How Long Has Your Family Been In The Country Where You Live?

hauntedtexan

hauntedtexan

Member
Location
Central TX
In the USA, we are a country of immigrants unless you are Native American. If you know, when did your family get to the country you live in? Always be careful never to reveal actual identities online to avoid the ever present trolls who can exploit us.


My earliest family member arrived in 1637 from Bocking, Essex, England to Providence, Rhode Island. They were integral in this country's development in military and civilian service. I am related, also, to Clara Barton of the Red Cross, my late wife's historic hero. We had no control over where we came from, so I was blessed with a line that made a positive difference in my country.
 

My grandparents came to the U.S. in the early 1900's...from Germany and Italy...via Ellis Island. My parents were born here a few years later...I guess that makes me a 2nd generation American, by birth.
 

The first mention of an ancestor was 1637 in Salem, Massachusetts.

It was at a town meeting to divide up some communally owned land in the town.

I don't know when he actually arrived in this country.

No big scandals or achievements among my ancestors, just a bunch of hard working mutts, LOL!
 
I really don't know. My grandparents were of French Canadian heritage. When I was a little kid, my grandparents primarily spoke French, but were bilingual, and my parents were bilingual. All of them had French accents. They gradually faded, but my mom kept hers. Again, 1949-50s, Wednesday was "French Day" at the stores in town- only French was spoken. Gradually, speaking French went away. My parents are gone, and I'm 71, so I really don't know when my family moved down to the USA. Plus there was always a fuzzy area about what was Canada and what was USA. One town was legally in the USA, but spoke French; and there were English speaking towns in French Quebec.
 
My first paternal ancestor arrived in Milton Mass. from Staffordshire, England in 1634. He grew forage for the colony and eventually was elected "Fence Viewer"
My maternal side is a bit murkier. The first reference was in Providence R.I. in 1673. Family legend has it that he was pressganged into the British Navy in Scotland and jumped ship when he got here.

My wifes family are Polish arriving here by way of South Africa as refugees after WW2
 
I've been able to identify multiple generations of most of my family lines and all were in the U. S. before it was 'the U.S.' My research turned up one who self-identified as a Tory or Loyalist. Large property owner before the Revolutionary War, not so much after. Another was 'transported' in 1720 under the English Transportation Act which was a means of ridding England of petty criminals. The boat passage was paid by a landowner here and person transported was indentured - in my ancestor's case for 7 years which meant he was not guilty of a serious offense which carried a longer period of indenture. He fared pretty well though. Within a year of his indenture being completed, he had married the bosses daughter.

My own DNA analysis says my ancestors were primarily from England, Ireland and Scandinavia with a little mutt included for variety.
 
The first of my family arrived in New Brunswick in 1790. They were four brothers from Aberdeen Scotland, shipbuilders to the King. the Irish contingent arrived in the 1800,s and my Welsh father arrived at the age of two.
 
Both parents were born in Scotland,came over in their youth with my grandparents.They both passed when I was in my early teens so details are basically non existent.
 
Some of my ancestors were here to welcome the Pilgrims. Some were brought here in slave ships; I don't know the years. Some came from Scotland and England and Germany in the early 1800's. I know some were here in the late 1700's because I have a copy of a ancestor's "marriage bond" certificate issued by Patrick Henry when he was governor of Virginia.
 
One of my original paternal ancestor-immigrants arrived in Philadelphia in 1739. Spent 20 years there, then took advantage of King George's offer of grants to those willing to settle in places to the South. A historical exhibit including restored ancestral home originally built in 1766 is on display just outside of the town of Granite Quarry, in Rowan County.
 
tnthomas said:
One of my original paternal ancestor-immigrants arrived in Philadelphia in 1739. Spent 20 years there, then took advantage of King George's offer of grants to those willing to settle in places to the South. A historical exhibit including restored ancestral home originally built in 1766 is on display just outside of the town of Granite Quarry, in Rowan County.
Click to expand...
Beautiful old stone house, tnthomas.
 
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