Growing up in a small town in Ohio, I was always fascinated when my parents would tell me about my ancestors who came from Sicily for a better life in The United States. (My Italian ancestors had lived in the same small village for generations – dating back to the late 1600s!) But like many of those arriving to Ellis Island, my great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother had to change their last name from "Polizzi" to "Police" when they arrived.
Little details like this sparked my curiosity about my heritage. What were my ancestors doing in the 1500s? Did I come from a line of royal blood? Of course, my family only had so much information and couldn’t answer all my questions. That’s when I stumbled upon Ancestry's “Do You Come From Royal Blood?” post. By simply entering my last name, I had access to so much new information about my family.
See if you come from royal blood here:
After a quick search, I found that I'm related to Sybil Ludington, the daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, who became a heroine of the American Revolutionary War.
Sybil became famous for her night ride on April 26, 1777 to alert American colonial forces to the approach of the British. Her action was similar to that performed by Paul Revere, though she rode more than twice the distance of Revere and was only 16 years old at the time!
Sybil even got 8-cent postage stamps created in her honor!
Meanwhile, generations of relatives on my paternal grandmother's side grew up in beautiful Enna, a city located roughly at the center of Sicily.
Although I'm not from royal blood, I'm completely amazed at how much information I was able to access. And this was just the tip of the iceberg as I began my 14-day free trial on Ancestry.com!
So whether you have a unique surname, or a common last name like James, Ancestry can help you find out where your ancestors worked, how well they were educated, and their place in the social hierarchy.
After you search your last name, be sure to tell us what fascinating information you found about your ancestors.
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