Sunday, February 24, 2013

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ancestor Roulette

From Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings where we have a little fun with our family tree.

1) What year was one of your great-grandfathers born?  Divide this number by 100 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."

2) Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ancestral name list (some people call it an "ahnentafel" - 
your software will create this - use the "Ahnentafel List" option, or similar). Who is that person, and what are his/her vital information?

3) Tell us three facts about that person in your ancestral name list with the "roulette number."

4) Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook status or a Google Stream post, or as a comment on this blog post.


5) NOTE:  If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then "spin" the wheel again - pick a great-grandmother, a grandfather, a parent, a favorite aunt or cousin, yourself, or even your children!


1) I chose my great grandfather James Thompson Reeder who was baptised on the 27th September 1835 at Great Ellingham, Norfolk. My roulette number is 18.35, rounded down to 18.

2) Number 18 on my ancestor name list is Charles Daniel Sutherland one of my 2nd great grandfathers.
  • Charles Daniel Sutherland was born on the 25th September and baptised on the 9th October 1803 at St Leonard Shoreditch, Middlesex the son of Daniel and Jane (Walker) Sutherland of Hill Court.
  • Charles married Sarah Bull by Banns at St Andrew Holborn, Middlesex on the 7th October 1827. Both Charles and Sarah signed the marriage register.
  • Charles died on the 8th January 1850 in Walworth, Surrey and was buried at Walworth St Peter, Surrey on the 11th January 1850.
 3) Three facts about Charles Daniel Sutherland.
  1. Charles had  4 known daughters Sarah, Emma (my great grandmother), Jane and Ann. When they were baptised he gave his occupation as "Waiter".
  2. For the 1841 census his family was split up. His daughter Sarah was living with her grandmother Sarah Bull in Exmouth Place, Hackney while his wife Sarah and daughters Emma, Jane, and Ann were in the Hackney Union Workhouse. I haven't been able to find Charles in this census and he is known to have used at least one alias.
  3. At the time of his death Charles was going by the name Charles Walker and working as a "potman" at the Hour Glass on Walworth Common. He was found dead in his bed the morning of the 8th January 1850 and the coroner gave the cause of death as "Natural Affection of the Thorax upon Severe Cold". Evidence was given that he had refused medical attention. There is an addendum to the death certificate of Charles Walker dated 1st March 1850 that the name on the certificate should be Charles Daniel Sutherland. This was sworn to by Sarah Sutherland (his wife or daughter) and Emma Sutherland in front of the Superintendent Registrar.