Your background

[Typhoid]

I was bored today, and decided to look into mine, in some semi-detail.

And I'm pleased.


My family is from Haute-Savoie, which is now a part of France, Along with Savoie, but they left Haute-Savoie in the 1600's to come to Canada (which wasnt really Canada at the time, obviously), and Haute-Savoie didnt give in and join France until the 1860's. So not only am I not French, I'm totally Canadian. This is a great day.

Anyways, one of my relatives, André Rapin was the first to write a book on the History of England, or something along those lines. He was also a doctor, and the first called to look at the bodies at some sort of battle that happened in Quebec. (And yes, I checked it on the family tree, so I'm not guessing I'm related to him.)

And also (apparently, this one I havent checked on the family tree.) there is this Danish, or Swiss music composer (still alive) who is "famous" in Europe, who I'm related to. If thats true, that will blow my mind.

So I wanted to find a flag of Haute-Savoie, and I was let down when I descovered the flag is that of Switzerland, but the white is outlined in a thin line of black.

So discouraged.

Anyways, does anyone else know anything about their families, and things like that?

[Professor S]

I don't know much about my family prior to them coming to the states at the turn of the century, but I do know this:

I am a member of the Stuart clan on Scotland which is technically royalty with James I, Mary Queen of Scots, Charles I, Charles II and James II. So if a whole lot of people die I'll be the new King Ralph.

I am more directly related to Erwin Rommel, the German Field Marshall from WW2, to the point that my Grandmother's maiden is Rommel and she had a picture of him in her house. Its not such a bad thing, though, as he didn't know anything about the holocaust as he was in Africa at the time and when he did finally hear what was happening he helped organize an assissination attempt.

[jeepnut]

I'm adopted.

Not sure about my adoptive family's history.

[Dyne]

Well I'm not sure on mine completely but I'll put a few points.

mothers side/ Grandfather: Lived in German territorial parts of Poland for most of his growing up. When WW2 era rolled around he was put in a camp because he was living in Poland. He doesn't want to go over it much so I'm not certain. Anyways, he came to Canada and met my grandmother.

mothers side / grandmother: Of german descendance, grew up in Vernon, BC. Her relatives were so german that a lot of them were fighting for the Nazis. I actually met one when I was young, my Uncle Bill.

fathers side / grandmother: straight out WASP. Lived in the Praries and came from english/scottish families. The english side was Grainger, and the scottish side is from the Hunter clan.

fathers side / grandfather: Straight Norwegian from norway, came from a small fishing island if I remember correctly. When they came, their last names were Larsen, but for some reason or another canadian customs were dickheads so we could either be Larson or Goodmanson. We chose Larson.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

[Teuthida]

Mother's side Russian Jews...from Russia. The family split up when left Russia so have family in Australia, Japan, France, and Israel...though never see any of them.

Father's side from Germany. Related to Karl Stülpner who was a Robin Hood type figure in the 18th century. He's quite popular over there. There was even a television series about him in the 70's and a number of things are named after him including a beer called Stülpnertrunk which I must import somehow.

http://www.ostwarenversand.de/Sekt/Lauterer_Stuelpner.gif

[DimHalo]

don't know much about my mom's side, just that they've been in America for a REALLY long time and that her father's family owned a bit of land in Texas.

my biological father was adopted from Sweden

my stepdad's family was originally from scotland (mcgeachie was the name...its changed since then) and his mother was english, he was born and raised in Germany

[DarrenMcLeod]

I have a bit of family history.

My real name isn't Darren McLeod.

It's Ted Hitler.

But I'm not related to him.

Okay, so maybe I am a bit. But indirectly. He was my father's... father.

So it is direct. I'm Adolph Hitler's grandson.

[Typhoid]

Derrr.

I forgot about the other side of my family, my moms side.

All I know, is that I'm part Ukranian on my moms side.

Thats all I know. Thats the extent of it all.

Thats all that has ever been said about the family history on my moms side, and I don't know why.



Oh, and I also forgot, on my dads side, I'm also Manx. (The Isle of Man)

And I'm about 1/64th some type of Indian. I forget which one though.


But for some reason, I take pride in the fact I'm Manx, Savoier, and Canadian.

People say Manx isnt a place, so I cant be manx.
They have no idea what the hell Savoie is.
And they say nobody is truely Canadian.

That last one makes me the most mad.

My family has been here since before it was a country. I'm Canadian. But then some people say "Oh, but the Natives here were the first Canadians."

No, the Natives here were the first owners of the land. The land was not Canada. My family came for New France. Then moved to spare land that became Canada. Sheesh.

And I'll say I'm savoier until the day I die. I'm proud of my no longer existing country that is now basically a ski resort in France.

The Ukranian I'm iffy about.

[Krypton]

well, i'm of polish/german decent.

um, great grandmother immigrated from Poland.

great grampa came from Munich, Germany.

and that's all I know at this particular moment.

[Jonbo298]

I think my side (moms side or whatever) came from Germany. I think great grandpa or grandpa, not sure the relation sine I wasnt as attached to him came over from Germany around early 1900s I believe...


Thats about all I know of

[Neo]

i think i'm just a generic white guy

[Jason1]

Ive got backgrounds in Italian/German/Poland.

If anyone asks though, I always say im of Italian descent because not a whole lot of people are it seems.

[Joeiss]

My mom's parents immigrated from Ukraine. And my dad's grandparents immigrated from Ukraine. So I am like, fully Ukraine, but I speak none of it, and I consider myself Canadian.

[DimHalo]

Ive got backgrounds in Italian/German/Poland.

If anyone asks though, I always say im of Italian descent because not a whole lot of people are it seems.


Italians are sexy. :stud:

[Typhoid]

Italians are sexy. :stud:


I think you're getting "sexy" and "hairy" mixed up. :confused:

[The Germanator]

I'm Scottish/English/White as a ghost.

[Joeiss]

I think you're getting "sexy" and "hairy" mixed up. :confused:

:lol:

[DarrenMcLeod]

My dad's mom was Ukranian, his dad was Scottish. Dad thinks there's irish there too, somewhere. My mom's side is Scandinavian, most likely Swedish, but possibly some Norway mixed in there as well.

We've been in Canada as long as anyone can remember.

[Su-Yin]

ill share mine : im malaysian and both my parents are chinese (Cantonese to be exact), my ancestors came from an area in China called Canton. My great grandfathers got to malaysia by boat. My surname "Huen" is one of the rarest surnames, due to the majority of girls in the family tree. The first person to have this surname was an orphan from a village called "sam sui", as he didnt know his family name, he was granted this surname by the emperor for fighting as a general at war. ...yeap...thats it

[Typhoid]

I also found out today that I'm 1/32nd Huron Indian, and part Cree (cree from my moms side, Huron from my dads), but nobody on my moms side acknoledges the Cree, so I dont know how much of that I am.


What about any various (and serious) family history you guys have?


I dont know, I seem to be the only person interested in this sort of thing. Saddening in a way that nobody seems to care to explain what they know about themselves or anything.

[Dyne]

Well as North America becomes a melting pot more and more, it'll be harder to trace ancestry with each coming generation. Seriously, we already have people-mutts. I know a few.

Actually, it's kind of funny to think of the first person to have ancestry from every major country. What a feat that would be, am I right.

[Typhoid]

Well as North America becomes a melting pot more and more, it'll be harder to trace ancestry with each coming generation. Seriously, we already have people-mutts. I know a few.

Actually, it's kind of funny to think of the first person to have ancestry from every major country. What a feat that would be, am I right.


Well, I just mean considering I was able to track my family back to the 1600's super easily. I even found the country, race, religion, why they left, the name of the person who came here, what he did, and if I looked at the family tree, I could tell you the day he was born and died.

[GameMaster]

Did you get your information online or something or does family just keep track of it well? Do you actually have a family tree paper?

[Typhoid]

Did you get your information online or something or does family just keep track of it well? Do you actually have a family tree paper?


We actually have the actual family tree.

Its on many many sheets of paper unfolded to make a huge colossus of history.


It only starts with the first person to come to Canada though, but it says where he came from.

And then I checked online.

[jeepnut]

We don't have anything like that that I know of...

[Ginkasa]

I know nothing about my mom's side of the family, and my knowledge of my dad's side has to do with two specific ancestors.

The first is not that interesting... Samuel McCutchan (I think the spelling was different then, though) was the first of that side of the family in America; from Scotland.

The other is more interesting. My great*8 grandfather was General Edward Braddock, supreme commander of the British forces in America during the Seven Years'/French and Indian War (at least he died in a stupid ambush...*grumble*). He's close enough of a relative, that my great-grandmother's maiden name was Braddock. It was with my great-grandparents (my dad's dad's mom and dad) that the Braddock and McCutchan lines mixed.


/me shrugs and walks away

[Krypton]

I remember from elementary school when we had to make family trees...

what a bitch that was.

[Yan]

I'm basically 100% Chinese, as far as I know... My paternal grandparents and my maternal grandfather all came from China to Malaysia prior to the war. My maternal grandad then met my grandmother who was born in Malaysia.

I wish I knew more about my background... so that when my grandkids ask me about these things I'd have wonderful stories to tell them, instead of the boring 3 lines as above :p It's really difficult for me to trace my family tree, since most genealogy service caters to searching Anglo surnames while I'm Asian. Plus, I can't read nor speak Mandarin, so that makes it even more difficult to conduct searches.