RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: miss marple on Wednesday 08 March 06 13:58 GMT (UK)
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I just had to share this strange coincidence with Rootschatters.
I have been passing on all the info about our joint family to my cousin, who of course has become hooked as well, and has asked me to research her family on her mother's side (we are related through our fathers, so her mother's family has no connection at all with mine).
Yesterday I was checking out the marriage of her maternal great, great, great aunt in 1848 on Free BMD. I clicked on the page button to check potential husbands, and thought my computer had gone mad – it brought up the page I had been looking at last week, when checking the marriage of my (and my cousins's) g. g. g. uncle on my father's side. When I looked more closely I found to my astonishment that my cousin's g. g. g. aunt was ON THE SAME PAGE! (They were marrying different people, I hasten to add.)
So among the eight names on the same page of the register were the marriages of two of my cousin's ancestors from totally separate sides of her family, who were not to be linked until 84 years later, when her father married her mother.
I thought that was pretty weird! :o
Jane
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That's amazing Jane, two for the price of one!!
Veron ;D
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I haven't been researching long but love this site for providing the means to hear other folk's stories like yours. When I first started searching the web looking for clues to ancestors I lloke for my Grandfather and grandmother. I knew quite a lot about them and was able to put in bot their names and their marriage date. I got a return on a couple with exactly the same names as them and the other man died in the same year as my grandfather. Now the names are quite unusual, James Storm Veale and Frances Annette Erswell. Both James died in 1929. The only thing is this other couple were from Ontario in Canada, or at least the man died there, and my grandparents ended their days in Berwick on Tweed. Its difficult to accept the evidence sometimes, don't you think. Anyway nowhere near as big a coincidence as yours but thought I would share it.
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Good grief, Jimmyv – I think that's just as big a coincidence as mine! As you say, some of the things you unearth while relative hunting stretch your credibility to the limit. And your story just goes to show how easy it would be to end up following a completely wrong trail – as I've no doubt very many of us have, without knowing it.
Jane
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It's amazing when you find something like this!
I was following up branches of my paternal grandmother's family in England - just going broad, seeing where everybody got to.
I came to one William Lockwood Watson, a mast and block maker in the East End of London, who would have been a cousin of Granny's grandmother. I thought - William Watson, William Watson - where have I seen that name? Inspiration finally struck, and I looked up the apprenticeship paper of my maternal great-grandfather, who was apprenticed as a mast and block maker in the East End of London to - William Watson! Here is another example of a connection, well before there was an actual family connection (when my parents married)!!!
Gave me a spooky feeling, it did!
MarieC
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I have found ancestors in a census living in the same street. Their descendants married about 50 years later. Perhaps their grandparents knew one another.
Sylviaann
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My Dad's Great Grandad, William Thomas and my Mum's Great Great Grandad Robert Griffith lived in the same village at the same time. Some of each family are buried in the same churchyard as well. They probably knew each other better than we realise as William was the local Blacksmith and Robert worked on the farms.
The other big coincidence is on my Dad's side:
His mother was Mary Elma Williams daughter of Catherine Thomas. Catherine's father was William Thomas the Blacksmith
His Father was Hughie Gordon Thomas, son of William Richard Thomas. William Richard was the son of William Thomas.
Both William Thomas's were born around the same time in the same area of Anglesey. Both their fathers were Thomas Ap William
Carol
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I've just found out that some of my ancestors lived in the same town as I live now. I checked the census, to find..... they lived on my street !!
I just need the house number now, I'm just not sure I dare go looking for it!!
Sally
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Did you feel mysteriously drawn to your house when you bought it, Sally?! Wouldn't it be amazing to find you were unknowingly living in the same house as your forebears – or perhaps (if your house is more modern) on the same site as their home?
It seems there are all sorts of uncanny coincidences among Rootschatters. I rather thought there might be!
Jane
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I was getting pretty paranoid about some of my coincidences ???, they almost verge on incest some of them :o, cousins marrying brothers and sisters, that sort of thing...which is only really a coincidence because I didn't know and came across it by accident :-\, but you know the oooh feeling you get ::)..., but the best was my ? great uncle was a witness to my great great grandparents wedding ???...nothing odd about that, except the uncle was on mam's side and the the grandparents are on dad's side, and as far as I am aware there was no prior connection! I think I have already done a post on this so forgive me repeating myself
I think I have already done a post on this so forgive me repeating myself ;D ;D ;D
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Did you feel mysteriously drawn to your house when you bought it, Sally?! Wouldn't it be amazing to find you were unknowingly living in the same house as your forebears – or perhaps (if your house is more modern) on the same site as their home?
Jane
Strangely enough, yes. We had looked at about 4-5 other houses nearby and none were suitable. We had to ask directions of the estate agent as to where our street was, but as soon as we walked in, I turned to my now husband and said, "This is it."
Our house is quite old, complete with old buildings outside that were originally the toilets etc. I've always felt safe here and have never minded being in alone or anything, but it certainly spooked my next door neighbour when I showed her the census page!!
I'm not too sure how to find out exactly which house my ancestors lived in, but I quite like the idea, really, and wonder how much things have changed since their time. I know it's really unlikely that they lived in this exact house, but even knowing I live on the same street is great by me.
Sally
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The best way to find the house, Sally would be to find the street in the census and look at the street which was done before it. Find the end of your street linked to that one and count each house as you go along the census. It usually shows the houses that were shared so it might be easy enough to find out.
Do let us know if it is your house they lived in though - now I can't wait
Carol
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Sally I love your story and hope you soon find your ancestors house, what a fantastic coincidence.
All mine are sight coincidences (more like 'that's odd'). My family, I though, were from Birmingham and that was that, but I recently found my GGG Granfather Samuel Cheshire was born 1847 in Atherstone Warks and his son was born and brought up in Nuneaton (down the road). My parents only moved to Hurley near Atherstone 1961 from a few years in Scotland and I was born 1963 but at a few weeks old moved to Nuneaton. My family left here in 1970 for Brinscall in Lancashire and I moved to Surrey with my future husband in 1984.
Also from recent searches I found that some family born in the sound of the Bow Bells had ancestors (are you following this ;) ) who originated from Odiham Hampshire just a few miles down the road from where I live now and whilst doing a college course went to Odiham castle to base a graphics project on it. Why on earth I was drawn there I don't know, there are better examples of castles elsewhere. I have only recently found this out and am keen to go and search out any grave stones - I've not told my husband of my plans yet!!!
There are many more similarities and I haven't started on my Dad's side yet.
I find it quite comforting to know my ancestors lived close by, I feel like I belong somewhere now! :)
Pipkim ;)
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I've just started on my husbands tree only to find that his GG Grandmother Jane Pemberton was born in Chorley :o Lancs. His family for a few generations had all be born in Manchester.
The coincidence being that my husband and I met in Chorley despite both of us not originating from there and that it was his first visit to the town. It was a chance meeting in a popular town centre pub and I had not intended to be there that night. We felt like we'd known each other for ever. :D
Now all I have to do is find some of my mostly Birmingham based family in Manchester.
There is one person I'm stuck on and that's my G Grandmother Agnes Catherine Quinn born 1877 supposed to be born Birmingham (census info) but I can't find her on BMD, but there is an Agnes Quinn 1877 in Prestwich and another in Burnley 1878. But that's possibly for the Lancashire posts.
Oh well, it wasn't as strong a coincidence as other peoples but it excited me at the time I saw 'Chorley' leap off the census page. :)
Pipkim
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Hi pipkim
Oh well, it wasn't as strong a coincidence as other peoples but it excited me at the time I saw 'Chorley' leap off the census page. :)
Pipkim
Anything that gives us a buzz is worth sharing ??? ::)...well perhaps not anything :-[ :o ;D, but you know what I mean. As for feeling like you've known each other for ever, that has to mean something...!
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The best way to find the house, Sally would be to find the street in the census and look at the street which was done before it. Find the end of your street linked to that one and count each house as you go along the census. It usually shows the houses that were shared so it might be easy enough to find out.
Do let us know if it is your house they lived in though - now I can't wait
Carol
Just an update - I don't think I'm going to find out the number of the house my relatives lived in in 1881. I've worked through the census (1881) and the street doesn't even link to the same ones as now. Must have changed loads since then. Oh, well, never mind.
However, ::) you're not going to believe this, BUT..., I've just found ANOTHER relative (on my paternal grandmother's side rather than my paternal grandfather's) who lived on the same street in 1891. :D
Admittedly, this one is my great grandfather's younger sister, so not a direct rellie this time, and she ups and moves away to Wakefield by 1901.
I only discovered all this late last night, and have come to the conclusion that my street must have been quite long (only 10 pages on the census!!) and that everyone and their mother must have lived here at some point. ;D ;D
Just thought I'd let you know,
Sally
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Oh well - maybe you will find one of them again later or even earlier
Carol
PS Mine never lived there lol - saying that though - you never know
PPS Yes I am sat in Germany at the moment on my brother in law's computer with no broadband and a German keyboard so all the letters are in different places and some are not even here!!! :o I write You as Zou! and it's comes out as itÄs Have to take twice as long to check the letters as I type
Be back in 14 days
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Sally
It would be worth a trip to your local library. They could have information about the street and when it changed. Our library is very good on local history.
What a great story. I'm afraid non of my ancestors lived in my street unless they were sheep. It was a field before I moved here.
Sylviaann
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Thanks, Sylviaann, I might just do that sometime soon. I think it may become one of those "Ooo, wouldn't it be great to know" items that niggle away at you.
If I ever do find out I'll let you know.
Sally
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hi all,
I found a fourth cousin, once removed living next door to my son.
Trouble was; he was " the boy next door that played loud music." :o
And they still provided me with their details, what nice people.
Margaret
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A romantic (and spooky) story to add to your list. My mother was evacuated to Mountain Ash when our house in Cardiff was bombed during the war. We then moved back to Cardiff and 17 years later I met my future husband. When I was 24 we decided to marry and I dug out my birth certificate to facilitate the obtaining of a wedding certificate. My mother had attached to the certificate a paper cutting (from the South wales Echo) showing my birth and next to my birth announcement was my husbands - born in Cardiff the day after me. I reckon we were fated to marry - and it has lasted 40 years so far !.
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I have found ancestors in a census living in the same street. Their descendants married about 50 years later. Perhaps their grandparents knew one another.
Sylviaann
I have the exact same thing. Two Burrow families living next door to each other in the 1881 census and as far as I can tell totally unrelated to each other, despite having the same name. I just recently discovered that the daughter of one family got married and her husbands neice married the son of the other family.
I still think the two heads of family are related as well - just havent figured out how yet. :)
BD
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A romantic (and spooky) story to add to your list. My mother was evacuated to Mountain Ash when our house in Cardiff was bombed during the war. We then moved back to Cardiff and 17 years later I met my future husband. When I was 24 we decided to marry and I dug out my birth certificate to facilitate the obtaining of a wedding certificate. My mother had attached to the certificate a paper cutting (from the South wales Echo) showing my birth and next to my birth announcement was my husbands - born in Cardiff the day after me. I reckon we were fated to marry - and it has lasted 40 years so far !.
I would say that was definitely a bit spooky Olinda and congrats on the long marriage - and many more to come
Carol