Year 2022 Stalled: How Many Ancestors Do You Know? Count Your Genealogy Numbers

My Genealogy Numbers Form

Last year I revisited my genealogy numbers after a lapse in blogging. Though this past year (2022) did involve genealogy it was nothing like 2021. In fact, I did not add one direct ancestor to my tree. But I did do genealogy here and there when it was possible.

My updated the link to My Genealogy Numbers Form from 2014 here. The form itself is the same but due to Blogger updates many older links do not work anymore. And updating the links themselves would likely update the older posts I think messing up this blog's history. As I have said before this form can be shared with others but the proper way to share it is to share the URL address to this blog or to the specific blog post containing the form. Please do not just physically share the Genealogy Number Form file (doc file) via email or your own website or distribute it via printed copies because I have not given anyone that permission. I'm simply saying tell them about it by sharing the URL address or linking to this blog/website. And that way each person can download the file for their own personal use, and I can get an idea of how many people are using the form. If you need an image of your own results, take a screen capture. That is what I did those that appear here.

Okay back to the form. Now this is not a who has the most "cards" or people in our genealogy program scenario. But rather a look at how many direct ancestors do you know in each generation where you know a first and last name OR at least a first name AND that you have some documentation to go with that linking generation to generation.

This is the sixth year I have counted "My Genealogy Numbers." You can find my 2014 numbers, 2015 numbers, 2016 numbers, 2017 numbers and 2021 numbers at their respective posts.

The reality is that very, very few -- if any of us -- will have all 100% results all the way back through the generations. Natural disasters, people, and a simple lack of recording information have a way of keeping us from the answers we seek. But still we try.

So did I learn anything or find any new direct ancestors since last year? No, but maybe ...

As I said my 2022 genealogy numbers are the same as my 2021 numbers. The maybe comes in what I've done in the last three months of 2022. I took a chance.

Back in 2021 Archion.de website added digitized records for parishes in what was Kreis Prenzlau in Brandenburg province, some of this area now falls under the former Vorpommern province area. I found my family not in the parish I expected (their given last residence) but in an associated parish. I have a copy of a copy of a copy … etc., of a baptismal/birth statement signed by a pastor of two churches. The interesting thing of that well photocopied statement is that the parents' names are conveniently not on it. There are a couple descenders (well the bottom of them) on the top edge of the paper that was photocopied over and over making me think the paper was originally taller and perhaps it was folded in half and this is the bottom portion. So perhaps the surviving portion rather than an intentional sharing not sharing of the full document. We are not sure who ended up with the original or if it was lost to time.

Having access to those parish records, I found most of the family and confirmed 3rd great grandma's surname as Collier. But I couldn't find the baptisms of the first three children nor the marriage record of my 3rd great grandparents. I was able to trace 3rd great grandpa's line back but not his wife's line. Once I squeezed every record I could out of that parish, I spread out and searched nearby parishes for the missing working out further and further from this center point -- the parish with my family's records. 

I kept in mind a birth location mentioned in the eldest child's marriage record just two weeks after she arrived in the United States. Fahrenwalde. Her groom was from Lützlow a village somewhat nearby her siblings' last residence. Duplicate transcripts of the Lützlow church books available through the Family History Library had been checked years ago and she and her family were not in that parish. Though the duplicate church records were a limited time frame they did cover the time frame I needed. So while checking parishes surrounding Wallmow and Schmölln for the missing marriage and baptisms I kept an eye out for other leads. Family lore was this 3rd great grandma was French Huguenot so I also looked at the available French Reformed Churches located in my growing circle of search.

In the Französiche-reformierte Gemeinde Bergholz parish (whose records are in French) I spotted a few Collier families from Fahrenwalde. But I did not spot my 3rd great grandma. This intrigued me so much that months later I decided to research these Colliers. Even though I had no evidence of a tie yet, my gut said they are related some how. So I searched and entered putting them in a tree. Based on holes (missing people) I came to the conclusion the answers are indeed in Fahrenwalde specifically the Evangelische Kirche Fahrenwalde. I suspected one particular family. At first it seemed grandma might be one of the daughters but birth dates did not match. Further research and tracing these kids forward I suspect 3rd great grandma is another daughter or a daughter of one of the older sons. In the process of tracing the siblings of this particular family to other parishes, I actually found another child for my 3rd great grandparents and one of the missing baptisms. Looking at baptismal sponsors for the children of these particular siblings, I found my 3rd great grandparents were occasionally involved as sponsors. Usually family is among these sponsors. Not always but quite often. But unfortunately no more specific clues could be drawn out as to if 3rd great grandma is one of the siblings or a niece.

Having run out of records in my circular search perimeter, I looked at our DNA matches. Though a search of the Collier surname didn't yield much of use, some of the other surnames did turn up in the matches. That particular family is related but I am still not sure how. In studying the likely father/grandfather of 3rd great grandma trying to take his lineage back further, I came to a theory about which guy of the same name and about the right age time frame was his father. And actually my theory expanded, that his father was likely married three times -- twice to two Huguenot descendant girls who died shortly after giving birth and then to a girl of German descent BUT ... the answers likely lie back in Fahrenwalde in the Evangelische Kirche there. Sigh. Even more patience needed. Those church records are not digitized and online yet, so though the earlier research is done I still can not make a connection or two.

While doing this research I also educated myself about the Huguenots -- their history and where/when they emigrated and the records they may have left and where to find them. Back however many years ago, when which ever groups were indexing these Huguenots they only indexed the Französiche-reformierte Gemeinde churches in this area. So if someone of Huguenot descent married a person of German descent and attended Evangelische Kirche they didn't follow those individuals and index those Evangelische churches too just the Französiche-reformierte churches.

With time left on my short-term subscription, I did play around further tracking some of these Huguenot Colliers whose origins were mentioned in the records back to Mannheim and Friesenheim along with a stop in Magdeburg. But I'm not back to France yet. I really need to fill in that black hole of missing information in Fahrenwalde. I had been grumpy that it seemed like all the records being added lately to Archion were from one Archive. I realized just before the turn of the year that it was the Magdeburg area being added and I might need those records in the future.

I'm less grumpy now. But still not so patiently waiting for more Vorpommern and Brandenburg parishes to be digitized and uploaded to the Archion.de website. And for some Mecklenburg parishes too. From where ever they digitized the Mecklenburg church record microfilms on Ancestry, they did not have them all. It seems no matter which research I try to pick up this month, something is always missing digitally. So to see some things I have to visit the nearest FamilySearch Center where I know the microfilms were at though I might be able to see some of them online when inside the FSC. Did you hear that genealogy angels/fairies? I have two vouchers to use this year along with one new one good for two years. I REALLY want some more church records at Archion.

My Genealogy Numbers for 2021 and again for 2022.

Further progress on my genealogy numbers will likely require a research trip to a specific document-rich location, or more original records to be digitized and uploaded to a website out there somewhere on the internet. Hopefully an adventuring archivist out there discovers long-forgotten records squirreled away in his/her archives and realizes their value to today's genealogists and historians and takes the effort to get these "newly found" records digitized and placed online so new discoveries and knowledge can be made by many. Or maybe a genealogy company can make some new agreements with some archives to make long-stored records accessible through digitization such as early census records and residential records researched by a well-known author of genealogy books, particularly those in the former Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Vorpommern and Brandenburg areas. (Just a thought.)

So how did I do this year with my Genealogy Numbers?

Recapping my numbers which are the same as last year, "My Overall Identified Ancestors Total and Overall Percentage" stands at 295 and .90% going back to my fifteenth generation or 12th great grandparents level. Most others have been comparing their numbers at the 10th generation level and in that case my numbers are -- 255 ancestors out of 1023 total for a 24.93% standing.

I made the form I use is in Microsoft Word and it will automatically calculate the percentages with a right-click of the mouse. Now I did not come up with this fun exercise, I simply made a form that will do the math for me and save me time. And decided it would be nice to share.

As in prior years, I still would like the genealogy angels/fairies if they are reading this to help with a few lines so I can fill out the sparse areas of my tree. I know my wants/wishes list is growing but I just want to remind  you of where I am stuck and in want of help. 

• My newest line I need help with is my Collier line. Please genealogy angels/fairies, please, let the Fahrenwalde parish in former Kreis Prenzlau be digitized an put on the Archion website. I really need that parish to answer those questions. And while you are at it more parishes from the former Vorpommern area and additional parishes from various areas of Mecklenburg.
• I still would like cousins testing their DNA like descendants of Vincent families of early 1800s Hastings and Prince Edward Counties in Ontario, Canada. Or whichever Vincent/Vinson family is the correct one! Joseph needs some parents and siblings and some ancestors -- he is now my shortest line. A photo of his two daughters hangs on the wall behind me. Come on girls, find me your daddy's lineage!
• Also nice would be Rider families of mid-1700s and later Dutchess County, New York, and perhaps some better clues showing where John came from prior to his being in Massachusetts and Rhode Island -- he needs some provable parents not the undocumented guesses.
• DNA matches for Samuel Rider's unnamed wife's family as well as other descendants of Samuel and her would be really, really helpful to figure out who she and her parents were -- perhaps giving us a possible DAR line? -- but at least names so I can connect them and trace them back in time.
• And for my beloved Dunham family, more answers/records to move the correct line of Deacon John Dunham back further in England. And, maybe for researchers to stop believing and holding on to the false lineage presented so long ago.

Hazzard descendants are still rolling in nicely in regards to DNA so thank you genealogy angels/fairies. I still don't know exactly when Anna died or what her husband's name was but I know a few of their kids now and their descendants. And, thank you genealogy angels/fairies for those German lines that I now know though I still have brick walls and questions galore there so more help there too please.

Good results with your research everyone in the coming year!


©2023 All Rights Reserved, GoneResearching. All text and photos in this post are copyrighted & owned by me (goneresearching) unless indicated otherwise. No republication (commercial or non-commercial) without prior permission. You may share (tell others) of this blog as long as you give credit and link to this site (not by downloading or copying any post). Thank you.

Year 2021 was a Great Year for Genealogy Here: How Many Ancestors Do You Know? Count Your Genealogy Numbers

My Genealogy Numbers Form

The last count of my genealogy numbers was in 2017. Things have been busy here. And though it seems contrary it has been even busier during these pandemic years keeping family safe. I am hoping to carve out some time to do more genealogy for my family. When I have had the time it has gone to necessary work for the organizations to which I belong. As many are doing I am trying to find a balance to fulfill all my interests and have-tos.

I am updating the link to My Genealogy Numbers Form from 2014 here. The form itself is the same but due to Blogger updates many older links do not work anymore. And updating the links themselves would likely update the older posts I think messing up this blog's history. As I have said before this form can be shared with others but the proper way to share it is to share the URL address to this blog or to the specific blog post containing the form. Please do not just physically share the Genealogy Number Form file (doc file) via email or your own website or distribute it via printed copies because I have not given anyone that permission. I'm simply saying tell them about it by sharing the URL address or linking to this blog/website. And that way each person can download the file for their own personal use, and I can get an idea of how many people are using the form. If you need an image of your own results, take a screen capture. That is what I did those that appear here.

Okay back to the form. Now this is not a who has the most "cards" or people in our genealogy program scenario. But rather a look at how many direct ancestors do you know in each generation where you know a first and last name OR at least a first name AND that you have some documentation to go with that linking generation to generation.

This is the fifth year I have counted "My Genealogy Numbers." You can find my 2014 numbers, 2015 numbers and 2016 numbers and 2017 numbers at their respective posts.

The reality is that very, very few -- if any of us -- will have all 100% results all the way back through the generations. Natural disasters, people, and a simple lack of recording information have a way of keeping us from the answers we seek. But still we try.

So did I learn anything or find any new direct ancestors since last year? Yes!

While my 2017 genealogy numbers were the same as my 2016 numbers, I did add a few ancestors in 2018 -- four 6th great grandparents, two 7th great grandparents and two 8th great grandparents. For 2019 the numbers stayed the same as 2018. Though I created forms for these in-between years I am not posting them here. It was more for personal reference that I defined what year I discovered what (or who) in my lineage tree.

In 2020 I had to remove a branch of my tree. It was not very big, just two generations, but it was far back and one I was fond of having. I finally found the marriage of a set of 4th great grandparents. It indicated that we had the wrong person identified as 4th great grandpa. Long ago I had checked the work of grandpa's cousins but there wasn't any information to disprove or prove he was the right guy. He had made sense but this newly found marriage clearly indicated the real guy. Luckily I only had to disconnect Dad's side because the parents of the wrong guy were also the parents of one of Mom's lines so I really didn't lose that line like most people would. It just meant Dad and Mom are not 5th cousins anymore. But the connection is likely further back -- same surname, same small area of villages. Hopefully the records hold out because I am getting back to the very early church records. So even though I lost a 4th great grandfather and two 5th great grandparents, I actually gained besides the right 4th great grandfather, four 5th great grandparents (the marriage record also gave the information needed to find her parents too), and two 6th great grandparents.

2021 started off good. In trying to connect one of those 2020 found 5th great grandmothers to the only other person of the same surname in the parish I finally made the connection in another parish. She and he were siblings not father/daughter. It was disappointing to "lose" my first possible von ... ancestor but instead of a new brick wall (where the heck where they married) I found the siblings' parents and more -- adding two 6th great grandparents and two 7th great grandfathers too. And the discovery that the new line was a line of Mühlers (the occupation not the surname) both wind and water millers. Unfortunately of the three mills involved so far, none have survived time but I know where they once stood.

Then in April 2021 I learned some fantastic news. The website for the partnership of the various Evangelische Kirche archives in Germany (called Archion.de) was finally uploading parishes from Kreis Prenzlau in Brandenburg and some parishes from Dad's side were included. This was an area where though the archive in Berlin had microfiche of the church books they were only viewable in Germany. Of course, I still need additional parishes to be digitized to continue my search of this line but I added one 3rd great grandfather, two 4th great grandparents, four 5th great grandparents, and five 6th great grandparents. For third great grandma -- I was right! We had four or five variations on her surname and my educated guess was right -- Collier. Now just be kind and give me access to your marriage record, the earliest kids' baptisms, and your lineage from your parents back. I'll do the work, I just need access.

I also learned in Spring that parishes from my grandmother's area of Vorpommern were being digitized and were expected to be uploaded to the Archion.de website in 2022. In September 2021 I had to start a Archion voucher (gift certificate) before it expired in December. So I worked on a line for a cousin which was collateral to me. As I was finishing tracing generations back on that cousin's line, I learned via email that those Vorpommern parishes (which included grandma's baptismal parish and a couple nearby parishes) were being uploaded in just weeks -- much earlier than originally thought. This too is an area that was not microfilmed and not all the parishes had copies in the regional archive. So access was only by writing postal letters or getting permission to visit the church and view the records (and affording to do so.)

I knew three of the parishes uploaded were ones I needed for grandma. Two I had visited -- too many ancestors and too little time -- and one I had not visited. I ended up following trails to two other of the uploaded parishes and trails to a few other churches further away not digitized yet. (My ancestors are getting closer to the Baltic Sea and Sweden! I don't want patronymic names -- it just does not sound like fun research. Unfortunately, I am getting into the time Sweden and Denmark controlled this area and the likelihood increases someone long, long ago came from Sweden or Denmark.) Of course, there are several churches nearby grandma's baptismal church where she has ancestors too that are not yet digitized either. And I am hoping and praying those parishes will allow their church books to be digitized and uploaded. 

With this first upload of Pommern parish church books, I also realized that one of the parishes uploaded had some of Mom's one line pass through for a time so I utilized those records too. Unfortunately this line was collateral not direct so no new adds there to my direct line. I am waiting for those parishes where Mom's direct line were to be digitized too.

What did I add to 2021's genealogy numbers for grandma? Four 3rd great grandparents (resulting in a completed generation), six 4th great grandparents, twelve 5th great grandparents, sixteen 6th great grandparents, nine 7th great grandparents and one 8th great grandparent. One of my favorite photos of grandma hangs on the wall behind me. So she was with me during this recent genealogy binge into her ancestry.

I am so happy. I can not wait for more Vorpommern and Brandenburg parishes to be digitized and uploaded to the Archion.de website. Did you hear that genealogy angels/fairies? I have two new vouchers and they are good to activate for up to two years.

My Genealogy Numbers for 2021

Though much progress has been made on My Genealogy Numbers, further progress will likely require  a research trip to a specific document-rich location, or more original records to be digitized and uploaded to a website out there somewhere on the internet. Hopefully an adventuring archivist out there discovers long-forgotten records squirreled away in his/her archives and realizes their value to today's genealogists and historians and takes the effort to get these "newly found" records digitized and placed online so new discoveries and knowledge can be made by many. Or maybe a genealogy company can make some new agreements with some archives to make long-stored records accessible through digitization such as early census records and residential records researched by a well-known author of genealogy books, particularly those in the former Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Vorpommern and Brandenburg areas. (Just a thought.)

So how did I do this year with my Genealogy Numbers?

I'd say this was a positive event year to put it mildly. As a recap from last time "My Overall Identified Ancestors Total and Overall Percentage" stands at 295 and .90% going back to my fifteenth generation or 12th great grandparents level. Most others have been comparing their numbers at the 10th generation level and in that case my numbers are -- 255 ancestors out of 1023 total for a 24.93% standing.

I made the form I use is in Microsoft Word and it will automatically calculate the percentages with a right-click of the mouse. Now I did not come up with this fun exercise, I simply made a form that will do the math for me and save me time. And decided it would be nice to share.

As in prior years, I still would like the genealogy angels/fairies if they are reading this to help with a few lines so I can fill out the sparse areas of my tree. 

• I still would like cousins testing their DNA like descendants of Vincent families of early 1800s Hastings and Prince Edward Counties in Ontario, Canada, Or whichever Vincent/Vinson family is the correct one! Joseph needs some parents and siblings and some ancestors -- he is now my shortest line. A photo of his two daughters hangs on the wall behind me. Come on girls, find me your daddy!
• Also nice would be Rider families of mid-1700s and later Dutchess County, New York, and perhaps some better clues showing where John came from prior to his being in Massachusetts and Rhode Island -- he needs some provable parents not guesses.
• DNA matches for Samuel Rider's unnamed wife's family as well as other descendants of Samuel and her would be really, really helpful to figure out who she and her parents were -- perhaps giving me a possible DAR line? -- but at least names so I can trace them back in time.
• And for my beloved Dunham family, more answers/records to move the correct line of Deacon John Dunham back further in England. And, maybe for researchers to stop believing and holding on to the false lineage presented so long ago.

Hazzard descendants are still rolling in nicely in regards to DNA so thank you genealogy angels/fairies. I still don't know when Anna died or what her husband's name was but I know a few of the kids now and their descendants. And, thank you genealogy angels/fairies for those German lines that I now know though I still have brick walls and questions galore there so more help there too please.

Good results with your research everyone in the coming year!


©2022 All Rights Reserved, goneresearching. All text and photos in this post are copyrighted & owned by me (goneresearching) unless indicated otherwise. No republication (commercial or non-commercial) without prior permission. You may share (tell others) of this blog as long as you give credit and link to this site (not by downloading or copying any post). Thank you.

Belated Update 2017: How Many Ancestors Do You Know? Count Your Genealogy Numbers

For the last few years I have been Counting My Genealogy Numbers in January but as you can see it is now March — I am a little behind schedule. I have not worried about doing this task too much because my 2017 numbers did not change from last year, 2016.

I have had a few inquiries about my Genealogy Numbers Form lately. Yes this form can be shared with others but the proper way to share it is to share the URL address to this blog or to the specific blog post containing the form. (You can find the form on my 2014 numbers post.) Please do not just physically share the Genealogy Number Form file (doc file) via email or your own website or distribute it via printed copies because I have not given anyone that permission. I'm simply saying tell them about it by sharing the URL address or linking to this blog/website. And that way each person can download the file for their own personal use, and I can get an idea of how many people are using the form.

Okay back to the form. Now this is not a who has the most "cards" or people in our genealogy program scenario. But rather a look at how many direct ancestors do you know in each generation where you know a first and last name OR at least a first name AND that you have some documentation to go with that linking generation to generation.

My Genealogy Numbers Form

This is the fourth year I have counted "My Genealogy Numbers." You can find my 2014 numbers, 2015 numbers and 2016 numbers at their respective posts.

The reality is that very, very few -- if any of us -- will have all 100% results all the way back through the generations. Natural disasters, people, and a simple lack of recording information have a way of keeping us from the answers we seek. But still we try.

So did I learn anything or find any new direct ancestors since last year? No.

My Genealogy Numbers are still exactly where they were one year and a couple months ago. Illnesses, surgeries, and other stuff in life in 2016 made little time for researching those end of liners that usually require a research trip to a specific document-rich location, or renting of microfilm for documents that are not digitized yet and might never be digitized.

My Genealogy Numbers at the start of 2017, exactly the same as the start of 2016.

So how did I do this year with my Genealogy Numbers?

Well they did not change so let us say neutral — neither a positive or negative event. As a recap from last year "My Overall Identified Ancestors Total and Overall Percentage" stands at 229 and .70% going back to my fifteenth generation or 12th great grandparents level. Most others have been comparing their numbers at the 10th generation level and in that case my numbers are -- 193 ancestors out of 1023 total or an 18.87% standing.

I made the form I use is in Microsoft Word and it will automatically calculate the percentages with a right-click of the mouse. You can find my form and learn how to count your genealogy numbers on my 2014 Genealogy Numbers post. Now I did not come up with this fun exercise, I simply made a form that will do the math for me and save me time.

I still would like the genealogy angels/fairies if they are reading this to help with a few third-great grandparents so I can fill out the sparse areas of my tree but I would not say no to more cousins testing their DNA like descendants of Vincent families of early 1800s Hastings and Prince Edward Counties in Ontario, Canada; Rider of mid-1700s and later Dutchess County, New York; and Dunham of 1700s and later in Connecticut and Dutchess County, New York. Hazzard descendants have been rolling in nicely and it is looking very promising so thank you genealogy angels/fairies. While I got your attention, maybe some of those German lines of mine too if it is not too much. DNA testers who match on any of my lines might help my numbers by perhaps giving me clues as to where to concentrate my searches.

Good results with your research everyone in the coming year!

©2017 All Rights Reserved, goneresearching. All text and photos in this post are copyrighted & owned by me (goneresearching) unless indicated otherwise. No republication (commercial or non-commercial) without prior permission. You may share (tell others) of this blog as long as you give credit and link to this site (not by downloading or copying any post). Thank you.

Update 2016: How Many Ancestors Do You Know? Count Your Genealogy Numbers

It is that time of year again when some of us take stock and determine what are our genealogy numbers.

Now this is not a who has the most "cards" or people in our genealogy program scenario. But rather a look at how many direct ancestors do you know in each generation where you know a first and last name OR at least a first name AND that you have some documentation to go with that linking generation to generation.

My Genealogy Numbers Form

This is the third year I have counted "My Genealogy Numbers." You can find my 2014 numbers and 2015 numbers at their respective posts.

The reality is that very, very few -- if any of us -- will have all 100% results all the way back through the generations. Natural disasters, people, and a simple lack of recording information have a way of keeping us from the answers we seek. But still we try.

So have I learned anything or found any new direct ancestors since last year? Yes.

Among my 7th great grandparents in the tenth generation I decided one grandmother did not meet my proof requirement so I decided to remove her from my tally causing my percentage to fall a little. I did however add four more 9th great grandparents; two more 10th great grandparents; and three more 11th great grandparents. I also have two 12th great grandparents now!

Looking back, research in 2015 did not go too bad even if I did not have as much time to spend researching. One thing that helped me last year was the New England Historic Genealogical Society giving free access on its AmericanAncestors.org website to a few databases that are not part of the normal society membership. That got me researching further back on some lines that I had not gotten to yet. The addition of more digitized wills and probates at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com websites also helped.

My Genealogy Numbers at the Start of 2016.

So how did I do this year with my Genealogy Numbers?

Most of my numbers went up in the more distant generations. So "My Overall Identified Ancestors Total and Overall Percentage" now stands at 229 and .70% going back to my fifteenth generation or 12th great grandparents level. Most others have been comparing their numbers at the 10th generation level and in that case my numbers went down slightly -- 193 ancestors out of 1023 total or 18.87%. (That one 7th great grandmother I removed.)

I made the form I use is in Microsoft Word and it will automatically calculate the percentages with a right-click of the mouse. You can find my form and learn how to count your genealogy numbers on my 2014 Genealogy Numbers post.

So if the genealogy angels/fairies are still reading I have a few more requests in regards to my research ... like a few third great grandparents I would really like to learn more about including their lineage. That would really help my numbers.


©2016, goneresearching. All text and photos in this post are copyrighted & owned by me (goneresearching) unless indicated otherwise. No republication (commercial or non-commercial) without prior permission. You may share (tell others) of this blog as long as you give credit and link to this site (not by downloading or copying any post). Thank you.

Update 2015: How Many Ancestors Do You Know? Count Your Genealogy Numbers

My Genealogy Numbers Form

As I said in a post last year, normally I don't care to hear someone say I have this number of people in my tree. When I hear this I usually think, "Yeah, but how much of it is really proved and accurate? And how many are really related to you?" I do not see genealogy as a collecting names game rather for me it is more of a mystery/detective game.

But in this case, I think the numbers do mean something a bit more:  How much have I learned and how far do I have to go yet? The reality is that very, very few -- if any of us -- will have all 100% results all the way back through the generations. Natural disasters, people, and a simple lack of recording information have a way of keeping us from the answers we seek. But still we try.

So have I learned anything or found any new direct ancestors since last year? Yes.

That set of fifth great grandparents I have been researching appears to be correct. Though I am still working on proving the relationships better with a paper trail, DNA testing is showing me that the tree branch I suspected is mine is the right one. I think it is also showing me that my other suspicion is correct but I need a bit more evidence yet. Come on cousins, test your DNA! 

So how did I do this year with my Genealogy Numbers?

My numbers "officially" went up in the more distant generations because I now feel confident enough to claim my "alternate numbers from last year" as part of my ancestry now. I also added three ancestors (possible four -- the one is too new yet) to my fourteenth generation. So "My Overall Identified Ancestors Total and Overall Percentage" now stands at 219 and 1.34%. My numbers from last year both official and alternate can be found in last year's post along with the form I made in Microsoft Word that will automatically calculate the percentages with a right-click of the mouse.

My Genealogy Numbers at the start of 2015.

So if the genealogy angels/fairies are still reading I have a few more requests in regards to my research ...


©2015, goneresearching. All text and photos in this post are copyrighted & owned by me (goneresearching) unless indicated otherwise. No republication (commercial or non-commercial) without prior permission. You may share (tell others) of this blog as long as you give credit and link to this site (not by downloading or copying any post). Thank you.

How Many Ancestors Do You Know? Count Your Genealogy Numbers

I am finally getting back to genealogy and blogging after a busy month and then a very bad, never-ending (it seems) cold.

A recent post,  "What's Your Genealogy Score?", on Randy Seaver's Genea-Musings blog caught my eye late Saturday/early Sunday. He refers to two other bloggers who have done this in the past also. Anyways, his Saturday, January 4, post is about counting up your identified direct ancestors and determining what percentage of your ancestors you know by generation and overall (total).

Normally I don't care to hear someone say I have this number of people in my tree. When I hear this I usually think, "Yeah, but how much of it is really proved and accurate? And how many are really related to you?" I don't see genealogy as a collecting names game, to me it is more of a mystery/detective game.

But in this case, I think the numbers do mean something a bit more:  How much have I learned and how far do I have to go yet? The reality is that very, very few, if any of us, will have all 100% results all the way back through the generations. Natural disasters, people, and a simple lack of recording information have a way of keeping us from the answers we seek. But still we try.

So in between shoveling the driveway three times on Sunday, I started to put together my genealogy numbers.

Using my genealogy program I made an Ahnentafel Report and then proceeded to add up my ancestors by generation. Along the way I made a form in Microsoft Word that includes a table that does the math for you with a few clicks of the mouse and, of course, directions. I'm making it available for anyone to use for personal use only (no commercial use/copying). Here is the form you can download and then edit. (I think I set up access correctly.).

My numbers are pretty much what I expected. I did perfect (100%) up to my 2nd great grandparents (the fifth generation). And did pretty good on my 3rd great grandparents (the sixth generation) scoring in the 90s. After that it was down hill.

I'm mostly German. Luckily for me most of those ancestors were from Mecklenburg-Schwerin where there are bountiful records available. If that had not been the case, my numbers would have been even lower.

BUT some of those German ancestors of mine were from the Vorpommern area and Brandenburg where records are not so available and that pulled down my numbers. And then there is that one non-German line where I have a third great grandfather of whom nothing is known but his name. On top of this, that branch contains my only colonial roots that is for the most part keeping mum about itself. Though I've made some progress here and there, I still have not gotten another generation further back yet.

So here is a screen capture of my results. Randy and the rest (see the comments made to his post) were comparing their results at the 10th generation level. So overall for my 10th generation, I am at 17.99%.

But if I have correctly determined the parents and thus ancestry of one of my 4th great grandmothers (my some progress), I will have added several more generations of ancestors to my results. Curious, I wrote the potential ancestors on my Ahnentafel printout and added up the changes it would make to my eighth generation and beyond. Below are the alternate results. My 10th generation moves up to 18.96%.

Hopefully, this year I can find a bit more proof to finally feel comfortable adding this line to my tree. So if the genealogy angels/fairies are reading...

Happy New Year!

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