Revolutionary War Ancestors

[GREENSWLDE]

I don't think my lot ever made it west across the pond. They most went to Western OZ around Perth in around 1880's. However going back to the European Napolionic war and Peninsula war we also had a Malitia, recruited from freemen. One of my ancestors was balloted and failed to come to muster or find a substitute. Attached is a copy receipt of his fine. Twenty pounds in 1810 would now be £1600.00p A mean sum then.. OLD DOG

 

[kyle_kalasnik]

My 7th great-grandfather was in the Virginia Militia, in The French & Indian War. His 7th son, my 6th great-grandfather, served in the Virginia Militia, during the American Revolution. He helped defeat Cornwallis at Yorktown.

I have a few 5th, 6th, and 7th Great Grandfathers from different lines on my mother’s side who served in the VA Miltia in the American Revolution .

 

[Tanglefoot]

Never joined the SAR myself, but my mother was a DAR member in good standing and my daughter is too, so proving the connection ought to be fairly easy if I ever decide to. My father wasn't interested. Me neither.

 

[Frank Baker]

Both of my dads parents ancestors came to the new world prior to 1640. One was Alexander Baker and the other was Thomas Hill. I descend from both of these gentlemen. Hill I believe was Scotch-Irish and Baker an Englishman. My mothers mothers family are Native Abenaki and French. While I am not sure on the Ancestry of the Deans, of MS.
Anyway there are many among them that have fought in just about every war this nation has ever fought, whether on this continent or abroad. In some case even on both side of the same conflict, I'm sorry to say. Some of the Baker descendants were Torry's while other were Revolutionaries. I tracked some who after the war vacated to Canada to avoid their neighbors rath after the cease of hostelries in 1783.

 

[tenngun]

My 6th great grandfather was a spy for the South Carolina militia and his brother had a farm within sight of Kings Mountain. After coming from Scottland around 1760 or so they changed their clan name to a more American spelling, one taking the last name of Towery and the other Towry. I wonder if either of them knew your 4th GGfather?

Makes talking family history difficult. Three generations ago my wife’s family on her fathers side gets fuzzy. Seem one of her gg grandfathers abandoned his family.
So we are not exactly sure of his birthday other then about 1850.
Take a wild guess how many John Patrick ORoarks were born about 1850 and family lore thinks it may have been New York but could have been Ireland. Times were tough and a lot of men wimped out, and a lot of them were named John Patrick ORoark born around 1850 in Just New York

 

[stephenprops1]

Makes talking family history difficult. Three generations ago my wife’s family on her fathers side gets fuzzy. Seem one of her gg grandfathers abandoned his family.
So we are not exactly sure of his birthday other then about 1850.
Take a wild guess how many John Patrick ORoarks were born about 1850 and family lore thinks it may have been New York but could have been Ireland. Times were tough and a lot of men wimped out, and a lot of them were named John Patrick ORoark born around 1850 in Just New York

I have some ancestors that abandoned their family as well. A 6th great-grandfather abandoned his family. There was a 5 year old boy (my 5th great-grandfather) left with no family. A man and his wife had lost all of their children on the voyage to America. They adopted the abandoned boy and raised him as their own. The boy took their name and lived a long time. ---- So you see, throughout time there have been men that have been ill responsible boys. And there have been men and women who have gladly stepped up to the plate and proved their worthiness and filled in for someone who would not.

 

[stickmann00]

My mother was a member of the DAR so that places my ancestor as a front line infantryman

 

[Artificer]

If one is of English ancestry there is about an 80% chance of being descended from Alfred The Great. Any Scandinavian has about a high of chance of claiming Herald Fairhair as an ancestor. Pretty much every Irishman is descended from one of the High Kings of Ireland.
We like to think of the greats in our past but we might have a rouge or two

In the book "The Walking Drum," Louis L'Amour pointed out EVERYONE alive today has some nobility in their ancestry. Otherwise we wouldn't be here, as the peasants all died out. That doesn't mean WE can't be poor, but it means someone in our past was well off. Grin.

My Maternal Grandmother found a real Rogue in her family line. With her maiden name of James, she was hoping to make a connection to King James who sponsored the bible named after him. She didn't understand James was his first name, rather than his last. Anyway, she got back to a minor nobleman in Wales, which excited her at first. Then she found out he was known as a "Villainous Rake," which she understood was a period "Playboy." What she didn't know was as a nobleman, he got away with things others didn't, so there is a good chance he was a "very sick puppy." She was so embarrassed, she stopped family research right then and locked everything away for the rest of her life.

Gus

 

[Whitworth]

Thanks for the info, may have to look some ancestors up. If there was liquor involved some would have been there . A few of them even beat Columbus here.

 

[tenngun]

In the book "The Walking Drum," Louis L'Amour pointed out EVERYONE alive today has some nobility in their ancestry. Otherwise we wouldn't be here, as the peasants all died out. That doesn't mean WE can't be poor, but it means someone in our past was well off. Grin.

My Maternal Grandmother found a real Rogue in her family line. With her maiden name of James, she was hoping to make a connection to King James who sponsored the bible named after him. She didn't understand James was his first name, rather than his last. Anyway, she got back to a minor nobleman in Wales, which excited her at first. Then she found out he was known as a "Villainous Rake," which she understood was a period "Playboy." What she didn't know was as a nobleman, he got away with things others didn't, so there is a good chance he was a "very sick puppy." She was so embarrassed, she stopped family research right then and locked everything away for the rest of her life.

Gus

Pretty funny.
I used to be on Twitter and had a discussion with a black woman about slavery in America. She got angry in her post when I pointed out some facts about American slavery.
And she came back with racist statements about ‘white people’
I pointed out that there was a good chance that she had lots of ‘white’ ancestors. She answered she did know that she had white ancestors. After a DNA test she found she was part Irish, English and French. About 50%
But she didn’t count those
None of us is pure anything and for ever king and noble man, and heroic soul we all have criminals and rouges.
I had guys on both sides of the War between the states.
Many have ancestors who fled the law, abandoned families, deserted the army, were fathers of the church, teachers, and heroes, womanizer or ‘those women’, prudes, had completely bizarre ideas, were mobs killing witches and witches who had a kid before they burned.
To every port since Neolithic time sailors from all over visited and armies and traders crossed the land and played mix and match with the local DNA.
We can be proud of our ancestors, flat earthers and free thinkers serf ,slaves, and masters. Bless them all.

 

[Whitworth]

Pointed out to my "Holier then Thou" side of the family that they had the horse thief in the family. Yankee capture papers listed him as a highwayman and horse thief My heathen side of the family didn't get caught .

 

[LME]

If one is of English ancestry there is about an 80% chance of being descended from Alfred The Great. Any Scandinavian has about a high of chance of claiming Herald Fairhair as an ancestor. Pretty much every Irishman is descended from one of the High Kings of Ireland.
We like to think of the greats in our past but we might have a rouge or two

I just got around to reading your statement and your last sentence is so true. My aunt, bless her heart, had a way of conviently not addressing a few of our relatives past. I had a relative with a Civil War history,Confederate side, He was General Shelbys adjutant. our family tree doesn't have his full name only his last with initials preceding it. This was done so no one would realize who he was and which side he was on? I personally could care less and I bet if I checked further I could find someone worse than him? I believe we all have a relative with a checkered past some where in our past history!

 

[stephenprops1]

I just got around to reading your statement and your last sentence is so true. My aunt, bless her heart, had a way of conviently not addressing a few of our relatives past. I had a relative with a Civil War history,Confederate side, He was General Shelbys adjutant. our family tree doesn't have his full name only his last with initials preceding it. This was done so no one would realize who he was and which side he was on? I personally could care less and I bet if I checked further I could find someone worse than him? I believe we all have a relative with a checkered past some where in our past history!

Heck, on my mom's side I have an ancestor who was a member of The Confederate Cabinet. It was a group of southern sympathizers that did anything they could to undermine the Union. He was involved in gun running, blockade running, a plot to burn down New York City, a plot to help prisoners at Johnson's Island (Ohio - Lake Erie) escape to Canada, an actual Confederate raid from Canada to St. Albans, Vermont (performed by several southern escapees that made it to Canada), a plot to kidnap Abraham Lincoln and he had a connection to Lincoln's assassination. He associated with none other than John Wilkes Booth, who was also a member of The Confederate Cabinet. President Andrew Johnson placed a $25,000 reward for my ancestor's arrest. He managed to escape to France and avoided prosecution. ---- How is that for a scoundrel in the family DNA?

 

[stephenprops1]

Never forget, the winning side gets to write the history books. Whether one was a rouge or a hero is a matter of perspective.