researching the female line

[Boongie Pam]

I guess we all have different experiences depending on our families. 

In my line the women seem to be held equal.  This may be a bit romanticised but in the wills I have got the women inherit everything - all the property.  They are often the executors of their husband's wills.

A friend doing his tree says this is unheard of in his family, the sons would be the main recipients with legacies to the daughters and wife.  It has made my female line easier.

What have other people found?

Pam
 

[geniedi]

I too have been able to trace one of my female Cambridge lines back to the 1500's quite easily.

I suppose it is just luck of the draw really.

But I think things could be helped with the death certificates.

I recently got hold of a copy of my husbands nan's Australian death certificate.

The information on it is brilliant.

It has everything you need. Her maiden name, birthplace, date of marriage, childrens details. The lot.

A mine of information.

It would be wonderful if UK ones were the same.

 

[Rosiedim]

My grandma had a saying "You can always be sure who your mother is, but less certain about your father"!  I think this is because she was brought up under another name than her fathers, although she lived with him! However, my point is, the female line of descent is probably more important than the male if looking for pure blood relations.

[Boongie Pam]

It's where your mitochondial DNA comes from so it is physically a part of you going back to Lucy or Eve depending on your beliefs. 

[Mistyrose41]

If you have illegitimate children in your tree and no way of tracing the male line, rather than letting the buck stop there I have traced the female line..... where else can you go?

                            Mistyrose41

[geniedi]

I've recently come to the same end.

I had a line that I was just getting something going with, only to find the name of father on the marriage certificate was somebody the mother married 4 years after the childs birth.

I've no way of knowing at the present time who the father is as the birth certificate has no fathers name.

Back to square one

 

[Boongie Pam]

I'm torn with that myself.  I've decided to do my stepdad's tree so I have to use the same reasoning for my ancestors. 

One in particular, my ggrandfather, was illegitimate but his mum married shortly after his birth.  What the hell I'll take the stepdad back as far as I can.

Nurture has shaped me and my family as much as nature and the step-parents have as much input to that as anyone.

Pam
 

[geniedi]

I agree with what you say Pam.

I think I will do the same. I did start to get somewhere with this Durbridge line.

 

[geniedi]

I had a wander in my local bookshop today and there is actually a book called Tracing the Female Line.

Might be worth a look.