Monthly Archives: February 2012

“My family is boring”

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

“My family is very boring”. How many times do we, amateur genealogists, hear this awful phrase when we ask someone if they have ever researched their family history? Is it any wonder that people think their ancestry is as boring … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy | Leave a comment

Mombaruzzo, where it all started

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

The small, provincial town of Mombaruzzo lies quietly on a small hilltop at the foot of the Italian Alps, and is surrounded by dense forests and seemingly endless fields of vineyards. Once a part of the old Duchy of Monferrato, … Continue reading →

Posted in Emigration, Genealogy, Italy, United States | 2 Comments

The Family of Edgar Degas: genealogy through portraits

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Having a painter in the family before the age of photography must have been a comfortable and convenient method of perpetuating one’s portrait into posterity. At least, that is what one can appreciate when analyzing French impressionist painter Edgar Degas‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in Famous Genealogy, France, Genealogy, Italy, Louisiana | 1 Comment

The Granny from Codling Hall

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

It’s always exciting to discover a relative who had a bit of money, or at least owned some property here and there. It makes you feel slightly above other genealogists who so far have only been able to trace labourers … Continue reading →

Posted in 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1891 Census, 1911 Census, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Hope-under-Dinmore, Property | 4 Comments

The most tragic Vickresses of all

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

A few years ago, thanks to one of the best genealogy websites available, I discovered that my great-great-grandmother was called Elizabeth Vickress. Her unusual, odd-sounding surname is apparently very old, but seems to have sprung out under its current spelling … Continue reading →

Posted in 1851 Census, 1891 Census, Birth, Death, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Hope-under-Dinmore, Illness, Marriage | 3 Comments

Ships in my family history

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Ships are an essential part of any family who was compelled to emigrate before the dawn of the age of aeroplanes. Coming from a seaside town, I have always felt a close affinity with the sea, a deep-rooted feeling of … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Emigration, England, Galicia, Genealogy, Germany, Italy, Killed In Action, Ships, Spain, United States, War | 11 Comments

Piecing lives together… even for those who are still around

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Last night I rang my Auntie Joan. Well, she isn’t really my aunt; she’s actually my grandmother’s first cousin and the most senior member of the family who still remembers the time when my late grandmother was a child, growing … Continue reading →

Posted in 1911 Census, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Marriage, War, Worcestershire | 3 Comments

A national hero in the family tree

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

After encountering only peasants and servants in the family tree, you can imagine how pleasant it is to find a genealogical link with a man who could well be considered a national hero. The courage and patriotism that he, Luis … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Famous Genealogy, Galicia, Genealogy, Ships, Spain, United States, War | 4 Comments