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Archiver > GENBRIT > 1998-09 > 0904636741


From: Valerie Wotton< >
Subject: Re: Matrilineal descents
Date: 1 Sep 1998 00:59:01 -0700


I've been researching all lines too & love finding the new maternal
surnames. It's not just tracking the mother's side but new lines keep
opening up on the father's side as well. Genetically we are descendants of
all our direct ancestors not just of our father's father's father's side &
the namesake we have so I consider it pretty pointless just researching
that line. The surname we end up with is almost a fluke & many people have
found that if they go back far enough they're fairly sure to find an
unmarried mother somewhere & it is her surname that has been passed down
until it runs out. It's true what Vivienne says about tracking Scottish
ancestors - certainly easier than other Brits. And it's great in Australia
as our records were kept as detailed as possible since the early settlement
days, even before compulsory registration of BDMs. In many cases the
mother's maiden name appears on baptism/birth, marriage & death
certificates which also makes it easier to cross-reference and double-check
you have the right person and not just a namesake who lived in the same
area.
Valerie

----------
> From: Vivienne S Dunstan <>
> To:
> Subject: Re: Matrilineal descents
> Date: Tuesday, 1 September 1998 4:15
>
> In article <>,
> (Roy Stockdill) wrote:
>
> >Here's a question for you. Has anyone in this list ever undertaken a
> >matrilineal descent project, i.e. tracing your direct line ENTIRELY
through
> >the females in successive generations? I mean, your mother's mother's
> >mother's mother and so on?
>
> So far I'm just back to my ggggg-granny going directly up the female
> line but I am researching every single line of my family tree, male
> and female, on all branches. This brings in hundreds or thousands of
> lines of ancestors and lots of branches to follow up if I get stuck.
> Tracing a matrilineal line is just one subset of this sort of research.
>
> I know this is a little different from what Roy was posting about
> but personally I'd like to hear more about others who research every
> single line. So often the emphasis in books and articles is on the
> male line and it is often assumed that this is what everyone traces.
>
> By the way I suspect it may be easier to trace a Scottish family in
> this way because records such as civil registration certificates
> (especially marriage and death certificates) give crucial extra
> details, and women didn't "lose" their surnames quite so easily.
>
> Best wishes.
>
> Viv
> Fife, Scotland
> http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/vdunstan/
>
> ______________________________

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