FINDING YOUR ANCESTRY – TRICKS OF THE TRADE
So much has been written about the best way to trace your family tree that rather than just repeating what every other book or article has suggested, I think it’s better to tell you how I’ve tried to find details about my great-great-great. mother. At least this will give you an idea of what to look for and where to look, which is very important. What your older relatives know is a starting point for your research, as this will give you something to work with.
My great-great-grandmother’s name is Ann Livingstone (e) and from what my ancestors have told the family she is somewhat related to the explorer, David Livingstone. It has been said that her father and the explorer’s father were siblings, but I have been unable to verify or refute this and after writing to a descendant of the explorer who is a genealogist, he stated that he cannot find Ann in his ancestry .
It is also believed that Ann was the daughter of a French soldier who died in the French wars, or as they are often called, Napoleon’s wars. The French wars ended in 1815 and her father is believed to have died when Ann was a baby or just before she was born.
What is known for a fact from research using online tools and “births, deaths and marriages” records is that Ann married William Stewart, my great-great-grandfather, on May 23, 1834 at Old Kilpatrick, Dumbartonshire. Both are said to be from that parish, but we know that William was born in Stirlingshire as were his brothers.
The Scottish naming system often used to name children was in use mainly during the 1700s and 1800s with the first male being named after the paternal grandfather and the first female after the maternal grandmother. I’ve tried to match the naming system to the names of Ann’s possible parents, but still no joy. However, I have tried other strategies such as writing to newspapers in other parts of the world where there are pockets of Livingstone. The search continues but I have found a lot of information about the Stewarts (my last name).
The best sites to research your family tree that I have found are Scotland’s People for those of Scottish ancestry and Family Search which covers the UK. If you want more information on how to trace your family ancestry, check out the following site, it has a lot of information for researchers; www.familytreenz.weebly.com