My Mom and Grandmother did a whole lot of genealogy work back before the internet. A lot of "vacations" were dragging my brother and I through cemeteries in GA, MS, AR and TX and musty old courtroom document rooms. In the national archives researching Revolution war pensions and other fisches
That side I know back to Islay Scotland and the first came over (via London) in the 1662 through Norfolk and Cape Fear. Some settled there but mostly went west including living in the State of Franklin in 1780 following the Revolution (where as near as I can tell from pensions they did a lot of marching arriving a day late for the battle) then on to AR where some served there during the Civil War (I have a tin type of him). Some kept moving west and ended in Texas in 1835 fighting for Texas.
They settled down then in San Sabba county with land he got for serving and became a family of farmers out through my Grandparents. WW-II changed all that and they leased the land and finally sold the farm in in the 80's.
It's great to be a self-made American who might not give a darn about some old people form Europe but seeing my ancestors marriage record in the marriage book in London's All Hallows Church from 17 August 1662 gives a person perspective. The guts they had to look to the far horizon and envision a better life and go do it is inspiring to me when I look at the trivial stuff we deal with today.
