Family History
Finding your family history is a completely different kettle of fish. This type of research relies on other records, such as archived birth, marriage and death notices, parish records, newspaper articles, etc. and is especially interesting if your ancestors came from another country.
Obviously, the more information that you can provide up front means less time required by me to find the missing links, at lower cost to you.
I use Family Tree Maker 2012 as my tracking and reporting software, and have attached a few short sample reports below.
Maybe you’re not looking for a big report on your family line. You may have a legend handed down through the family that you want to confirm or refute.
One interesting mystery that I was able to solve involved a family legend about Alexander McLeod, a relative who, lore had it, was killed by a train when his mule wouldn’t move his cart off the tracks. This story was passed down through three generations, until I was able to discover the true story just recently.
With deeper and more thorough investigating I discovered and proved that Alexander McLeod was killed by a train on October 10, 1906, but the circumstances of his death were quite different.
The unfortunate man was tally man engaged with a crew of men loading lumber onto a car. As the Express train came up the line, he noticed a piece of timber lying on the rails, he sprang to the track to remove the piece of wood and just as he stooped to grasp it, he was struck on the head by the engine, and death was instantaneous.
The deceased was about 45 years of age, he leaves a wife, and one son Daniel, at T.S. Patillo & Co’s., also three sisters, Mrs. Wm. Fraser, Truro; Mrs. John Urquhart, Waugh’s River; Mrs. George Sutherland, The Falls; and three brothers, William, John and Ernest McLeod, all of The Falls. He had been in the employ of T.G. McMullen, this Town, for the past 27 years and a very competent reliable employee and a highly respected citizen.”
Following the coroner’s inquest on the same day (!), the Truro Daily News of October 11, 1906, reported:
After the lamentable accident, Driver Robt. McDonald at once stopped the rapidly moving Express, and Conductor Gillespie returned to the station with the body of the man, whose action had probably saved a passenger express from wreckage.”
So, two articles, one-hundred years old, set the story straight, established Alexander as a hero, and also detailed his surviving relatives, including some names which were not previously known by the family.
While each relative’s story may not be as tragic or interesting, there are always little nuggets of unknown family history that we’re able to find with a little research in the right places.
You could say that a love for military history is in my blood. I love doing this work and I become attached to the person I am researching so I always want to know more to satisfy my own curiosity. I hope that I can help you learn more about your ancestor’s proud history.
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