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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: grast on Wednesday 22 June 05 20:02 BST (UK)
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Does anyone know if there are records of when and where the royal household, or certain of its members moved to during the 1800's?
I'm researching a possible royal illegitimate child, and wanted to at least be able to say well Prince so and so was living there at the right time.
The family has passed this family myth on for a few generations and it will soon get impossible to research as the people who know the detail required for this sort of family history work won't be able to impart it to me.
Thanks in advance
Grast
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Have you tried contacting the people who are responsible for publishing forthcoming royal engagements nowadays? They may be able to point you in the right direction.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/textonly/Page1134.asp
Also, I believe royal engagements are listed in one of the National Newspapers - can't remember which one, probably The Times. You could ask how far back their records go, or try the British Library.
Good luck.
Jill
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As Jill said, The Royal Archives at Windsor Castle would be a good place to start. An Overview of what is held (staff lists, royal diaries, etc) can be found here:
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page2556.asp
I received a very prompt reply to a request regarding staff lists.
I wonder whether the BBC R4 programme, "Making History", could help:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/making_history/making_history_form.shtml
I recall that, in the early days of this fascinating programme, a listener had written in about a relative who, according to family tradition, was the result of a liaison between a servant and some nobleman or other. Just how many families have this sort of story? Well, the programme investigated and discovered that the story was almost certainly true. It's possible they receive enquiries such as this every other day, but nothing ventured, nothing gained...
Is it a vague family story or do you have anything concrete(ish)?
Dimps
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Thanks for the help guys, I'll check the links out.
The story I know is a bit vague but other members of the family probably know more details as I've got a fairly long lived family. Apparently my great great grandfather was born an appropriate amount of time after his mother had been working at some castle or other (I think my grandmother might even know which castle) at which a royal party had been staying. I believe that I can at least get probable (if not actual) dates, as we might even know her name. It was indicated to me that one of the Princes at the time (who had a reputation) passed through. Although it may not have been a royal, it must have been someone of fairly high ranking because the mother was looked after money wise and the child had his schooling and apprenticeship paid for, allowing him to climb the social ladder from pauper to master.
Grast