Time Travelers Quest

Introduction

There came a day, while wandering the vast (and I do mean vast) collection of genealogy sites on the Internet, that I happened to stumble across a pedigree that connected my mother's great, great grandfather to one of the royal families of Europe. In the weeks that followed that happy accident, I developed a serious appetite for information about my ancestors.
I spoke with my mother, contacted relatives and began to accumulate documentation that they had been keeping for decades without my knowledge. I suddenly recalled things that Mom had told me all throughout my life; casual remarks she had made that had never really gotten my attention before. I guess my sisters, brother and I had just thought she was joking when she used to tell us that we were descended from Queen Isabella of Spain and other European royals. We never took her "jokes" seriously, at all. If we'd ask what she was talking about, she'd always shrug her shoulders and tell us that her mother had told her so.
Mom gave me copies of research that my Aunt Phyllis and Cousin Diane had recently done into our New England Culver ancestry, each of which had independently kindled interest in our genealogy among several cousins living in various places throughout the U.S. Eventually, I found their e-mail addresses and, since then, they have enthusiastically and most generously contributed to this Website. And then, I learned that Mom's uncle, Ned Culver, had just produced a hardbound memoir of his own life, growing up in the twentieth century. Read Ned's Book And so, my quest began.
Soon, my nights and days blended together into a marathon of Web surfing, reading and learning about the one subject that had been guaranteed, in my days as a student, to anesthetize me completely. You see, I wanted something to tie the generations together in some kind of meaningful way. That desire for a connection with my ancestors drove me to look beyond the descendant trees and family group sheets before me, and lift my eyes to the horizon of world history.

At some point during that time, I realized that the history of my family was more than the events of the last few hundred years. Suddenly, I was struck by the notion that my family has always existed! And so has yours! Think about it. We could not exist today if it were not true. If that idea means little to you then I could not hope to make you understand what an epiphany it was for me.

How could I ever again find satisfaction within the confines of my tiny family plot, hedged in around all sides by the walls of ignorance? It was, after all, the history of the world that had shaped and informed my ancestors, one and all. And because they were shaped by the history of the world, then I too, have been shaped by the history of the world. And so have you. We all are the products of our collective history. If you find that idea exciting, then this Website exists especially for you. If not, well, stick around, explore, and check back with us again from time to time. After all, you got here in the first place, didn't you?

So, what is
The Ancient Light?

Webster's Third New International Dictionary (the incredibly ancient, unabridged, four-inch-thick, 1961 printed edition) defines it as:
"Ancient light n.: a window, or other opening, that has been used 20 or more years without interruption and is therefore protected at common law against obstruction by an adjoining holder."

The term seems to fit the goals of this Website quite well. For, since discovering the ancestors populating these pages, we family members have been dedicated to keeping the windows open forever, so that nothing can ever again prevent us from cultivating the seeds from whence we are sown. And, through the miracle of this great medium, the Internet, we shall do our best to fling the windows open wide and invite the essence of our estate to permeate.

Introduction
There came a day, while wandering the vast (and I do mean vast) collection of genealogy sites on the Internet, that I happened to stumble across a pedigree that connected my mother's great, great grandfather to one of the royal families of Europe. In the weeks that followed that happy accident, I developed a serious appetite for information about my ancestors. I spoke with my mother, contacted relatives and began to accumulate documentation that they had been keeping for decades without my knowledge. I suddenly recalled things that Mom had told me all throughout my life; casual remarks she had made that had never really gotten my attention before. I guess my sisters, brother and I had just thought she was joking when she used to tell us that we were descended from Queen Isabella of Spain and other European royals. We never took her "jokes" seriously, at all. If we'd ask what she was talking about, she'd always shrug her shoulders and tell us that her mother had told her so. Mom gave me copies of research that my Aunt Phyllis and Cousin Diane had recently done into our New England Culver ancestry, each of which had independently kindled interest in our genealogy among several cousins living in various places throughout the U.S. Eventually, I found their e-mail addresses and, since then, they have enthusiastically and most generously contributed to this Website. And then, I learned that Mom's uncle, Ned Culver, had just produced a hardbound memoir of his own life, growing up in the twentieth century. Read Ned's Book And so, my quest began. Soon, my nights and days blended together into a marathon of Web surfing, reading and learning about the one subject that had been guaranteed, in my days as a student, to anesthetize me completely. You see, I wanted something to tie the generations together in some kind of meaningful way. That desire for a connection with my ancestors drove me to look beyond the descendant trees and family group sheets before me, and lift my eyes to the horizon of world history. At some point during that time, I realized that the history of my family was more than the events of the last few hundred years. Suddenly, I was struck by the notion that my family has always existed! And so has yours! Think about it. We could not exist today if it were not true. If that idea means little to you then I could not hope to make you understand what an epiphany it was for me. How could I ever again find satisfaction within the confines of my tiny family plot, hedged in around all sides by the walls of ignorance? It was, after all, the history of the world that had shaped and informed my ancestors, one and all. And because they were shaped by the history of the world, then I too, have been shaped by the history of the world. And so have you. We all are the products of our collective history. If you find that idea exciting, then this Website exists especially for you. If not, well, stick around, explore, and check back with us again from time to time. After all, you got here in the first place, didn't you? So, what is The Ancient Light? Webster's Third New International Dictionary (the incredibly ancient, unabridged, four-inch-thick, 1961 printed edition) defines it as: "Ancient light n.: a window, or other opening, that has been used 20 or more years without interruption and is therefore protected at common law against obstruction by an adjoining holder." The term seems to fit the goals of this Website quite well. For, since discovering the ancestors populating these pages, we family members have been dedicated to keeping the windows open forever, so that nothing can ever again prevent us from cultivating the seeds from whence we are sown. And, through the miracle of this great medium, the Internet, we shall do our best to fling the windows open wide and invite the essence of our estate to permeate.

Next: What This Website Is NOT!

Then: What This Website IS!

Finally: Take A Site Tour!

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© 1998-2007, B. Patterson, Time Travelers - Quest for the Ancient Light, All Rights Reserved
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