whats the earliest date

[Gadget]

Duke - it's the Gateway ancestors that are the key. It's highly unlikely to get back much before 1600 if you don't find one of these. I was lucky.

If you are Welsh, you might well be descended from a Welsh Prince (one side of the blanket or the other), it's just getting the link. I was lucky.


Gadget

[kerryb]

wow I thought that I was doing well getting back to 1746 and that 1746 ancestor is a bit dodgy hahaha whats the earliest someone from wales has gone?

See my earlier reply - 550 AD 

But it's not really all that interesting without the stories. I'm more attached to some of the lines where I've only got back to the 1700s because I have some stories.  It sometimes feels like so much 'breeding stock' when it's just lines.


Gadget

I agree Gadget, as great as it must be getting back a long way to me the real bit that I enjoy is finding out enough information about my ancestors to find out who they were, not just bmds and census returns but the bits that fill in the story.

Kerry

[Calverley Lad]

Mine is 1490, mind you that is only father,son and grandson etc.
And would you believe that I currently live only 1 mile away from earliest connection.
 Brian

[coombs]

It can get difficult before 1538. But as I said you can look through tax, probate and court rolls for before then.

Ben

[Charles IX]

What website do you go on to see Tax, probate and court rolls?

[Gadget]

If it's Wales your best bet is :

http://isys.llgc.org.uk/

Also A2A might have something  (  http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/advanced-search.aspx?tab=1 ) but it's best to do library/Archive research not rely on online records .


Gadget

[Sylviaann]

I managed to get my Gooch family back to 1670 in Norton Suffolk.  Then I searched the parish registers on film at the LDS family history centre and found the family written as Googe back to 1540.  I wrote down everyone I found and then tried to sort them out into trees.  One branch has a son baptised in 1557 the son of William the younger so that is 2 more generations.  Really I have not made a proper connection from the 1670 one but I suspect I know the line back.  Can't prove it though

Sylviaann

[Daisy Loo]

Although it must be amazing to get so far back...I have to agree with Gadget and Kerryb...I just lose interest, when I can't get the stories!  I love knowing where they lived, what they worked etc...beyond the census's, I kind of lose interest, unless I can find more info on where they lived, say a village etc.

1603 is my earliest date, but like Ben, most of it was done by someone else...who I share an ancestor with ...doesn't compare with finding things out yourself though!

[Charles IX]

I agree with you all aswell the stories are what makes it intresting, But Ive just broke into the 17th century for the first time! yay! William Berridge born 1691 woo hoo! exciting stuff for me