CelticWomanForum.com

You know, pals, I have some of my ancestors which is on my daddy's side. They lived a long time ago before we were born. Has anyone got ancestors on his/her parents' sides?

Well Kimberly, we all have ancestors but some of us may not know who they were, or where they were from.

I know all of mine, back several hundred years, because they stayed in Ireland.

However, my husband was adopted, so we don't know who his ancestors were.
All we know is his mother was from Wales, and his father was from the USA.

Yes Kaj, like it or not, we all have ancestors.  My four grandparents all came from Latvia, which at the time they came was Russia.

My husband can trace his roots here in the US to the early 1800's.  We started doing research a few years ago on his family.  His mother's family came from Ireland and his dad's family we can trace directly to the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland.  I even ordered a catalogue from Ortak, a jewler in the Orkney Islands and it had a thank you note from a sales lady with the same last name as my husband...one that is very common in the Orkney Islands.  Of course, I emailed her back!

Tracing ancestors is fascinating.

According to my father (a genealogist in his spare time), some of my ancestors came in on the Mayflower.

Oh, yeah.  We all have ancestors.  Mine came from England around 1630, but our family was originally Norman Celts who fought on William's side at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

My mother can trace her ancestors back to the 1650's, they originally came from Sweden to Northern Germany during the Thirty Years' War.

My father was adopted, so we know nothing about his parents and ancestors.

My Mom's Grandmother came from Czechoslovakia, and lived in New Prague, Minnesota, where my grandmother was born. My mother has done extensive research on our family history, but hasn't shared as much as I'd like with me. I'll ask her about it some time!

On my mothers mothers side, We can trace back to th e1800s in Holland and germany. My mothers father was from Banteer ireland. I know the date, the name of the ship and even have a copy of the manifest showing his name.

My Dad's family can be traced to the mid 1700's including their service in the Army to win frredom and keep it.

Naturally I don't know all of them since I wasn't born yet<g> but we do have the family tree.

Jim

My mother's father was Courtland Beecher Stone, cousin to Henry Ward Beecher and his sister Harriet Beecher Stowe.

My Mom was also somewhat secretive about her Dad's history and stated something like its best to leave some things unknown and in the past. Plus I am unsure of what to believe from various family members who speak about it. People obviously try to frame things in a positive way regarding their family. He was said to be a great violin player though. But I get the impression my Grandfather either did something wrong or made some powerful enemies and came to America to raise his family where he and they were safe.

We found out a little more about my Dad's family because we have some written records that go back plus some other families from the same European area migrated to America together and settled in nearby communities. Most of his family were farmers, some were Cossacks.

Speaking of ancestors and Ukraine, wasn't the first permanent Celtic settlement near the Black Sea in what is today Ukraine?

You're right about that, Cash! :D

I used to work for a company called Historic Families here in Orlando.
We did scrolls with history of family names etc.

I can not count the hundreds of people who told me " We're descended from Mary Queen of Scots, you know".
I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes and say "Yeah, sure you are".

Yes, the Celts are supposed to have originated somewhere around Ukraine, but nobody knows for sure.
Then they moved into Central Europe.
Then they ended up in Scotland, and the more intelligent among them crossed into Ireland!!! ;D

And they call me a "tad biased"!!
(http://www.ropescorner.com/smileys/36_11_6.gif)

Oh? Biased? Moi? (http://www.lwtstaff.co.uk/phpBB2/images/smiles/yes.gif)

BTW, those name histories were very vague, and I always pointed out that it was only a general history of the NAME, and not of their particular family.
Some of my co-workers, however, were not so truthful.
We had a Scottish guy worked there for a while who was totally shameless.
He would wow the ladies, telling them all kinds of fantasies about how noble their families were. ::)
I'm sure he was responsible for many of the "Mary, Queen of Scots" stories.

She didn't have many descendants, after all she only had one son, who was homosexual, and when he married out of "Royal duty" 3 of his kids died in infancy and one other died young.

That Scotsman was taken away by immigration officers, and deported over the sea to Skye.

I love researching my ancestors. :)
My family and I have gotten back to the 1400's on my Mom's side. Good ol' Princess Anne of Parma Austria (now Italy). She ran away and married an Italian peasant. Then there are the Swedes, and English. ;)
On my dad's side we only ever finished finding all the clan members (that was enough for me...over 240 families!) of the two clans we belong to: the McKay and Ferguson (Scotland).

I'd love to find out more about everyone in my family though.

<3 Caite

I too love researching the family. My Dad did the ground work by finding them all, but I researched things like battles they were in, people they knew.

I researched a Civil War battle in Murfeesboro Tn and have said it before. I would rather spend another year in Vietnam than 1 day in the Civil War.

I would like to go back and find Robert Fulton (the nephew of my great great great , etc grandfather. Then another one who founded the United Church of Christ in Carversville Pa.that still exists. He was a War of 1812 vet.

Jim

An ancestor of mine fought and died at Gettysburg.  Sadly, he was actually a victim of "friendly fire" when a faulty artillery round fell short and exploded among his men (the 20th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer, the fabled "Harvard Regiment").  His name appears on a monument erected at the battle site in their honor.

(http://www.harvardregiment.org/monum_files/20meast.gif)
Inscription:  "This monument marks the position occupied by the 20th Massachusetts Infantry in line of battle on July 2, 1863, until (on July 3) it advanced to the front of the copse of trees at right to assist in repelling the charge of Longstreet's corps. This tablet is placed by their comrades in honor of Colonel Paul Joseph Revere, First Lieutenant Henry Ropes, Second Lieutenant Sumner Paine and 41 enlisted men who were killed or mortally wounded."

More info here:  http://www.harvardregiment.org/monum.html (http://www.harvardregiment.org/monum.html)

Rich

It's nice you have a monument but I am sure the family would have preferred him home. Mine came back minus an arm.

Those were not the best of times.

A good friend of mine told me the unit is ancestor was in. He was in the same place as my great grandfather. He wore Blue, My friend's ancestor wore Grey.

Jim

I love genealogy and have tried to look into my heritage but not finding much, I'd be most appreciative if any irish afficiandos could help me... my great grandmother's maiden name was McKeever.... cant find anything except the origins of the name are suppsedly Scotland.... and I dont want to believe that yet

my family come from iraq mainly and unfortunatly the records, birth certs etc were wiped out during the pogroms after ww2. so i know pretty much nothing apart from the general in history books. my mums family went to israel and my dads family went to england and that was that, nothing more said about it. i don't actually know my grandparents names for example. there is nothing to trace unfortunatly.

Yes Kimberly I have ancestors on my mom's side and on my dad's side.

Where do you begin? Is there a computer program or site to get you started?

The Mormons have the best geneological sites, also if you are serious about searching I'd suggest putting up the money and joing a site like Ancestry.com. 

If your ancestor servedin the military say in teh Civil War, you can find the unit by searching, getting the info and then get copies of military records.

Jim

My mom's side originated in France, and we even have a castle that was used by the same family line! And my dad's family came from England, in the 1620's, I believe 3 brothers came across. In the same family, one of my ancestors was a tory in the American Reveloution.

Well With my Dads Side...you can trace it to County Wexford but back reeeall far..its in Lower Kent England.
on my mums side(gilhoolys)..their first found in Lietrim and Roscommon where they held an ancient power in O'Mulvy Clan.
Then digging deeper

My Grampie Comerford's mothers Maiden name was Monahan, first found in Roscommon and they held a family seat from ancient times.
My Gramie comerfords Maiden name is Fitzpatrick, which were still trying to place that name because it jumps around with the different spelling variations.

My Poppy Gilhooly's Mothers Maiden name is Higgins First found in County Sligo, where they held a family seat
and My Gram Gilhoolys Maiden name is Mallough..first found in County Ofally i believe.

Its very hard to trace back..this took me weeks to find out (and i was born in ireland..shame shame on me!)

Wickiexx

Don't want to burst anybody's bubble etc, but just to state a fact:

Unless you have definite names, birth and marriage documents etc, it is very difficult to trace ancestors.
For a start, nobody in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066 had a last name, so nobody can trace their English roots back before that time.
They were known by such names as John of Wakefield, Egbert the shepherd, or Robert the short. Names evolved from the town you were from, your occupation, or your appearance.
And if you discover that your ancestors lived in a castle, it does not prove they were of noble blood or the owners family. The servants who cooked the food, kept the place clean, groomed the horses etc lived in the servants quarters at the castle and were considered property, very often given the last name of the Master, much like the early slaves in the USA.

The noblemen and women made sure their pedigrees were recorded, as only their legitimate heirs could inherit. So there would be a documented family tree, and a record of the property they owned. William the Conqueror was a great one for written records, and commissioned the Domesday Book:

www.domesdaybook.co.uk/index.html

A NAME HISTORY is a different matter, and is very vague at best.

The scrolls you can buy in the mall or gift store give only a vague history of the name origin, and they put the best spin on it, to make it sound grand.

How do I know?
When I came to Florida I worked for Historic Families Inc, who make the scrolls.
When I lived in England I had studied Heraldry, coats of arms etc and knew B***S**** when I saw it!

Welcome back Maggie, you were missed.  Dave did an excellent job of filling us in.  Congrats again on the new grandbaby.

I've missed your posts Maggie, because you never fail to tell it like it is.  I played around on one of those onlilne family coat of arms, etc. and had a whole history, coat of arms, etc. on my family.  My family came from a shtetel in Russia ::) (like Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof") and left Russia at the not so polite request of the czar, yet according to this site we had a coat of arms and everything.  Yeah, right!

My husband's was perhaps a little closer to the truth.  Baxter comes from Baker in Scottish.  They were probably bakers in someone's household and YET they had their own coat of arms too.

I think you know and most people should too....it is all in the names of profits! LOL

Wickie, you know a lot about your actual ancestors and family names etc.
You seem to have a lot of family members you have asked about family names and origins.
I know some Comerfords and Gilhoolys in Tipperary.
The great thing is, there are National Heritage Centers in most towns in Ireland, set up by the Government to help with ancestry etc.
If you know the town and the names, they will do a trace for a small fee.
The most reliable source for family history is Catholic Church records of baptism, marriage, burials.

What I was saying in my post above was for those of English ancestry not to rely on "Name History" scrolls as they are very vague. 

The Normans were the ones who organized and documented names and lands.
William the Conqueror's purpose was so they could all be taxed.

As your Dad's side originated in South Kent it could be that he was of Norman ancestry.
Many Normans settled in Ireland and founded some of the strongest Irish families.
Chris De Burgh the singer was of Norman ancestry through his mother,she was Maeve De Burgh, born in Ireland.
His family went back to Wexford and bought a Norman Castle that had belonged to his ancestors.
(http://www.cdeb.com/acct/Chris-and-Stewarts-CdeB-site/CdeB%20Biography_files/image003.jpg)

McKeever sounds Scottish.
I found several Ship's manifests showing McKeevers as passengers.

This is just one of many, on a Ship called West Point which sailed from Liverpool to New York on 12 July 1858:
 Patrick McKeever Age 25 Occupation: Smith Country of Origin: England Destination:United States   Lower Bet. Decks
He was accompanied by Alice McKeever age 20.

On other Ships there are: Daniel, James and John McKeever.

There are more than 20 others listed over the years.

Maggie .... correct me if Im wrong in the irish saying but Go raibh maith agat!

THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 :D
Kate, the expression is actually Céad Míle Fáilte.  It's Ireland's motto, and it means "One Hundred Thousand Welcomes."

ooops ... Ty Rich for the correction... seems I still have a lot more Irish to learn lol. Slan!!!!

 Hey guys and gals  I am 50% IRISH and 50% POLISH. My grandparents came from county Cork, WALSH is the sir name.  I must be the only polish Leprechan besides my brothers ;)

You Dont Say!!  ;)

<3 Lauren aka Seeeesssy

I just found out the other day from mi pa that we are from County Mayo, County Cork, and Dublin. I was excited to find that out!!!

<33 Lauren

You had 3 parents? (lol)

LOL not that i know of....  ???

<33 Lauren

 ;D ;D

I talked to my uncle...Mullins.....Clare, Tippary,
My husband's Mother.....O'Cassey ....Limmerick

and we are visiting these places in about a month ;D

My daughter married a Cassidy.  Now I have two lovely grand daughters who are Cassidys.   They asked me about their name and if it was Irish. I told them it was.  This made them both quite happy.

Last week I presented each of them with a pin bearing the Cassidy coat of arms and the name Cassidy, as well as a few other things with the coat of arms on it.  In addition I had made each a booklet of the origin of the name and where it originated in Ireland as well as some stories famous Cassidys in history.  This of course came with the grandfatherly lecture on how important it is protect ones good name.  Now the two of them ages 8 and 10 are reading everything they can find on Ireland. 

Family history should give one pride not only in themselves, but also in the hard work those who came before have done to make the American Dream live.

JIM

Awwh Jim!! thats soo sweet!!

this is quite interesting..this building i think people might know by the kirby center, was once owned by our comerford relatives!
Comerford Theatre!!

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/delaware/com.htm

here's a bitsy of a backround on it!!

we have loads of relatives over here, didn't know that till a bitsy of a time ago!!

Wickiexx

Alls I know is i am part Lithuanian, irish, welsh, french, and english.... I havent done much research

I wouldn't even try if I were you......it would give you a headache!

On my mother's side, I'm mostly Dutch, my grandpa was born in The Netherlands and they moved over here when he was a baby.  There is also French on my mom's side and I don't know what else. 

On my dad's side, we're Scotch-Irish and possibly also French and I don't know what else.  I only know 5 nationalities for sure from both sides: Dutch, English, French, Scottish, Irish.  I don't know anywhere near enough details about my ancestral history for my taste.  I want to learn so much, but I don't know how to go about researching it and I don't have money to pay anyone to do it for me.

Jeanine

Wickie...cool theatre. The past is pretty cool ;D

The Girls Performed there!!! i hope their coming back next year to The Kirby..Dad calls it the Comerford Theatre REMIX now lol

Wickiexx

Put me in that vast catagory labeled "Wish I Knew More About My Ancestry"... ???

However, I'll tell you this: as someone who occasionally jokes about being "part redhead", some degree of Celtic ancestry of some variety wouldn't surprise me a bit. :D

Most definitely! I've just stumbled across this thread, and my ancestry's one that greatly fascinates me.

On my father's side, it's Irish. My grandmother was a Walsh, with her parents coming from Cork. My grandfather's family came from the north, either Co. Antrim or Co. Armagh.

As for my mother's side, I believe it's a mix of Irish and English.

Dan..My Great Great Grandmother was a Walsh..Annie Walsh dont remember what county gram said she was from however

You know what I tell? My daddy told me that he's got his older relatives born in Hungary and Ireland, so, my grandma on his side was Hungarian-born. Now, I miss her too. :(

Could be any of the 32, I'd say! The Walsh family is everywhere in Ireland.

Yeah i know..its almost as Bad As Fitzpatrick or Kelly...most popular names in ireland right there!!

lol

Wickiexx

well....my ancestors in a nutshell...

I'm at war with my self during the potato famine while being bomed and invaded....all the while being the down fall of myself....

(my ancestors come from France, Germany, Ireland, Wales, and Norway)....

That confuses mee..lol..about that comment before with the popular names..i was just saying that the names are very popular!!
lol

Wickiexx

After you explained the nationalities it made perfect sense!

At war with self-Welsh/UK
During the Potato Famine-Ireland
While being bombed and invaded-Norway, France
All the while being the downfall of yourself-Germany

Did I get that right?  :P

you certainly have a way with words. i got the irish and the german bit but the others flummoxed me a bit

Ancestory is interesting, especially for those of Irish descent.  In fact, I once heard that there are more people who claim Irish roots outside Ireland than Irish living in Ireland.

We in the USA struggle with paying homage to our roots while at the same time trying to be American.  One can see this firsthand as we deal with English language as a second language for many residents.  One need only go into a store such as Wal-Mart or The Home Depot to see signs in English and Spanish, as well as any grocery store to see products on the shelves with bi-lingual labels.

FireGuyFrank

close...it was actually at war with my self (France and Germany)
During the Patato famine (Ireland...you had that right)...
While being bomed (wales)
and invaded (norway)
while being the down fall of myself (France and Norway were both crushed by Germany....well...mostly france...I don't think Norway got hurt that badly)...

but you were really close....

I don't understand that bit - I guess you mean that Wales was bombed.

There were very few bombs dropped on Wales, just a few on the docks at Swansea etc, but with very few casualties.

Compared with parts of England Wales got nothing.

^I'm aware...I just needed something for wales....my best friend came up with that one...because I got stuck on what to do for wales...(this is what happens during long lectures in history class)...

Really? I know the detail. When you're born in America from a Celtic European, you still would have a mom born in Europe like a timid Irish. Didn't I say it? ::) ;)

I have always been interested in geneology, but when I'd ask my husband his background he'd said his mom told him Scottish and Irish.  That's all he knew.  He knew his family had been here since the l700's.  Well thanks to Celtic Woman (for both me and a good friend of mine) both of our husbands are now interested in their backgrounds.  We have researched, joined geneology sites, gone to fairs, bought books and learned so much in two years time.  My house is full of Celtic knick knacks too now.  My girlfriends husband, who is a Carmichael, is now planning a trip to Scotland in 2010 when they are having a big Clan Carmichael gathering.  I'm sure that Celtic Woman has gotten many many more people interested in researching, learning about and just listening to the wonderful music from Celtic countries. 

P.S.  I watched Carlos Nunez, he's from Galaicia in Spain, on youtube.  One word -- Awesome!!  Thank you Celtic Woman for opening this world up for so many!

Wales has some of the most well-preserved and beautiful castles in the world.

Dave's birth mother was from Wales, and he wanted to see it, so we've been there several times, on our way over to Ireland.
He was amazed at the beautiful countryside and mountains in the northwest.
When we crossed the Menai Bridge onto the island of Anglesey, we went through the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Dave found out he could get his US Passport stamped at the Post Office there, with the name of the village and the Welsh dragon. He was delighted.
(http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ZMTKTvgcNf9gaM:http://www.nwt.co.uk/images/member_images/normal/3952-12824-Beaumaris.jpg)
(http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:GcbNzuJ63LjpyM:http://www.beaumarisshop.co.uk/photos/images/Beaumaris-castle_jpg.jpg)
(http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:dnoCzj3n_5i1yM:http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/tourist-attractions/images-attractions/Conwy_Castle_View_2.jpg)
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/caernarfon/images/caernarfon_castle200.jpg)

Say the name of that village 3 times fast.  Thatr quite the name, how exactly is that pronounced?

 :D :D :D You have to be Welsh to pronounce it.
Most people in the UK call it Llanfair PG.
(Actually, the LL at the start is pronounced with a guttural "Chl" sound, as if clearing one's throat.)

Dave got a kick out of showing his passport when he got back to the USA. That stamp had them puzzled! :D

I guess there is a reason some things get shortened.

or anglesized ;)

Right Selina, they did that alot on Ellis Island.  My grandfather's name went from Efraim to Frank!   ???

eg: the historian george clare, changed his name from georg klaar to make himself less conspicious. he wrote his autobiography 'last waltz in vienna' and explains it all. a great book, i really recommend it

I feel a lot of sympathy for the immigration officers at Ellis Island.

Many of the immigrants could not read or write, or at least not in English, and they had strange accents. So it was understandable that the officer would write it down as he heard it.

That's why some immigrants are never able to trace their true ancestors.

It's very important, even now, for families to discuss such things, and especially for grandparents, uncles, aunts, to pass the information on.
There is no excuse not to, with our technology today.
It can all be put on CD, with photographs and scanned birth certs etc.

Sooner or later, most people develop a curiosity about their ancestry, but sometimes it is too late and the people they could have asked are gone.

I was reading the Lakota philosophy, and native American in general, and it is very much like the Irish way of life, in that you learn your history from parents and grandparents.
Each generation teaches the next, and wisdom, good manners and the art of hospitality are passed on.

I agree l00% with you Maggie.  My husband and I know have developed a passion for geneology, but unfortnately most of our relatives are gone.

I teach fourth grade and I'm big into multiculturalism.  I stress to my students every year that they need to sit down with their parents, grandparents, great...etc. and learn their history.  I tell them my story, that if you wait too long there will be no one left to tell.  I like your idea of putting on a cd.  We are supposed to do technology and that will be my project for the next school year, and I'll dedicate to you and tell my students how you gave me the idea.  Thanks.

Chava

My mom did a really neat project for her family for Christmas a few years ago.

She gathered all of the information she possibly could about her family's history...she got back several generations. Most of her family is from Czechoslovakia, so many of the names were very interesting!

Anyway, she got all of these records and even letters and pictures and passports and boat tickets and such, and then made a calendar with all of the dates included, and used all of the letters and photos etc as the pictures for each month. She comes from a family of 8 kids, so there were lots of resources for information. It turned out to be really fascinating!

My family has been traced way back and we discovered one of our ancestors came over on the Mayflower, one side is related to Lewis (Lewis and Clark Exp.).  Then on the other side we traced back and found relatives in Ireland in the early 1900's and England and Russia in the late 1800's.  It's actually quite interesting to see how far you can go back and where we really came from.

I found out from my grandmother that I am a whopping 1/16 Irish!
My dad is all German, but there's a little French in there somewhere, too. And I'm part English and Scottish. There is some Swiss in the mix too, I think.

1/16 is better than 0% Irish..lol

I be a Celtic Mutt [Hence the Name "Celtic Mutt"]
My grandmother Gilhooly was part welsh and scotish [just found these things out] and My Grandfather comerford
was Half Scotish/Half irish
And Someone was Half French back farther

so i think it equals out to
80%irish
10% Scotish
5% Welsh
5% French

so im a celtic mutt with a Dash Of French Blood

Wickiexx

(lol family history is hard to trace!!)

There's a very good chance that the French part was originally Celtic, too.

Indeed, Rich. Celts fled from Gaul (present day France) when the Romans invaded, but I'd imagined that a lot stayed-especially in the Brittany region. The Brittanic language is actually a Celtic language, not Romance like French.

As for me, my father's family is Irish, originating in the north somewhere, as well as Cork. As for my mother, I'm not 100% sure, but her last name (Maynard) has been found in both English, Welsh, and Irish searchings. As for my grandmother's maiden name (White), I'm sure that's English.

The Gauls, the original inhabitants of present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river were all Celts.

so britain really was uninhabitied in the ancient times :P thats a knock in the teeth for all those 'proper english' who think that immigrants should be out of britain

thats soo interesting..i really never knew my french-celtic history..i know thats sort of i consider in a nutshell but thats still very helpful!

Wickiexx

What did you read that gave you the impression that Britain was uninhabited?

Oh Britain was inhabited; I'm reading a book right now called Sarum that tells the stories of five families in England from the ice age until present day. It's based on fact, before the Celts there were the people who built Stonehenge, hunters, etc...

I thought the Druids built Stonehenge, and that Druids were Celts?

"The druids lived there once they say, forgotten is the race that no one knows"


Sorry, I couldn't resist...."rum de rum 'rud a derimo" ::)

i know im going to get hit by someone ...but what exactly is a Druid??

Wickiexx

Druids were the priests, bards, etc. of the Old Religion.  I'm sure Wikipedia has tons of stuff on them.  When they say that "St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland" that is actually an analogy to driving out the Druids, or Pagans.

(http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s202/HazelxEyes2/0000000000000000000000000-1.jpg)

Sure there weren't just a few snakes lol!!
[you cant really read the small print..at least i couldn't so i took the liberty of making my own]


Wickiexx

You have to be careful where you get your "History" from.
Novels are meant to entertain, and "based on fact" means the author might have twisted History for the purposes of his story.

Wikipedia can contain articles written by well-meaning people who are not experts.

Here is an article from the British Museum, who have some of the best researchers in the world:

www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/article_index/d/the_druids.aspx

They learned a lot from the Iron Age "Lindow Man" who was murdered and thrown into a peat bog, where his body was preserved until discovered in 1984:

www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_prb/l/lindow_man.aspx

Here is a bit of ancient British History, before the M25 and the Channel Tunnel were built! -
 
Man lived in what we now call the British Isles long before it broke away from the continent of Europe, long before the great seas covered the land bridge that is now known as the English Channel, that body of water that protected this island for so long, and that by its very nature, was to keep it out of the maelstrom that became medieval Europe. Thus England's peculiar character as an island nation came about through its very isolation. Early man came, settled, farmed and built. His remains tell us much about his lifestyle and his habits. Of course, the land was not then known as England, nor would it be until long after the Romans had departed.

We know of the island's early inhabitants from what they left behind on such sites as Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, and Swanscombe in Kent, gravel pits, the exploration of which opened up a whole new way of seeing our ancient ancestors dating back to the lower Paleolithic (early Stone Age). Here were deposited not only fine tools made of flint, including hand-axes, but also a fossilized skull of a young woman as well as bones of elephants, rhinoceroses, cave-bears, lions, horses, deer, giant oxen, wolves and hares. From the remains, we can assume that man lived at the same time as these animals which have long disappeared from the English landscape.

So we know that a thriving culture existed around 8,000 years ago in the misty, westward islands the Romans were to call Britannia....

I believe Newgrange was constructed long before Stonehenge was started, so the islands were definitly inhabited.

As for the druids, one of their primary sites was Anglesey.  The romans of course  feared the influence of the druids and destroyed the sacred sites on the island.  Though they were forced to abandon the island for a time during and after Boudiccas revolt

My head is spinning..this is soo much info..
BTW..you are all helping me get a good grade in school
my project for the beginning of Freshman year is (how conveniant for myself)
"Ancient Inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland"
I always thought Newgrange was older too.

Maggie, i have a question for you.
When i look up the Comerford History,
it always comes up the earliest known ancestors
are from Kent,England. and another Question
alot of my family did come from England to Ireland
the one name that sticks out is Conway and i cant find
anything on the name except, my great-great grandfather
Joseph Conway was from there, but there was no backround
on where he was actually born, is there any site that you think
i can look up, no one on that side of the family is alive anymore/ my
gramie barely remembers her grandfather, he died when she
was 3 years old.

You've all sparked an interest in me, im determined
to get a good grade on this presentation,[if you are
wondering, part of it is to find out your families backround
like if they were original inhabitants of ireland/great britain,
and if they were noted members (doubt anyone in my family
is noteworthy, no body make a comment on the possible relation lol)]

sorry i rambled...lol :D :D

Wickiexxx

one of my history teachers told us that britain was empty before the celts arrived

Quick question for Maggie, since you are the lady with the answers (and yes...I wrote to the lady in Orkney and sent you a couple of im's too).  Are people from the Orkney Islands moslty Scottish, Norwegian or mixed?  Where would you look up that kind of information?

Chava