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My father in law has done this to a certain extent and the weird thing we found out is his grandfather's name is the same one we chose (first name) for our son...!
I only found this out a few weeks ago so it was very odd! I know various relatives in my family have done 'ancestry' traces but I haven't heard much about the results.
Was your Tree done professionaly? I did mine through Ancestry.com and I don't know if I "buy" everything I found.. For example I got back to the 600's Some of the names I did try to verify and am pretty confident, but some are just "too good to be believed"
Ancestry has multiple incorrect items from when we gave a relative information on family (* which was correct) and he posted it (without our permission and/or citation) incorrectly.
Take everything there with a grain of salt.
Use the censuses, use the books (like the "Vitals of __town___, MA to 1850", or the AGBI or draft records or any govt. record and consider it correct. I look at the pattern of a "tree" there and look for where I can verify info. Most people are in such a hurry to post, they get it uncited and/or wrong.
Yes, we have been doing family for almost 40 years and we are back in Europe ( England and Wales). We got very lucky with some relatives who came with Gov. Winthrop to found Mass. Bay Colony -- very well documented. We had people back to 1740 - 1800 and found those people in the AGBI (which is used by genealogy libraries) and DAR records.
6 FOOT 3 - I'm envious that you had the good fortune of excellent documentation. It's so frustrating to have ancestors who wouldn't let grass grown under their feet long enough to establish decent roots.
Well that's only because we've been in the same 4 or 5 counties for around 200 years as farmers as that kept them put and not to venture north or out west etc. and so it was not very hard getting the info .
However on my mon's side is a totally different story as i've given up on that side of the coin .
Yup. I traced us back to Sweden, when the language barrier brought me to a screeching halt. Also back to England when I sort of came to a screeching halt, too.
Absolutely take the trees on ancestry.com with a grain of salt. But they can be a decent starting point for doing your own research. Confirm everything with a census record or two - marriage, birth and death records - try www.findagrave.com to confirm birth and death dates.
Ancestry.com does offer some great, easy to use resources such as their census data but the trees they have are only as good as what people post - and many (most?) of them are pretty bad.
And back to the OP's question, I've researched my paternal side back to 1630 when the family first arrived in Mass. colony. I've accumulated over 650 documents to back up my findings and posted everything on a family-only website. My maternal side was already very well researched, documented and published by a 3rd cousin.
In the golden years of my grandma in the 80s she followed the maternal line by to the 6th century kingdom of Dal Riata. Before the internet and I remember her and randpa taking lots of trip to find stuff out. Dál Riata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I am fortunate in having a researched and published book (no, I did not publish it) on my maternal grandfather's side. I can trace Richard back to 1630 when he arrived in Massachusetts on the Ship Elizabeth.
Would that be Richard Sears? I also am from that line and my family has that very large book, although I don't happen to have it in my possession, my sister has it.
I grew up in southeastern Mass and Sears was my maiden name... and the end of our line as there are 4 girls in my family and my father was an only child.
Would that be Richard Sears? I also am from that line and my family has that very large book, although I don't happen to have it in my possession, my sister has it.
I grew up in southeastern Mass and Sears was my maiden name... and the end of our line as there are 4 girls in my family and my father was an only child.
No, the name is Kimball. They left Ipswich, England in 1634 (not 1633).
The book I have was written by Leonard A Morrison & Stephen P. Sharples.."The History of the Kimball Family" 1897. Did your Richard Sears also come over on Elizabeth? I know there is a passenger list for that ship on line. I also grew up in Mass.. near Boston
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Some of the names I did try to verify and am pretty confident, but some are just "too good to be believed" 
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