My Trees
This section is more about reflecting the sort of information you can contain in a family tree in order to character build and better understand your background.
Throughout these pages you will see references to the internet and the dangers of privacy, accuracy and numerous other issues.
So you might well ask why I am putting my trees on the internet whilst placing my condition for others?
Simply put, in order for you to gain an understanding of how the database works, what it might contain and the format a BLOODLINE REPORT is presented in, you need an example.
Also whilst some portions of information might still be available to add to my trees, doing what I do, it’s pretty certain I will capture it.
The ‘Bloodline’ Report
When I supply a report to you, it will always be as a ‘Bloodline’ or Ancestor Report, starting from yourself, children or grandchildren and going back to all earliest known ancestors of that person and any other surname line connected to you.
Select here to see a BLOODLINE REPORT
Descendant Trees
Descendant Reports, have been the more traditional way of presenting information however with the size of the International Ceylon Database this presents a problem in terms of how big and much information is generated.
Due to the fact when people trace their family lines they can select how far they expand on a family member, the tendency is to keep it relevant and not branch out too far. With the Database however it is a project not just about one person but all people and therefore spreads itself to represent a root system of not just one tree but thousands of trees’ root systems.
The other issue is that it will reflect living people and therefore privacy must be respected.
Select here to see a BARBER TREE/ JOUSTRA TREE descendants
DNA Testing
DNA takes off where your paper trail finishes
Results can reflect your ancestors movements going back thousands of years. The more detailed the test the more detailed your ability to go back and link other relatives becomes.
Tests can be:
mtDNA your mother, her mother, her mother’s mother, and so on - covering the female line.My line reflected a Haplogroup - M1 - this proved my connection to India and not Portugal nor Europe.
YDNA which is your father, his father, his father's father, and so on - covering the male line. My line reflected a Haplogroup - R-M269 - this proved the Friesland Dutch European line. The YDNA is only found in MALES
Family Finder is an autosomal DNA test that automatically finds your relatives within 5 generations. It works by comparing your DNA to the DNA of other users into a massive database. DNA testing can also be used to look for certain traits for example, Male Pattern Baldness, Warrior Gene and various medical trails being undertaken for genetic issues.My Observation with regards to DNA and Ceylon/ Sri Lanka, due to the numerous ways and connections (through the International Ceylon Database), care needs to be taken when a link is confirmed as to who and how that link is actually occurring.
It is important to not just look at the surname you are tracing as to how the relationship and DNA match has occurred.
Protecting your DNA is important, if your intents is purely for genealogy you don't want your information used to assess viability for insurance cover.
You want a company to protect your DNA from uses that may disadvantage you and ownership always stays with you.
Also check about the protocol once you pass away.
For a number of reasons including above, I selected Family Tree DNA, the more of us that get tested the more we can get a better picture and stronger matches, couple this with the International Ceylon Database which can confirm numerous relationships, I can only encourage more to undertake the test to help fill missing gaps.
Migration Map
Testimonials
This page is not meant as a glorification of the work I do but rather to reflect and reassure people of the genuine cause and the expected apprehension, you the potential contributor might feel.
Whilst there are a few very good and concise trees on the internet, there are so many broken up and incorrect representative trees, it is hard to know what or whom to trust.
“What a refreshing site this is, here in lies all that one wishes for. I have been struggling with the Melder genealogy and other linked families, only to be frustrated and disillusioned. Your site has been the answer to my prayers in that we have made much headway with the family genealogy thanks to your continuing help and support. This is one site I keep recommending to all my contacts, in and out of cyber space. Keep up the good work, generations to come will have much to thank you for, perhaps even those gone ahead of us.
With every good wish”
Victor Melder
"Dear Kyle, This is the first time I've spent in depth reading all the information you have on this database. Both my family names are listed here (Drieberg and Schokman), and also to see the Drieberg Family Crest. It was also nice to see my great-grandfather Bertram Lambert Drieberg, OBE in the military section of the Ceylon Engineers. You have created a great site. Thank you."
Aloma
" Hi Kyle, Thank you so much for the blood line report, I can't believe how far back it goes!!! My husband was truly amazed and I think feels a stronger connection with his history because of it."
Marina
" Your help has re-opened my enthusiasm in this subject which I was almost at a point of giving up. Thanks to you with your generous time and patience, I am all primed to look into this ancestry even further. Its very interesting. Thanks once again Kyle and I will be in touch."
Hugh.
" WOW!! what can i say...such a massive document......will arrange this week to get attachment printed out in hard copy so i can read and then get back to you. "
Mike
"Thanks for the info. and all the details you've sent. Fantastic. It's given us a surprising insight into our relatives ! So glad I found your website. "
Penny
"Thank you for the report and it is more than I was expecting. Thanks and I will keep you informed as more information comes to hand.
Again Thanks. Now the next task tracking my father's family through India. So far have come to nought, but will plod on."
Reg
" Thanks Kyle for the blood report,It is magnificent. I will take at least 3 weeks to read go thro it many thanks again. Yes, i shall send you stacks of info,On our genes I have 2 box files full up so it will be in instalments or if you send me another way its o.k. with me.keep in touch and thanks again"
Dunbar
"I have found this website most useful for research into Burgher history, I have also found Kyle a fantastic help with all his help with my research, his knowledge of Ceylon history is in depth, detailed, very well sourced and accurate."
Lucas
" Thanks for the updated family tree. You have done a great job - thanks for your effort. I would never have thought of putting this stuff like the way you have. It s very clear "
Rodney
" Thank you so very much. That was way more info than I was expecting! I wont need to search anymore. I'm off to show my mum now, I'm pretty sure she will cry as a lot of the family info was lost when her parents died. Wow! You have heaps of information! I had no idea that there was any information on our family in any databases, "
Michelle
“I read with interest Kyle Joustra's message. I am unclear about the genesis of the issues, but it would appear that he has been criticised for getting paid for genealogy information he has provided. To all those reading this message, I have to tell you that I for one will be very, very grateful to Kyle for providing desperately needed information about my maternal grandmother's ancestry - the de Silva's. Yes, I paid him some $30 for his efforts, but this fades into insignificance compared to the valuable information he was helpful in providing me. I would have been prepared to pay much more. You have a fan in me and I thank you very much. CARRY ON THE GOOD WORK AND GOOD LUCK.
Charles Joseph (ex. Burgher from Ceylon)
Washington, USA”
“Kyle, I was absolutely thrilled to get your report, or as my children and grandchildren would say ' blown away'! I always knew that to trace this line of my descent would probably be the most interesting because of it's diversity, but also because of this the most difficult, but you have done all of the hard work for me! I knew it would be interesting but I wasn't quite expecting tales of murder and execution, especially in a church minister's family. I am pleased, if that's the right word, that I am a direct descendent of the victim, not the perpetrator. I really appreciate all of the time you must have spent on this, and I am sure all the rest of the family will be too when they see the report, particularly my brother, who some two hundred years after a family member left Scotland and the family did a complete circuit of the globe, has returned to live there, three of his children having been born there. I cannot see any inaccuracies in the report and I will update you as I get further information. Once again many thanks, this is a real treasure.”
Sandra
“Hurrah! Hurrah! I am almost dizzy with excitement. Did not expect results quite so quickly. This will keep me busy for a while.... just absorbing the bliss that I actually DO have relatives somewhere! With not one known living relative on my dad's side, why - I almost began to believe that I DID come from a cabbage patch after all!”
Gillian
“I have to say I’m staggered! up to now, I really only had the "Mack" side, and only going back to 1800's...I can't believe how far back you are able to take it!
Keith
“Hello Kyle thanks ever so much for the bloodline report, it was most informative and interesting to trace back my ancestors......... I always thought my folk came from France! Just as a matter of interest when I first arrived in Aus. I worked at the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Melb. and used to handle the searches for people who were doing their family history.......... Most were disappointed to find they had criminals for ancestors.... petty though the crimes were. Ever since I have wanted to know my family history and now I do thanks to you.
Kind regards and many thanks,”
Fred.
“Thank you so very much for doing our genealogy. This is something I always wanted to have but did not know how to go about it. You have done our family a great service and it’s most appreciated.
Warmest regards”
George
“I have today, had a look at your daughter's bloodline Ancestry Report. I am sure she will be very proud of her father in years to come. You have done a brilliant job of it. I also noticed some of my mother's maternal ancestors are included! Its fascinating! You pay so much attention to detail. This is far better than the old genealogy books our parents brought out with them, especially as you include the maternal lineage as well. Splendid work Kyle and I wish you all the very best with your remarkable project.”
Ida.
“Wow, Kyle, I'm so impressed! And I am grateful. I fully agree with the philosophy that this is a treasure for future generations. I value this, all the more, as I see our DB enclave diminish over the years. I do not mean to sound in any way snobbish. What I mean by that statement is that all my cousins & self, treasure our heritage, but are "something else" now, ie, Canadian, Australian, US, Dutch. And as the sense of self as Dutch Burgher from Sri Lanka dies away, I think it is wonderful that future generations have a view of our past.
Another thing I thought when I moved to Holland, became Dutch, was that I would find a "part of myself" here. But it's not so. I knew intellectually that a colonial culture bears only slight resemblance to its roots. But I didn't believe it emotionally until I came to live inHolland. There are times when I wish so my parents had not taken the great "leap across the pond". We simply 'got lost' in America. And what we as a family have longed for since leaving Oz is the Ceylon/Lanka connection émigrés to Australia maintain in the Ceylon Society, DBU-Melbourne & other organisations. Not to mention rarely seeing our own relatives in Australia.
My friends here in Europe are those of my 'true fatherland' whether Singhalese, Tamil, DB, Malay. But we are few & far between and miss those 'string hopper dos' ;-) although we are trying to build on the Dutch-Sri Lanka connection here in NL. Thanks again for this. I'll try to get the Brohier info, but am in the midst of marking papers for end of term, followed by travel to the UK & States. So until the New Year, all the best & thanks ever so much for your hard work & dedication to our collective history. God bless.”
Beth
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION ON THE HOPE FAMILY WHICH WAS RECEIVED TODAY.INDEED IT IS FACINATING TO NOTE THE NUMBER OF RELATIVES LISTED IN YOUR RECORD & HOW ON EARTH YOU MANAGE TO RAKE UP ALL THIS INFORMATION IS BEYOND ME.
Anita
“My initial response was oh my goodness!!! Well not that polite but you get the idea.. I cannot thank you enough!”
Sharon
“Its such an interesting document you’ve sent me; much like a short history of the Island. I cant begin to thank you enough for your efforts. As for Mark’s side of the family, your information is spot on with our info to hand. Makes very interesting reading what with Swiss mercenaries and the like !!!!!! “
Angie
“Dear Kyle, I cannot express my self to thank you on the report you sent me. It is absolutely commendable of you to provide the service you do and the passion you have to do it. I have bits and pieces of details that could be included in the report, which I would send you after I compile all the info. Thanks once again and keep up the good work of enlightening the true characters of those seeking your assistance.
Denham
“Hello Kyle, Well you did surprise me with the amount of information you sent me, I didn’t know I had that much history on my Grandmothers side, my mother and father were over the moon, I don’t know how you do it , but thank you, I'm still trying to digest the history in the pages. I know you are very busy and to do what your doing is absolutely great.
Thank you very much, all the best” Michael.
“Thanks very much Kyle for all the detailed info up to 11 generations which gives me at first glace that the surname origin was Belgium not Holland as we thought”
“Thanks Kyle for the very comprehensive information on the genealogy tracing back to Belgium. This is fascinating news and puts to rest my family's belief of Originating from Holland. Your prompt reply is very much appreciated many thanks.”
Mervyn
“Whilst browsing your vast website a few weeks ago, I felt the information you have got on it merits my humble comments.
The care you have taken with detail, and factual reporting on events and accounts of our Ancestors is quite commendable.
May I take this opportunity to wish you every success in the hard work you are engaged in linking the Burgher families, for future generations. We are now scattered all over the world, and sadly a fast disappearing race, but it is a comfort to know that your ultimate goal is to hand this information to the Libraries of Europe for POSTERITY.
Keep up the good work.”
Anita
“Yes I would like you to give my e-mail address to this other person, (I'd also like to thank you for your e-mail protocol.) Thank you for help”
Michael
“Dear Kyle:
Thank you so much for the genealogy. I think you did a fantastic job to bring all this information together. I am sending you a separate packet by airmail with more info. Thank you again.
Sincerely”
Ronald
“Dear Kyle,
Gosh you are brilliant. Indigo's Ancestry is brilliant. He will, when I have the time, get a copy - not that he will appreciate it just yet! I am having all the info I have photocopied. It's a bit of a hotchpotch and I can't make much sense of a lot of it, but then I'm not an expert like you! I dare say there will be stuff there that won't interest you, but I'd thought I'd send the lot just in case. I'll send it all by post. Keep well.”
June
“I'm glad to have come across your site and I must say you've done a fantastic job with listing all the surnames and everything else.
I have just begun to think seriously about my roots from way back and so I've been surfing the net as much as I can for info on the my family”
Suzy
“Dear Kyle, Have just picked up the Photos and information from the PO- many thanks, they will be a great addition to our collection”
Jill, BRIGHTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“Dear Kyle, Yes I have received the reports and was amazed at the information you have gathered from Ceylon database, particularly the pictures which I think are wonderful and would like to thank you for all the time and trouble you have taken. I am currently receiving more information on the family, which I will forward to you ASAP. Also there are one or two amendments to the information you already have which I will send in due course. Once again thanks very much for an excellent project.”
Warren
“Thank you so much for this.....by this email they are as happy as I and also do not know where to start, so much to share....36 years to be exact....allot!! This means allot to me and for once in my life I actually feel like I have an identity.......thank you
Annette
“Thanks so much. Amazing stuff. The family always thought they were descended from Abel Tasman so this is wonderful”
Christine
“Thanks so much Kyle - that's filled in quite a few blanks!”
Rueduger
“That was quick. Fantastic work.
I will show your work to an Uncle of mine to see if he can add to what you have done so far. I wont be too long with the rest of the info re my wife's family. Thanks again Kyle. I am very impressed with the additional information you have included. They are all accurate.
Will be in touch soon,”
&
“I was fascinated with the information about my Grand Uncle who died in Brighton in 1955. When I was a child I remember my Father telling me about his Uncle who migrated to Australia from Ceylon in the 1920's, but had no record of what happened to him after he reached Australia. There is so much more we know about our Families now, thanks to you.”
&
"Thank you for all the work you have done. You must have spent hours compiling all the material you provided. There was so much reading and I enjoyed every bit of it. Now that all the pieces of the jigsaw appear to have fallen into place, I know so much more about my ancestors. When I first contacted you I was hoping you could help me trace three or four generations of my Family Tree. But what you came up with simply amazed me. Tracing my ancestors back to 1401 was simply unbelievable. Thanks again Kyle, I appreciate very much all you have done and I am so grateful to you for it. In years ahead our descendants will also have a lot to thank you for. Keep up your excellent work."
Tyronne
“I am extremely grateful for all the data you have shared with me.”
Juanita
“Wow! It must have taken hours and hours to compile such a complex history……Many, Many thanks for sending the information. I'll let you know what else I find.”
Anita
“Kyle I just had a good look at your very impressive Military List. It is absolutely First Class!! You certainly have put a lot of work into it, and I am sure the British Library will be very impressed indeed. Also the Burghers all over the world would be very proud and grateful to you. I know who is going to enjoy looking through this and that is my cousin, as there are some of his family mentioned in it.
Anita
“I heard about your visit but didn't expect this..............when I opened your letter I expected a short introductory note, just 'getting in touch' but what you have sent cannot be gone through in a few minutes..........this is heavy stuff at 03:00 in the morning, from the little I've seen I must congratulate you on doing such a fantastic job, feel free to keep in touch, best regards,”
Gordon
“Thanks Kyle I appreciate all your effort and time!”
Paul
“Thanks a million for all the details you have sent me. What little I had known I had given you the details. There wasn't much that I had with me but you have filled in a lot of blank spaces for me.”
Karen
“I am sorry I have not thanked you earlier for all the 'Trees', especially the one concerning myself. I found it much easier to follow. As you have probably realised, I only connect people by names I have heard my mother mention, and was surprised to find how everyone seems to be connected some way or another, even though a few times removed. You have certainly covered a lot of ground.”
Dorothy
“It was interesting to see the name Kyle Joustra which I had come across on the Sri Lanka Genealogy site. I never got round to making any enquiries from him! Many thanks to him for the work already done on ALL the families from Ceylon/Lanka”
Nicholas
“Thank you so much for the reports. Information contained in the report is more than I bargained for. It is the best gift one can receive - to know about their ancestors.”
Corrine
“This is indeed a beautiful way to do things, I must say l like genealogy but not to this point of perfection. Very beautifully done”
Nina
“I cannot thank you enough for the amount of detail you have sent”
Sylvia
“Thank you for all the time and trouble you have been taking in trying to track down my bloodline.”
Eddie
“Thank you very much for uncle Mervyn's gift too. He was very pleased with it. I have printed a copy of both and gave them to him. He kept telling me that our uncle Peter was also in the book and said that all the points that he made had been updated with some pride.”
Pieter
“Once more many, many thanks. All the best to you and yours. Cheers.”
Brian“
Many thanks for the email - I've looked at the Ceylon link and what fascinating reading it makes. You've done a fantastic job with it and I really compliment you on the work you've done.”
Stuart
©2023 The International Ceylon Database, all images and data contained on it have all rights reserved.
Information obtained on families is for the sole private use of the recipient and neither for internet use of internet publication.
If copied, this copyright notice must appear with the information.
All efforts are made to protect people’s privacy and rules of email etiquette are followed. Email addresses are not given to others without the consent of the person/s affected.