The Roots of
My Family Tree
Preserving the story of family, loyalty, and legacy
This site is a growing record of family history, preserving the stories, names, and journeys that have shaped our past. It brings together genealogical research, historical context, and personal reflection, tracing the paths of those who came before us. From early settlers and immigrant ancestors to Loyalist roots and wartime service, each page adds to a larger story of heritage, endurance, and identity.
A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots...
Family Names Carried Through Time
These are some of the family names that appear throughout this history, each representing a branch of the story.
Ayerst Banning Barrett Beckworth Bryan Burtch
Byers Edwards Hazelwood Hazlewood Kier Markel
Matteson McConnell McDaniel McGee McKay McKerracher
Munro Perry Peters Polly Powley Pretty
Price Rintoul Schaeffer Snyder Swalwell Wark
You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of the story, you
have to go back to the beginning.
-- Opening Line of "The Tudors"
Going Out On A Limb
Research Links
A Life's Work Lost
Why I created this site and share my research:
I remember reading a story about a woman who had spent many years collecting her family history. She devoted countless hours to visiting cemeteries, searching records, and speaking with both close and extended family, always working to piece together her family tree. Over time, she gathered boxes of information, none of it digitized or shared with others.
At an advanced age, she passed away, leaving her life’s work behind. When her home was later cleared, the value of what she had collected was not recognized. The boxes were discarded, and with them, years of research and family history were lost.
By the time someone arrived to recover what they could, it was too late. Everything she had worked for was gone. She had not shared her work, and now it would never be shared.
This site exists to ensure that our family history is preserved, shared, and never lost.
Like branches on a tree, our lives may grow in different directions, but our roots remain as one.