Your Background/Family History
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Very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink, he would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Some times he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy, the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical, summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds, pretty standard really. At the age of 12 I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen, a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum, it's breathtaking, I suggest you try it.
We can trace our familly back to the late 14th century Denmark. Jylland to be exactly. Around 1520 we alligned our family interests with Frederik the duke of Slesvig and Holstein and helped him take over the throne from Christian II. For that we where granted land and prominent positions and to keep them we helped Rantzau crush the peasent rebilion and retake Funen after the Count's Feud.
Over the next hundred years we lost our positions and got indebted so we had to sell the land, but during that time the family developed a certain love for fighting and killing. Which means that a good part of the family have either been soldier, bandits or downright murders. That means that we have fought in almost every major war that Denmark have been part of and that I know half a dosen or so stories about family members who where executed in different ways. Like one of my ancestors where to be hanged, but the first two times they hanged him his neck didn't break and as people where afraid that his sons would rescue him in the night if they just left him to choke. So they decided to hang him a third time, but to be sure he died they bound a grinding stone to his legs. His sons wheren't happy with that treatment though so the next night they killed the hangman and burned the farm of the mayor and killed him when he tried to get out. Then they fleed to a big swamp called "Store vildmose" where they lived as outlaws until the city organised a party that hunted most of them down and killed them.
At some point the family split into three parts. A northern, southern and eastern. During the occupation of world war 2 the northern family took an active part in the resistance, but they where found out and all but two where killed. My grandfather who managed to escape to Sweden on the day they where rounded up and his sister who had already been sent out some time before.
Over the next hundred years we lost our positions and got indebted so we had to sell the land, but during that time the family developed a certain love for fighting and killing. Which means that a good part of the family have either been soldier, bandits or downright murders. That means that we have fought in almost every major war that Denmark have been part of and that I know half a dosen or so stories about family members who where executed in different ways. Like one of my ancestors where to be hanged, but the first two times they hanged him his neck didn't break and as people where afraid that his sons would rescue him in the night if they just left him to choke. So they decided to hang him a third time, but to be sure he died they bound a grinding stone to his legs. His sons wheren't happy with that treatment though so the next night they killed the hangman and burned the farm of the mayor and killed him when he tried to get out. Then they fleed to a big swamp called "Store vildmose" where they lived as outlaws until the city organised a party that hunted most of them down and killed them.
At some point the family split into three parts. A northern, southern and eastern. During the occupation of world war 2 the northern family took an active part in the resistance, but they where found out and all but two where killed. My grandfather who managed to escape to Sweden on the day they where rounded up and his sister who had already been sent out some time before.
My family is made up of many waves of German immigrants to America, coming in all different times, with some tracing our lineage all the way back to the Revolutionary War, the First Families of Virginia, and General Robert E. Lee (Some cousin or something like that). The most remarkables story is that of my (IIRC) great X7 grandmother who traversed the Atlantic 7 times to bring her family of Volga Germans from Russia to Kansas after they were supposedly supposed to land in New York but a hurricane took them to Louisiana. Additionally, I have ancestors who literally lived in a house divided (the wife was the daughter of a Southern Colonel who married a Northern officer). More recently, both my grandfathers served in WWII, one in the Philipine occupation force and as we recently discovered and know little about a member of the OSS. My maternal grandfather was a base doctor and a captain in the airforce in Kansas, and later was the Director of Public Health of Illinois. He also moved from his home town of Cheyenne, Wyoming to other locations then back again about 4 times in his life.
TL;DR my family is descended from many German branches including Mennonites and I have an epic great x7 grandma.
TL;DR my family is descended from many German branches including Mennonites and I have an epic great x7 grandma.
My ancestry can be summed up by the Ingewald something (Spelling is wrong) and a russian merchant family i forgot the name of.
My maternal Grandparents were Gaelic speakers came from North Uist in Outer Hebrides got married and lived in Glasgow before moving to Stirling. Both were Macdonalds. My Grandmother of Clanranald and my Grandfather Macdonald of Sleat (or Clan Uisden/Hugh) ( originally from Skye this branch of Macdonalds were awarded Uist around about 1500 and caused a bit of a ruckus with the current inhabitants Clanranald. So much so that when my Granparents got married there was still a tiny bit of muttering. )
As far as I know all my ancestors on that side are from the Outer Hebrides. Possible antecedents therefore are Ivor the Bonelees, Gofraid mac meic Arailt ( Crovan), Somhairle (Somerled) etc. There is suspicion that perhaps a hapless Spanish adventurer that survived the shipwrecks of the Armada may have entered the bloodline somewhere
My paternal Grandmothers ancestors were from Shetland (mainly Sandwick ) although she was born in Chicago she came back to central Scotland as a child and married my Lowland Scot Grandfather. I'm related to Betty Mouat ( thanks to this resource http://www.bayanne.info/Shetland/ ) If you don't know her story here it is
http://shetlopedia.com/Betty_Mouat
So I'm 3/4 Norse, 1/2 Gael and 1/4 meh/whatever
As far as I know all my ancestors on that side are from the Outer Hebrides. Possible antecedents therefore are Ivor the Bonelees, Gofraid mac meic Arailt ( Crovan), Somhairle (Somerled) etc. There is suspicion that perhaps a hapless Spanish adventurer that survived the shipwrecks of the Armada may have entered the bloodline somewhere
My paternal Grandmothers ancestors were from Shetland (mainly Sandwick ) although she was born in Chicago she came back to central Scotland as a child and married my Lowland Scot Grandfather. I'm related to Betty Mouat ( thanks to this resource http://www.bayanne.info/Shetland/ ) If you don't know her story here it is
http://shetlopedia.com/Betty_Mouat
So I'm 3/4 Norse, 1/2 Gael and 1/4 meh/whatever
These guys are my cousins and talk a bit about where my Mothers people are from in this clip
[video=youtube;N97lAGvbb5c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N97lAGvbb5c[/video]
[video=youtube;N97lAGvbb5c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N97lAGvbb5c[/video]
This is a fun thread idea. I'm afraid my family history isn't as interesting as some of the one I've read in this thread though.
My paternal ancestors were Bedouin nomads living in present day Northern Saudi Arabia, I actually know the specific tribe's name but I have no real emotional attachment to them because during the 18th century, the person who would found my branch of the family moved to Egypt and settled down.
I'd guess that I am mostly Egyptian with some Bedouin blood.
My paternal ancestors were Bedouin nomads living in present day Northern Saudi Arabia, I actually know the specific tribe's name but I have no real emotional attachment to them because during the 18th century, the person who would found my branch of the family moved to Egypt and settled down.
I'd guess that I am mostly Egyptian with some Bedouin blood.
Nothing worth getting hot and bothered over here. My maternal Grandfather is English, his parents immigrated from the UK to Canada in the late 1800s or early 1900s... we're not entirely sure for complicated family drama reasons. Anyhow, my maternal grandmother is Danish from Horsens, and immigrated to Canada not long after the war. On my father's side, it's all French Canadians, a couple of Scots and/or Irishmen, and the obligatory Amerindians. Apparently someone in the family has a complicated family tree with more detail, but I do know that the family hails from around Tours.
Hmm. I'm German. My family on the paternal line originates from the French-Italian border region, specifically from the Cottian Alps that are divided by the Dauphiné-Savoy border. From there they took their family name. They have been burghers mostly and after the reformation took on the Hugenott faith. By this time they also relocated to the Alsace-Lorraine region were they held a title of lower nobility. After the Wars of religion and the revocation of the edict of Nantes they emmigrated to Rüdigershagen, Germany, at around 1690-1710. From then on they stayed more or less in the region of Central Germany. Later they married with a family of East Prussian land owners, originally dutch Mennonites that also immigrated due to religious persecution in their homelands. My maternal line is less spectacular and less well known, but for the most part they have been German farmes and artisans.
Just a typical Croatian family on my side..
Both father's and mother's side were soldiers, some of them officers, in the Austro-Hungarian army. Later in Royal Army of Yugoslavia because they were integrated after the war.
In WW2 my great great grandfather was an Ustaša officer ( Ustaše were Croatian fascist collaboration government, they had a party with a same name ). At the end of war he left for Argentina with other Ustaša members from the area.
I don't know much about other great great grandfather..
Great grandfathers were also in the same army. One of them was in Homeguard, recruited at the end of war. That's why he was not killed by partisans because they spared the ones who were mobilized from local villages at the end of war. He later end up in jail because he said someone from the local area would kill Tito. He and four more guys end up in jail then. I don't even know how is it possible that someone from some insignificant village could even try to kill most guarded person in the state, Yugoslav leader Tito. Later it was found out that he was just lying for fun..He got even more jail time for that xD
The other great grandfather was an Ustaša officer..Somehow he survived the end of war in Croatia.
My family is pretty much military oriented, not famous at all. As I said at beginning, typical Croatian family who served in almost every army of the country that ruled Croatian lands. I don't have any information at all what was before 1900's
Both father's and mother's side were soldiers, some of them officers, in the Austro-Hungarian army. Later in Royal Army of Yugoslavia because they were integrated after the war.
In WW2 my great great grandfather was an Ustaša officer ( Ustaše were Croatian fascist collaboration government, they had a party with a same name ). At the end of war he left for Argentina with other Ustaša members from the area.
I don't know much about other great great grandfather..
Great grandfathers were also in the same army. One of them was in Homeguard, recruited at the end of war. That's why he was not killed by partisans because they spared the ones who were mobilized from local villages at the end of war. He later end up in jail because he said someone from the local area would kill Tito. He and four more guys end up in jail then. I don't even know how is it possible that someone from some insignificant village could even try to kill most guarded person in the state, Yugoslav leader Tito. Later it was found out that he was just lying for fun..He got even more jail time for that xD
The other great grandfather was an Ustaša officer..Somehow he survived the end of war in Croatia.
My family is pretty much military oriented, not famous at all. As I said at beginning, typical Croatian family who served in almost every army of the country that ruled Croatian lands. I don't have any information at all what was before 1900's
Well, my father's side was mainly turkish land owners from Bulgaria. They used to supply cavalry to the Ottoman Army as a part of the timar system. They immigrated to modern Turkey, after the Ottomans lost the Balkan wars. They were given new territories around Bursa as reimbursement. The funny part is, when world war 1 broke out, my grandfather sold most of these lands and went on a treasure hunt in Syria with two german archeologists. He wasn't heard from until the end of the war and he came back basically with nothing (I would really love to learn more about this trip but noone wants to talk about it).
My mother's side on the other hand were turkish merchants living in Greece. They used to own a small number ships trading from venice to georgia few generations ago. I heard there is also a governor of Yemen in this line of the family. I don't really know well babout these people as they're mostly high-class ridiculously rich people. They also migrated to modern Turkey after the balkan wars.
Me? Thanks to the westernization policies of Atatürk, I'm a jazz pianist living in the Netherlands.
My mother's side on the other hand were turkish merchants living in Greece. They used to own a small number ships trading from venice to georgia few generations ago. I heard there is also a governor of Yemen in this line of the family. I don't really know well babout these people as they're mostly high-class ridiculously rich people. They also migrated to modern Turkey after the balkan wars.
Me? Thanks to the westernization policies of Atatürk, I'm a jazz pianist living in the Netherlands.
I'll admit, I'm not sure what to make of westernization policies that result in someone's emigration from the westerniz(ed/ing) nation.
Farmers from Southern Norway, Farmers from Eastern Norway, Farmers from Denmark and poor farmers from Sweden, and all was lost to me because some ancestors being female, second son or lastly a drunk who lost his chance to inherit the farm, so no farm for me
My paternal side of family were peasants, mostly producing plum brandy. Judging by the surname, they came from a more far away village and in place where they are now they have by no means small tracts of lands and forests.
My maternal side is a bit more impressive: they were officers on the Military Frontier (Croatia under Habsburg Monarchy). In 1714 Emperor Charles IV. rose them to nobility and in 1806 Emperor Francis II also gave them a number of noble rewards. However, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the SFRJ striked many noble houses and these weren't an exception: just 50 years ago they were brought to status of the poorest family in the village they lived in. Thankfully, the situation is better now.
My maternal side is a bit more impressive: they were officers on the Military Frontier (Croatia under Habsburg Monarchy). In 1714 Emperor Charles IV. rose them to nobility and in 1806 Emperor Francis II also gave them a number of noble rewards. However, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the SFRJ striked many noble houses and these weren't an exception: just 50 years ago they were brought to status of the poorest family in the village they lived in. Thankfully, the situation is better now.
Well it'a funny dilemma.
I grew up listening to western pop and classical music, reading western literature (some turkish as well but not really significant). As a result of the alphabet revolution, I can't read any writings on any walls or fountains from the Ottoman period(even though it's more or less the same language written in arabic alphabet). There's a huge cultural gap between the children of the republic and the Ottoman heritage. (At some point I was playing with an american saxophone player who was really into turkish music and culture, and knew turkish music a lot better than I did).
Today's reactionary pro-islam ideologies in Turkey are fueled from this, and they're trying to fill this cultural gap themselves . It's a sad outcome on some parts really.
My mother's side of the family were Turks who left from Bosnia after World War I, not all that interesting. My father's side were just Dutch Catholic farmers.
Its intriguing how if one event in your family's history had gone differently, you might not be alive today.
For Example: I have my grt grt grt grt grandfather's pension application from his service in the American Revolution. After a skirmish near Augusta, GA he and 20 others were captured by Tory Militia who were loyal to Britain. The Tories selected 13 of the 21 to be hanged. Luckily my ancestor was not one of them. If so, then I wouldn't be here now..
For Example: I have my grt grt grt grt grandfather's pension application from his service in the American Revolution. After a skirmish near Augusta, GA he and 20 others were captured by Tory Militia who were loyal to Britain. The Tories selected 13 of the 21 to be hanged. Luckily my ancestor was not one of them. If so, then I wouldn't be here now..