I started playing around with Ancestry.com, which is a fascinating site for genealogical research. They have tons of primary sources from several countries, including census reports, marriage records, etc. I even found a scan of my Great Grandfather’s World War I draft registration card, in his own handwriting.
One cool feature is the ability to import other people’s trees if you share an ancestor. This can make quick work of tracing some lines. I was able to trace a line form my Father’s Mother back to King Edward of England. In fact, once you can do a neat trick like that, you can take advantage of some enterprising folks tress that include the genealogies of the middle ages.
Back then, any noble worth his salt tried to trace his line back to Roman Emperors. And of course Roman Emperors traced THEIR lines through Alexander the Great to Hercules and thus to the gods.
All of this means, I’m descended from Zeus, and here’s the breadcrumb trail to prove it. Click on the thumbnail to get the full image.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:12 am
Wow, 118 generations to Chaos if I count correctly. I have to wonder how many of the links in the chain are purposefully fudged. We can’t all be direct male-line decendants of Genghis Kahn, right?
December 4th, 2007 at 5:43 am
All hail Tom! :-)
December 5th, 2007 at 12:49 am
Did you have to pay to get that?
December 6th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Nope, didn’t have to pay. Part of the 14 day free trial. Did have to give a credit card number, so I’ll have to remember to cancel.
December 24th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Damn, European Descendants are so lucky, you have records and all. We descendants of asian are stuck 6000 mils away from the only possible records centre where our records are rotting in cabinet next to a burst water pipe.
Also, King Edward of England! Maybe you should change your title from “Tom merrit, former author of Real Deal Column and host of BOL” to “Tom Merrit: Royal Host of BOL”, it would wind up Molly for sure (Or maybe Tom Merrit: heir to chaos)
November 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
so…..where’s zeus?
September 8th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
may be a little late here, but I thought I’d add in that if you’re descended from English royalty, odds are you have another deity in the family – the really old Anglo-Saxon kings claimed descent from Odin!
November 8th, 2012 at 2:46 am
Hey,
So, I’m guessing we are somehow (very distantly of course.) related. Since I’m descended from King Edward I of England through a Pilgrim on the Mayflower. Lol
November 8th, 2012 at 10:36 am
Cousin!!!