The Family HIstory Project: Timelines

Marriage record of my great great grandmother and grandfather. 

 My cousin asked me about the dates our relatives came from Ireland. I had yet to make a timeline of our family history, so I dove into the facts I've collected already. As any Irish heritage researchers know, the fact that so many Irish immigrants had the same names makes the details difficult. When I visited a small cemetery in Balleyvourney many years ago, that was evident as I saw generations of ancestors with similar first and last names. How does one sort all that information?

In general, I am looking for information that is repeated three or four times in different documents to ascertain accuracy. For example, I can check the passenger list, birth certificates (if available), marriage, census, and residence records to find same information. Also, as I started putting together the timeline, I realized that I had some generational errors. For example, it appears that Timothy Donoghue is a distant grandfather, but I hd he and his son listed in a similar generation--instead of the dad, Timothy Donoghue, I had information about the son and brother Timothy Donoghue. Making a good timeline helps to stay clear of those kinds of errors. 

Also, it's important to place good information in an accessible place as soon as you find it because it is easy to forget those details. For example, a few years back, I found a great outline of the very big Donoghue family, and I didn't save it. I've had trouble finding that outline since. 

Many wonder why I'm so interested in this story, and as I've noted time and again, it is because I am looking for the threads of strength and challenge that traveled the centuries in my family history. I'd like to preserve those strengths for my family via story, and also beware of the challenges generation after generation faced. 

Also, I love stories of growth, change, intersection, and adventure, and the family history story encompasses all of that. 

So for now, I'll continue to make a timeline to understand my ancestors' journeys to the United States as well as the ways they intersected with one another. Onward.