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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: shan42 on Wednesday 23 September 09 14:38 BST (UK)
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We were always told we had Irish ancestry on my paternal g/mother's side and she was from Cork... looking back through the records though, it turns out so far no Irish ancestry - just the name Irish on my great grandfather's side! ;D
I'm still hoping to find the Mitchells were originally from the Emerald Isle though - but who knows!
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hi shan
one day you might come across some irish ancester when i was a kid we were told my dads lot were ftom ireland which is right but i cant do anything with that line.so it might be better if you dont find any.
regards neil
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My mum was adament that her (Jones) line came from Wales and backed this up with in-depth knowledge of the Welsh phrase for hello "yaki da" (this actually means good health and is spelled iechyd da!) . Five generations back from her the Jones are STILL firmly rooted in Deptford, SE London (shipbuilding) so goodness knows when I will connect with a real Welsh speaker.
Ermy
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Similar thing in my family. I started my tree to find my Russian ancestry through my grandmothers family, and after several frustrating months had got nowhere.
I asked her how she knew about her connection to the country and she said that she'd always been called Russian Red by her mum when she was young.
Turns out, she was a small child when quite a newsworthy event took place (the Russian Revolution!!) and, oh just purely by coincidence, her hair was bright red!! It didn't take long to realise that her mother had heard the phrase and just called her that. No Russian connection as far back as it is possible to trace!
Ho hum.
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Lol!! I definitely blame the parents...hehe!!
God knows where the Cork connection came in... have yet to find shire horse breeders from Northampton in my family, though I've only just scratched the surface I'm not holding my breath - there has to be someone interesting way back though, or at least a juicy skeleton in somebody's cupboard, lol!! ;D
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their so much to uncover to prove or disprove which i think adds to the fun.it took me 2 years for my mam to agree her great grandfather was orphaned at 4 years old and was in the poor house their was only 2 kids out of 8 lived to get martied and have kids of their own and after the last WDYTYA it seams their parrents could have had a S.T.D but if i do more reserch on them i dont think i will tell my mam my findings she is a bit old to be shocked with this sort of thing and would she believe me .
neil
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After many years I am still looking for my ancestor who "came over with the Spanish Armada", according to my grandmother. Not even crossed the Channel yet, never mind got as far as Spain.
::) ::) ::)
Luzzu
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Then we have my Great Grandfather's sister, Aunt Polly from Yorkshire who became the Mayoress of Washington DC.
If anyone would like the job of proving that one !!
;D ;D ;D ;D
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My mother always insisted that we had French ancestors, but after many years of research without even a sniff of camembert or vin rouge, I began to doubt her. However, I have recently come across a branch of Goslings who, when traced back, started out as Josselyn/Josselin, so perhaps she was right. Currently they are firmly entrenched in 19th century Lavenham, Suffolk, but who knows....
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Aunt Polly from Yorkshire who became the Mayoress of Washington DC.
Hi Pels
How about Washington in Co Durham (now Tyne & Wear). Sounds a bit more promising :D
Linda
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'Great Aunt Lizzie was a naughty girl and ran away to Canada, but she married the mayor and made good' !!
Well, she DID go to Canada, and she DID marry a mayor, sort of ... he was temporary mayor for six months in the small town they lived in ... but its the 'naughty girl' bit I'd love to be able to prove !
Then there's the one about great, great (however many greats you care to add) grandfather who was George Stephenson of Rocket fame and who drove it in 1829 ...
I do have family from Stockton ... so maybe ... one to work on sometime !!
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There is the same story from different branches of my family to say we are descended from the Archbishop of Canterbury who was the Archbishop when Henry the 8th was a boy. Trouble is the Archbishop was celibate (or should have been) as it was still Catholic England - before Henry the 8th grew up. Still my Dad used to say the portrait of the Archbishop showed he had the large family nose.
Another story in another family proved to be true. I poohed poohed the story that there was money in chancery especially as the family were all ag labs, until I found a record of a probate & distribution in the record office. One of the ag labs had married an older wealthy widow and he died intestate. Our branch of the family could not be legally traced because of migration to OZ, although they knew they were entitled to inherit - enough to buy a horse and cart. Gazania
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Anyone have any clues how I could prove or disprove another family rumour? I've been told by a distant cousin that one of my great-grandmothers was a female wrestler! I don't have the foggiest notion how to even begin to find out about that!!! (But her photos do make it look at least physically possible, if you know what I mean!)
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There is the same story from different branches of my family to say we are descended from the Archbishop of Canterbury who was the Archbishop when Henry the 8th was a boy. Trouble is the Archbishop was celibate (or should have been) as it was still Catholic England - before Henry the 8th grew up. Still my Dad used to say the portrait of the Archbishop showed he had the large family nose.
That would be Archbishop Cranmer, and he was married before he became a priest !
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cranmer#Early_years_.281489.E2.80.931527.29
So it could just be a possibility !
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Family legend has it that we are descended from the Wolf of Badenoch (Alexander Stewart) who was the 4th son of King Robert 11 of Scotland. My GG mother was a Stewart from that area. However maybe best best to let sleeping dogs (or wolves) lie as he was a notorious ruffian. He is also reputed to have had 40 illegitimate grandchildren.
It does give the family history a bit of spice though.
Reverie
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That would be Archbishop Cranmer, and he was married before he became a priest !
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cranmer#Early_years_.281489.E2.80.931527.29
Not Cranmer but the one before - Archbishop William Warham - notice the nose:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Warham
Archbishop Warham was from a Hampshire family; my family are still stuck in Surrey/London as their last known whereabouts are in an unreadable parish register!
Thanks for your interest. Gazania
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Archbp. Warham married in 1509 ... so being a descendent is possible ... especially if you have his nose ! ;D
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Lots in our family:
Whisper: The 'Rammells' came across from France to Scotland during the Jacobite uprising of 1745... and something about setting in Dumfries (port town) due to the abundance of lovely lassies (well Rabbie Burns did...)
Truth: Rammells are firmly rooted in rural Worcestershire, after a suicide by the father, the three children uprooted themselves and moevd to different areas in Britain. My Rammell moved the furthest to work in one of the most forward thinking mental institutions in the Country which was in a small town in Scotland called Dumfries....
Whisper: The 'Sperrys' emigrated from the US
Truth: They always have been from and never moved far from rural Leicestershire. But there have been several prominent American Sperry inventions, such as shoes, flying guages, calculators etc which is probably where the whisper started.
Whisper: We are related to the 'Mandersons' of Manderston House in Berwickshire with an illegitimate connection.
Truth: I have got my Manderson family reasonably far back, to nearby Duns in the mid 18th century, however Manderston House is an Edwardian House and was built in by William Miller in abt 1871..... (was an earlier house built 1790s, but still doesn't tie in). So no thread of truth to this...)
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Well funnily enough it was my nan who told my dad her mother was from Blarney, not only that but of Romany origin. I don't know how factual or romantic my nan's ideas were, (I know there are alot of my GG Rainsford's namesakes in various parts of Ireland) but the pair of them were psychics and card-readers (my nan was always spot on) and now I'm wondering if it was either a distant Romany gypsy thing or just an interesting tale to tell the family!
Roll on my lottery win so I can pay somebody to find all this out for me!! ;D
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Roll on my lottery win so I can pay somebody to find all this out for me!!
But finding out for yourself is the best part :D :D
Linda
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Yes I know, lol, sorry that was a little tongue-in-cheek... ;D I am enjoying my searching immensely, and have lots of help here (see my other post). I've had another bit of light shone on the big picture tonight and I'm all excited now! :D