Archive for the ‘brick wall’ Category

DAR~ A Free Genealogy Resource

Posted: May 4, 2012 in brick wall, Canute, cornett, Daughters of the American Revolution, free, Genealogy, James Canute Cornett, Lineage, members, preservation, research, Resources, surnames, surnames. database, volunteers
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DAR Logo

DAR- Daughters of the American Revolution is a free resource for genealogists and offers aid in their research. The (GRS) Genealogical Research System is a collection of databases, which provides access to the many materials that have been collected over time. The DAR was founded in 1890, the members are passionate about their research findings and are committed to preservation of the history of our ancestors.


This genealogical resource has many volunteers who have scanned and indexed years worth of documents and other materials which can be found in the online database. There is a drawback to sharing this information with others, because of proprietary information and data, and under no circumstances may it be shared or published.


If you are like me, an amateur genealogist, or you may even be a genealogy expert, the DAR could be a stepping stone to finding your ancestral ties that you may have been seeking for so long. It is definitely worth a try, don’t you think? Maybe we can knock down some of these brick walls we have encountered and find some really valuable documents that will only further our research and prove who we are and where we come from. It’s not just about where you, your parents or grandparents were born and the dates of birth, or even how many children they may have had. To me, and this is my own personal opinion on the matter, genealogy research is about finding out more about who my family really was, what they looked like, their way of life, the career choices they may have made and so many other points of their lives and the direction that those points have taken them over the years. 


I recently received an email from a family member, who as it turns out, was researching the same family surnames that I was. Imagine not knowing that you had a family member and didn’t even realize that they were family until you connected through a genealogy resource! Anyhow, back to the email! She has been verified by the DAR and is in the process of getting it signed by officials in Washington D.C. So I can’t wait to find out if she was successful in finding the data she needs to prove her lineage and connection to James Canute Cornett! 


I am definitely going to be researching this DAR to gain a more in-depth understanding. So you may see future postings related to the Daughters of the American Revolution. Who knows, maybe I will also find information on some of my Sutherland and Canute ancestors.


Good luck in your research!





A Little Twig On My Family Tree

Posted: September 1, 2011 in ancestor, Ancestry, blog, brick wall, Canute The Great, cornett, Cornettsville Cemetary, Denmark, England, Erin Cornett, pension, Virginia
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I have been researching the Cornett, Canute, and Sutherland family surnames off and on for the past few months. Along the way, I have met new cousins and created a few contacts, both professional and personal, as it relates to the topic of Genealogy. It seems that my family tree is one twisted tangle of little twigs. But I seem to think that there may be some vines intertwining with those twigs that cause me to search even deeper. I can almost picture myself spreading this vine curtain to see what’s inside, stepping into the past and being swallowed up as the curtain closes. Sounds like a creepy movie in a way. 


I have been reading up on the book I purchased a few months ago, titled, “Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures”, I have also enjoyed looking at the photos of the first settlers to Grayson County, Virginia. The book encompasses a little less than 400 pages of fact written by the Grayson County Historical Society during the years 1792-1950. There are many interesting details and stories in this book that I will have to share at a later date. 
I have been most curious while searching for answers to all the mysteries of my family, I have yet to uncover the greatest mystery and a mountain of a brick wall called Alexander Sutherland. I hope to one day solve this with the help of my cousins, who happen to be also doing their own research on the same family surname. 


According to some, the Canute surname was believed to have actually been named “Carnutte”, stemming from Danish origin. There are many variations to the name and some also believe the name was of French origin. So really, who is correct? Is it speculation? How did they come up with this? I can understand the Danish part in this, as King Canute was most likely of that descent, as he was King of Denmark. But French? I’m not sure about that yet, although it could be very possible, I just need the cold, hard facts!


So if the Cornett family did descend from Carnutte, researching the Carnutte surname should be foremost on the list of priorities. It is said, and passed on from generation to generation that the Cornett family descended from King Canute II of Denmark. King Canute II was also known as Canute the Great, who reigned as King of Denmark during the time period of 995-1035. Canute the Great, being the son of Sweyn, King of Denmark.


Below is an excerpt I found on a web site dedicated to the genealogy of the Cornett family. The link source is also below if you would like to visit the site and utilize any other links on the site itself.

 If the Cornetts descended from Carnutte, one may begin with the Carnutte’s history. It is believed by some that the family is descended from King Canutte II of Denmark. King Canutte II of Denmark “Canute the Great” (995-1035).  He was the first Danish King of England.  Under his rule Norway was conquered.  He was the son of Sweyn, King of Denmark.1 On the other hand, if the Cornetts were of French origin, it is likely that the family came across with William the Conqueror.
Erin Cornett was born in 1676 in Northumberland, England; he raised sheep. There is no record of his wife’s name. His son, Earl, was born in Southampton, England in 1696. He was a farmer and a member of the Church of England. He had seven sons: John, Roger, George, Francis, Frank, Jesse, and James. John Cornett …born in Southampton ,England in 1727. In 1740, he sailed to the Colonies with six of his brothers. They worked as indentured servants on an English  lord’s farm near Philadelphia, Pa. After gaining his freedom, John went to Henrico, Co.Va. (near Richmond) and raised tobacco for a living. He was taxed for land there on March 24,1747… His will lists that he had six sons and no daughters. His second wife was Elizabeth Bacon Mosby.She was a widow with one son… John died about 1776 at Elks Creek, Va. He was a member of St. John Episcopal Church. Four of his sons fought in the Revolutionary War (another source says six2). These four were later given land grants for their war service.William and Sam settled on Line Fork… Nathaniel and Roger settled in Benge, Clay Co.4 “[He] died about 1776 in Elm Creek, Virginia… his children were Rebecca Canute Cornett; David Cornett, born about 1750; James Canute Cornett, born about 1755; John Samuel Cornett, born about 1759; Nathanial Cornett born about 1760; William Jesse Cornett, born in 1761 in Henrico County, Virginia; and Roger Cornett, born about 1768.

My ancestors are William Jesse Cornett who died November 26, 1836 and is buried in Cornettsville Cemetary and Rhoda Gilliam, his first wife. They were married on May 7, 1787 in Washington County, Virginia”3  William Cornett enlisted twice in Virginia Revolutionary War units and received a pension (# W6723). His son, John (b. 1794) married Rachel (Smith) Kelly, and their son Russell (b. 1840) married Ailey Amburgey (b.1841), their last child being Sarah Elizabeth Cornett, my grandmother. Russell and Ailey’s brother, John J. Amburgey, had served together in Co B. of  Benjamin E. Caudill’s 13th Cavalry CSA.







Source: Mark S. Carroll/ Cornett Ancestry
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Through The Looking Glass

Posted: July 25, 2011 in ancestor, brick wall, documents, Facebook, family historian, generations, historical maps, Oahu, old newspapers, past, technological advances, technology
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Our ancestors of past generations would probably think that living in today’s digital world of computers, the iPad, and even our smart phones, as alien. In their days, they were lucky if they even had a land line! Knowing what I know now, depending on Internet and my iPhone on a daily basis, I would be lost without them; I couldn’t imagine living life day to day without these items which have become so common in our world today. 

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My Smartphone



Taking you back in time, imagine life without any technology whatsoever. You don’t have electric or gas stoves, but wood burning stoves instead, you don’t have computers to write your family and friends an email or the ability to share photos, but you have to hand write everything down to the last letter, there was no such thing as a washer and dryer, you had to use an old washboard for every article of clothing you wore. Which by the way, had to be taken to the nearest lake or creek to be washed and you can just forget your handy dryer with your lavender scented fabric softener sheets! And what…no FaceBook? My husband’s grandmother, Evelyn is still in awe, when I show her pictures on my iPhone and she doesn’t understand how they got there! I have tried many times to explain to her what FaceBook really is and how you can share photos of family and comment on them. My favorite part of this is the way she says, “You can do this on the computer? It does that? Oh, how nice!” (Laughing) Oh the possibilities! We haven’t even really started to break the mold as far as what technology can do for us today.

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Time To Do Your Laundry!



So with this great thing called technology, I am searching and scouring the various websites and resources in search of my family. Making contact with relatives I never even knew I had, all through the use of the Internet and my laptop! Ha! Who knew?? But being out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, living on Oahu, I find that I am forever grateful for the high tech world I live in, and being able to re-connect with family I haven’t seen since I was probably six years old! 


The digital world has turned my laptop into a great tool. I now have the power to see through the looking glass (my laptop screen) to the world that was once my ancestors, and see not only photos of them, but also see the homes where they lived, the town where they grew up, the ability to see historical maps as they were back in the 1700-1800’s, searching old newspapers and census records, and so on. 


Today, my research is at a standstill somewhat, as I am waiting to receive documents from a family member that will give me something solid and concrete as far as actual data and birth records. Having contacted several members of my family, who I might add, are gathering photos and documents for me as I type this article. I hope to read and go over these very soon!


Hopefully I will be able to tear down one or more of the brick walls that seem to have stopped me in my tracks. 


Happy Hunting!!

Happy Aloha Friday!

Posted: July 15, 2011 in Aloha Friday, Ancestry.com, brick wall, contacts, cousins, forums, Genealogy.com, Kailua HI, writers block
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It’s such a beautiful day here in Kailua! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining brightly, and how I love the ocean breeze. Such a perfect beginning to a wonderful weekend ahead! As I sit here, I am debating on the content of today’s blog post. To all my fellow blogger’s out there: Do you ever get “Blank Screen Syndrome”? For me, it’s almost like writer’s block! 


But anyway, I want to tell you about my most recent ‘jump for joy’ feeling that I had last night! As you know, I have been doing all this research, and in the process I have made a few contacts through Ancestry.com and other sources. By discussing my searches on these forums, forums such as Ancestry.com.com and Genealogy.com, I have made three different contacts, who turned out to be distant cousins!! I never knew I had these cousins, and I never met them in my whole life! To be able to connect with family, is truly a treasure and worth its’ weight in gold, especially when we are all trying to attain the same goals in regards to our past lineage. So going on… last night I received a message through Ancestry’s web site, from a cousin that I have been going back and forth in correspondence with. My initial question to her was about my search for Alexander Sutherland, who is one of my current brick walls and also one of hers too. She didn’t have much information on Alexander but we still send messages to one another just in case we manage to break through the mortar. Anyway, her message was about her brother, a “Sutherland” cousin of mine. Where does he live? Oh! Only about 30 minutes away from me!
So you can imagine, I was just about ecstatic when I read and re-read the message. I had to read it at least twice to make sure it wasn’t my imagination! This was great news for me, I was so excited to learn this. What a small world it is! I mean really, what are the odds? I only moved here to the Hawaiian islands a mere 5 months ago! 


Ever since then, I have been digging deeper than ever to find the base of my ancestral roots, some roots which don’t want to be found and have turned into such a congested knot, never to be untangled! But I have news for you, Sir Root, as you are about to become untangled and care free! I don’t give up so easily. It’s only a matter of time before you unravel.


Yesterday, I was searching high and low, in every nook and cranny on the world wide web, changing up keyword searches and all; looking for information on my Sutherland link to the Cornett line. I didn’t find too much, but I am in the process of trying to retrieve birth documents and death records to prove my lineage along the way! I hope I have better success today. 


Good luck to you in your searches as well! 


Have a happy Aloha Friday everyone!



Searching For the Root of Your Family Tree…

Posted: June 26, 2011 in brick wall, Classes, endless possibilities, family treasures, Genealogy, online genealogy classes, research, Resources
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English: Pine tree on Pentridge Hill at sun-se...

English: Pine tree on Pentridge Hill at sun-set 2 Slightly different angle, beyond tree to left one of the family dogs is searching for anything to chase. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you ready to throw in the towel? Have you come to, what seems an endless brick wall? Are you looking at the big picture or just an element of that picture? If the wall seems endless, are you able to go around it? No? Then climb over it! There’s always a different way to approach an obstacle, than the one that seems to be right in front of your face. In my experience with my family tree, I have faced plenty of obstacles! But there has to be a different resource to utilize right? Have you thought about seeking out classes on Genealogy? You can do this online, if you aren’t the type to be on campus with the younger generation of students. Which is okay; you may be younger, older, and wiser, or already have your desired degree. Nobody says that you have to go back to school again, just to be fulfilled with your family tree results and research. So what will your next step be and where will it take you?

You may just want to organize what research you have already accumulated; or you may want to research your family to pass on to the younger generation, namely your own children or grandchildren one day. But for whatever reason, the online classes may help you. It sure couldn’t hurt right? One day, you may find your perfect family treasures!


Below you will find a link to the classes that are offered. This isn’t your run of the mill mini-course!
There are four different sections, the first section is more or less your introduction and leads into other topics as you go. So in this first section, there are 14 lessons; in the second section there are 31 lessons! I won’t drone on about each section here because you can view it for yourself!

I am seriously thinking about starting this course too! Can’t have enough knowledge right? What are you waiting for? Let’s DO this!

Online Genealogy Classes~ Click Here To Learn More!