [see Reunion , Brick Wall and Migration] and now it is the turn of my great grandfather’s younger brother, William Clark, who left for Ontario in 1871. William was born at Longhill, Lonmay in Aberdeenshire… Continue reading Wide Open Spaces
Reunion
My paternal grandmother’s sister, Mary Hay Clark, was born in Peterhead on 25 July 1878 and was just 12 years old when their mother, Barbara McDonald, died in 1891. In an earlier post [see Migration] I hinted that a cousin, Christina Hardy, had an important role to play in the life of one of my… Continue reading Reunion
Brick Wall
The dreaded brick wall occurs when, despite much research effort over several years, the origins of an ancestor remain a mystery. In my own case, I’ve been pretty lucky as I’ve been able to trace most lines in my tree back as far as records allow, but there is one notable exception: my great great… Continue reading Brick Wall
Migration
Given the long history of Scottish migration, it is not surprising that the Aberdeenshire branch of my tree includes several of the estimated two million Scots who sought a new life elsewhere in the 19th century. The harrowing narrative of forced moves following the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries is well known, but my ancestors… Continue reading Migration
Sleuthing Notes 