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-   -   Best discoveries of 2020? (http://genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=29366)

Phoenix 20-12-20 13:52

Best discoveries of 2020?
 
If nothing else, lockdown has given me the opportunity to revisit or study in detail various brick walls. So I have lots and lots of discoveries.

What is yours?

Merry 20-12-20 14:09

I've studied some brick walls, but they are all still there!

kiterunner 20-12-20 15:05

Thanks to the Somerset PR's on Ancestry, I managed to get my Granny's Portman line back a few more generations, to a Matthias Porteman born in 1592 at Minehead, my 9xg-grandfather. Unfortunately his baptism record doesn't give his parents' names.

On my Grandpa's side, I traced the Philpott line back as far as my 18th g-grandfather John Philipott, born in the early 14th or late 13th century, coat of arms "Sa. a bend erm impaling Arg. on a chevron between 3 eagles gu. 3 roundels arg." This thanks to my 1st cousin 12 times removed turning out to be John Philipot, 1588-1645, who was Somerset Herald 1624-1645 and responsible for many visitations and pedigrees. His family's surname was spelt Philpott or similar in the PR's but he insisted on changing it back to Philipot to match his ancestors, such as Sir John Philipot who was Mayor of London in 1378. I had to laugh when I saw the 1645 burial record said "Mr John Fillpott". Sad to say, I know this is not my biological line, though, since DNA matching showed that my 2xg-grandfather, who was descended from these people, was not my biological ancestor.

Jill 20-12-20 15:39

For me it has to be the return of my husband's grandfather's diaries, photos and letters, and his great grandfather's letters from Broadmoor. My brother in law has lent them so I can record and catalogue everything, I'm currently working on the 1917 diary.

Phoenix 20-12-20 17:35

I know my very best discovery (though I was contacted, not the other way round) was finding out exactly who the Handcuff Queen was, and finding some second cousins I'd known nothing about

KiwiChris 21-12-20 00:55

It has to be finding my grandmothers birth parents, and sorting out all of her full and half siblings, a total of at least 16! There is still a lot for me to do sorting out all the ancestors on that new side of the family, which should keep me occupied for 2021.

And connecting with cousins of my Dad that we did not know existed, a number whom grew up in the same city and who know some of the same people!

Pinefamily 21-12-20 02:29

Finding a whole new line of clergymen and attornies, after breaking the brickwall of an ancestor who married as a widow.

maggie_4_7 22-12-20 13:41

I cracked a few for other people but none on my own FH. I did solve a few little niggles of where some ancestors' siblings ended up after seemingly disappearing off the face of the earth.

ElizabethHerts 22-12-20 14:07

I found several more Cornish ancestors from wills and parish registers.
I have slowly been chipping away at some of the ancestral lines.

My cousin e-mailed me yesterday to say that my father's paternal family bible has been given to a second cousin "to sort out". I have tentatively suggested that some digital photos of the relevant pages be taken and distributed to family members. I have researched the line myself but I'd love the extra details and to be able to verify my findings.

Jenoco 24-12-20 23:40

Thanks to the Wiltshire PRs on Ancestry, I managed to trace my 3x great grandmother's Smith ancestors. They lived in a hamlet in Wiltshire close to where I used to spend my summers when I was young.


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