Tell me how to put this genealogy puzzle back together

[athena1277]

I know that my family’s genealogy can be traced back to the pilgrims on the Mayflower.  A long-deceased great-grandmother in this genealogical path was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution.  My mom had a book that had all the names back to the one who crossed on the Mayflower.  She gave it to me years ago, but it got lost in a move.  I would like have this info again, because I find it interesting, but I’m not sure where to start.  Mom doesn’t remember the name of the person on the Mayflower (I sent her the passenger list).   I don’t have time for major genealogy study.  I’m not even sure where to start.  I thought and Ancestry.com, but I don’t know how to know if info I find there or elsewhere is reliable.  Does DAR have records that would fill in some names?  Where else can I look?

I assume DAR will have the records she used to join because if you have a relationship to an existing member all you need to provide is your relationship to the member.  It wouldn’t take you back to the mayflower, but it should be a good start.  Joining is on my to do list - thanks for the reminder 😉. Your local DAR chapter can probably help you find her member number and give tips on the rest of the research.  

Do you know any of your cousins?  It seems like there is usually at least one person in the extended family who has done the research.  If a book was put together, there is probably someone in your extended family that also has a copy.

[Junie]

I would google the name of the oldest ancestor you know with the word genealogy and see what pops up.

Also, we might be related. :)  My ancestry goes back to at least nine passengers on the Mayflower.

Same here....my mother’s side has people on the mayflower which I find interesting since her side of the family settled in Tennessee before statehood.

[maize]

Do you know the title of the book? You could look it up online and maybe locate a copy--some genealogy books are even available digitally.

I think it is worth looking at Ancestry.com, it is true that some of the user trees have errors but the service gives you access to millions of digitized records that can be used to verify things. And Mayflower lines are often quite well documented.

I have a membership; if you want to PM me what you know about the line or lines you are interested in--names and birthdates and/or locations of great-grandparents for example--I'd be happy to take a look at what is there.

[athena1277]

For some reason, I thought it was on you to prove you qualified for DAR.  I will definitely look into their records.

How far is from the American Revolution back to the Mayflower? How many generations?  Is it possible that the Mayflower records, which I found to about 5 generations on several websites, will connect to a person who fought in the revolution? 

[Carrie12345]

Ancestry dot com is really great for picking up trails.  Yes, a lot of public trees have errors, and those sometimes get passed around, but there’s useful information to be had.
I was able to connect with people who directed me to a book that was published in the 30s (updated in the 60s) with our entire line back to ripping off Native Americans In NJ after settling Harlem when they came over from the Netherlands where they had (purportedly) fled from persecution in France.
The people who have given me the best and most fascinating information are distant cousins I never would have found otherwise.

[Scarlett]

4 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

Ancestry dot com is really great for picking up trails.  Yes, a lot of public trees have errors, and those sometimes get passed around, but there’s useful information to be had.
I was able to connect with people who directed me to a book that was published in the 30s (updated in the 60s) with our entire line back to ripping off Native Americans In NJ after settling Harlem when they came over from the Netherlands where they had (purportedly) fled from persecution in France.
The people who have given me the best and most fascinating information are distant cousins I never would have found otherwise.

And there is a lot more on Ancestry than just trees.  There is all kinds of public records that can help any one trace their roots back a good ways.  If someone found it years ago I would be shocked dig it isn’t on ancestry now.  

[alisoncooks]

FWIW, see if your library has access to Ancestry.com. Mine does and it allows some degree of free access at home, for the time being, now that the library is closed to in-person use. 

2 hours ago, athena1277 said:

For some reason, I thought it was on you to prove you qualified for DAR.  I will definitely look into their records.

How far is from the American Revolution back to the Mayflower? How many generations?  Is it possible that the Mayflower records, which I found to about 5 generations on several websites, will connect to a person who fought in the revolution? 

Yes you do have to prove that you qualify for DAR, but if you have a family member (You said your great-grandmother) who was already a member then the research on decent from someone who fought as a patriot in the revolution has already been done and all you have to prove is the relationship to the member.  My mom’s first cousin is a member so she said I only need a copy of my grandparent’s marriage certificate and my mom’s birth certificate to tie the two together.  DAR has a research library in Washington DC that is open to anyone.  Our local chapter has done genealogy seminars at the library

[Carrie12345]

12 hours ago, Scarlett said:

And there is a lot more on Ancestry than just trees.  There is all kinds of public records that can help any one trace their roots back a good ways.  If someone found it years ago I would be shocked dig it isn’t on ancestry now.  

Yes, but sometimes they’re still attributed to a wrong person, so it’s important to do some extra checking.
My most fleshed out tree has a gabillion George W. Lastnames in the most recent 5-6 generations and countless Davids and Samuels in the generations before. Fathers, sons, cousins, overlapping dates, difficult to read headstones, census errors/omissions, baptismal dates instead of birth dates, cousin marriages... For a long time I was stuck on a George W. Lastname who had the right years and general location, but he turned out to be the wrong guy. There are lots of trees on Ancestry that still list him and his documentation alongside the other guy’s documentation.

[Scarlett]

25 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

Yes, but sometimes they’re still attributed to a wrong person, so it’s important to do some extra checking.
My most fleshed out tree has a gabillion George W. Lastnames in the most recent 5-6 generations and countless Davids and Samuels in the generations before. Fathers, sons, cousins, overlapping dates, difficult to read headstones, census errors/omissions, baptismal dates instead of birth dates, cousin marriages... For a long time I was stuck on a George W. Lastname who had the right years and general location, but he turned out to be the wrong guy. There are lots of trees on Ancestry that still list him and his documentation alongside the other guy’s documentation.

Right I was talking abut the documentation not the trees being on ancestry, , but I have found documentation for what I thought was the same person that really turned out to be two different people.  It takes a lot of detective work and common sense. I find it very rewarding though .  I have helped three people identify birth parents or grandparents. 

[EKS]

I'd give Ancestry a try.  The scans they have in their system of various records are truly remarkable.  That and the trees of other members may make your research quick and easy.

[QueenCat]

22 hours ago, athena1277 said:

I know that my family’s genealogy can be traced back to the pilgrims on the Mayflower.  A long-deceased great-grandmother in this genealogical path was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution.  My mom had a book that had all the names back to the one who crossed on the Mayflower.  She gave it to me years ago, but it got lost in a move.  I would like have this info again, because I find it interesting, but I’m not sure where to start.  Mom doesn’t remember the name of the person on the Mayflower (I sent her the passenger list).   I don’t have time for major genealogy study.  I’m not even sure where to start.  I thought and Ancestry.com, but I don’t know how to know if info I find there or elsewhere is reliable.  Does DAR have records that would fill in some names?  Where else can I look?

There is a search mechanism on the DAR site. I used it awhile back and it was helpful. I don't remember exactly what I found there, though. I have an ancestor that came on one of the supply ships, in 1607, to Jamestown. 

[gardenmom5]

22 hours ago, athena1277 said:

I know that my family’s genealogy can be traced back to the pilgrims on the Mayflower.  A long-deceased great-grandmother in this genealogical path was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution.  My mom had a book that had all the names back to the one who crossed on the Mayflower.  She gave it to me years ago, but it got lost in a move.  I would like have this info again, because I find it interesting, but I’m not sure where to start.  Mom doesn’t remember the name of the person on the Mayflower (I sent her the passenger list).   I don’t have time for major genealogy study.  I’m not even sure where to start.  I thought and Ancestry.com, but I don’t know how to know if info I find there or elsewhere is reliable.  Does DAR have records that would fill in some names?  Where else can I look?

Do you know the name of the DAR person?

Keep in mind - unless you have all the names of people between you and the Mayflower/DAR it doesn't mean that much.  The good news is - there are going to be a lot of records out there of those people - so you only have to go back far enough to connect to someone else's work.

Ancestry and Family Search are reliable sites (well, as reliable as the person submitting the records.).  But they both have a lot of records, and encourage people to use actual credible records.  And one reason I prefer to have my records online - they can't be lost.  They are my records - with ancestry, people can see them (or not if you choose to keep it private) - but they can't change it.  As happened in family search when someone changed my father's father to his step-father AWAY from his biological father.  I left a big note about which was correct, and why. (one reason my motto is "Document, document, document"!) So hopefully, no one else will do that.

if you can find your great-grandmother, that should get you the DAR records.  Is she the one connected to the Mayflower?

[gardenmom5]

5 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Right I was talking abut the documentation not the trees being on ancestry, , but I have found documentation for what I thought was the same person that really turned out to be two different people.  It takes a lot of detective work and common sense. I find it very rewarding though .  I have helped three people identify birth parents or grandparents. 

My mom's family is from a very rural area in MO. . . you wouldn't think there would be two people with the same name born the same year.. . . yeah. . . I had to disappoint someone who was so excited to tie into my ancestor as that line went back several more generations.  Except - my ancestor died three years before her's was married.  Even though they both had the same name and were born the same year.

[Lawyer&Mom]

I found several DAR applications from my family on Ancestry itself.  

[athena1277]

15 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Do you know the name of the DAR person?

Keep in mind - unless you have all the names of people between you and the Mayflower/DAR it doesn't mean that much.  The good news is - there are going to be a lot of records out there of those people - so you only have to go back far enough to connect to someone else's work.

Ancestry and Family Search are reliable sites (well, as reliable as the person submitting the records.).  But they both have a lot of records, and encourage people to use actual credible records.  And one reason I prefer to have my records online - they can't be lost.  They are my records - with ancestry, people can see them (or not if you choose to keep it private) - but they can't change it.  As happened in family search when someone changed my father's father to his step-father AWAY from his biological father.  I left a big note about which was correct, and why. (one reason my motto is "Document, document, document"!) So hopefully, no one else will do that.

if you can find your great-grandmother, that should get you the DAR records.  Is she the one connected to the Mayflower?

Yes, this is the one connected to the Mayflower.  I have her name and her parents’ names, but that as far back as I have right now.

[gardenmom5]

6 hours ago, athena1277 said:

Yes, this is the one connected to the Mayflower.  I have her name and her parents’ names, but that as far back as I have right now.

If you have her information - if she's the one that applied to DAR, you can get her records from them and it should go back to at least DAR, possibly Mayflower.  Did she submit to a Mayflower organization?

the thing is - all those people, are very well documented, frequently going down at least a few generations.  All you have to do is tie into them.

The think about going back 300 years - there weren't very many people in the colonies.  I have on set of _ggp, that show up on three different lines.  simply because there weren't that  many people here.

[maize]

I just saw an article about a great new resource for tracing Mayflower descendants:

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/9/22/21440309/familysearch-mayflower-anniversary-genealogy-records-pilgrims-database-online-family-history