my uncle did some research a few years ago, most my ancestors emigrated from ireland at some point, donegal area specifically. had one interesting great-grandad who emigrated to the US, landed in philadelphia, slowly worked his way over to san francisco, lived there for a bit until the 1906 earthquake half destroyed the city. after that he went to mine gold in the Klondike gold rush but had little success, so became a Mountie. in 1914 he volunteered in the patrician regiment for world war one and was amongst the first victims of chemical warfare, being gassed at Ypres. He was sent back to Tyneside (where his relatives now lived) to recuperate and married his nurse, 20 years his junior, who was my great grandmother.
