From Whence I Came

The genealogy represented on my website is the result of many years of research and tedious (but enjoyable) work. The sources I used vary from direct knowledge (sometimes sketchy), information provided by other family members (contradictory at times), primary documents, public information and the work of other researchers. The information is as accurate as I can make it and I am constantly updating and adding or making corrections to it. Like all good genealogy, my data represents the most current information available as of the date it was recorded. Each of the snapshots in time is certainly subject to change and reinterpretation. I welcome all corrections, additions and comments. Please see the link at the bottom of this page and all of the pages on my website for my email contact.

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Gifford Genealogy Introduction

Here is another cousin's view on the difficulties of publishing our faulty (by nature) genealogy. (Click on the image to enlarge.) This Introduction is taken from the book: Gifford genealogy, 1626-1896 by Harry E. Gifford. Published 1896 by Pinkham Press in Wollaston, Mass . 

Genealogy has been my hobby and (some might say) my compulsion since the early 1950's when my mother came into possession of a moderate sized family trunk that dated to around the American Civil War era. The magical trunk was filled with wonderful letters, diaries and other memorabilia from her Lewis ancestors. The contents of that trunk literally ignited my imagination and thus began my genealogy appetite. Learning from firsthand accounts that my own ancestors had lived through some of the most challenging and interesting times in the history of our country made it come alive for me. Finding the individual pieces of the puzzle and getting a glimpse of my ancestral history has been rewarding for me.

My strong belief is that each of the persons represented in my database is someone special. Whether the individual died at birth or lived to a ripe old age, they were each unique individuals and contributed to making me the person I am today. My desire has always been to know as much information as possible about each and every person. My genealogy research allows me to pay homage to each individual soul.