Something Else Saturday - My Big Redneck Family Tree

The Ancestry.com leaf seems to be everywhere. It's on banner and sidebar ads. It's in magazines. And thanks to NBC it's even on television in the form of the series, "Who Do You Think You Are?" I've watched both seasons and was suckered in from the first episode. But nearing the end of the second season, like Matthew Broderick, Paula Dean, Rob Lowe, Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Sheen, and a slew of other American celebrities, I too wanted to know where my family roots began.

As a freelance writer, I stay fairly busy and kept telling myself that I didn't have time to research my family tree. And besides, I really wasn't ready to commit to the whole six months of Ancestry just to get information that was probably public record and that, in my opinion, should be free. Besides, my paternal grandmother, who was one of my best friends when I was a child, passed away in the spring of 2011 and I wasn't ready to dig up old memories. Nevertheless, the more I watched other people trace their roots, the more the idea nagged at me of tracing my own family history.

Luckier than most kids growing up, I had the benefit of knowing not only both my paternal and maternal grandparents, but I also was able to know and form a relationship with a set of great-grandparents on either side so I had a good handle on what was what for nearly three generations before me. And I'd tried tracing my family tree before, having much more luck with my husband's side of the family than my own. He's a third-generation American linked to someone who'd done all the difficult work of tracing the overseas lines, which was a great boon. But my family - especially on my dad's side - hails from places that make Walton's Mountain look like Times Square in comparison, and extracting information was like pulling wisdom teeth with a pair of pliers.

Finally, I told myself when I was done with a certain number of jobs that I'd sign up and begin researching. After completing a few jobs after that, I caved and went through with it. By the next day, I'd rushed through, leaf-clicking through all the way back to Adam and Eve. For those of you who think I'm joking, here it is:

The Christian in me believes that we all descend from Adam and Eve. Well, except in the case of my husband's family; he staunchly debates that they're descended from monkeys. This usually results in mudslinging and insult throwing with words that involve big words, such as neanderthal. And in the end I usually give in and say something like, "Fine, honey. Your family is descended from monkeys" in a tone that implies that's probably not a great social compliment. But, I digress. While it was cool to see some kind of tangible, if not completely trustworthy, link from my name to Eve, the First Woman of Mankind, the more I dug the more discrepancies I found.

Take for instance the man who had a birthday that reportedly took place not only after his wife died, but also after his son was born. Oops. I'd love to believe everything everyone has posted to Ancestry.com but unless I see proof in the form of some kind of resource or record. The United States Federal Census is one reputable source. Records for births, deaths, funerals, weddings, and selective service are all legitimate forms of documentation - as long as the person was honest when filling out the original paperwork; or when the person writing got everything correct, in the event that the family member couldn't read or write - a common problem in my family line.

However, I also found some really cool information. William Harris, 6x great-grandfather served in the Revolutionary War in the 10th Virginia Regiment commanded by Captain John Gillison. According to a hand-written documentation dated October, 1820, he enlisted in January of 1776 and served for three years, before being discharged at Morris Town, New Jersey. He was transferred there to the company of Washington's life guards, commanded at that time by Major Gibbs of New England. He fought in several skirmishes and was in the Battle of Monmouth Court House in New Jersey. He was not directly involved in the fighting as he was detached as one of the guards to the general's baggage wagon.

After serving in New Jersey, he went on to fight in the Virginia Militia, and was present for the capture of Lord Cornwallis at the siege of Little York. I am inclined to believe that it's true because I found court documents written up by a court official and signed with his mark, as pictured below. Also pictured below is an excerpt from a book titled Report of the Virginia State Library, Volume 9, which lists all Revolutionary War soldiers. The information in the book backs up the statements in the court document.

If you're thinking of tracing your family tree, my advice is to go for it. When using a company like Ancestry, also keep a copy on your home computer - but back it up on a cloud drive or some other form of storage not associated with the hard drive built into your computer. Don't take anyone's word for it when you find something cool. If it seems too good to be real, about eighty percent of the time it probably is; but don't give up because until you find the documentation for yourself, you never know. One of your ancestors could have fought along side mine in the Revolutionary War. Or he could have been aboard the vessel of that other ancestor we don't really like to discuss, who sailed his pirate ship into the wrong port, was fired upon, and sank into the murky depths of some sea over in Europe.

Speaking of Europe, Ancestry also has a British version of "Who Do You Think You Are", and whether you've seen the American version or not, it's worth spending 15 minutes to watch at least one episode. Here's one of my favorites.

Have you ever thought about searching for your family tree? Have you ever tried it? I'd love to hear your stories about your own ancestors, both the commendable and the kooky.

Happy Saturday,
Becky