Found Anyone Famous

[MarieC]

Interesting question!

Mum always said she was descended from Captain James Cook's family (she knew he didn't have direct descendants).  However, although I have found a Cook in her ancestry, and although her grandfather was a seafarer and captain of his own barque which traded all round the world, regrettably I have found no trace of the descent she claimed and think it is just not true. 

I have found a connection by marriage to a very eminent chemist of the late 19th/early 20th century, Sir Walter Noel Hartley FRS, who made an original important discovery (unfortunately, not being a scientist, I cannot really appreciate what it was).  We may also be connected to the Boyle who developed Boyle's Law in chemistry, but we have yet to prove that.

My cousin who is working with me reckons she has traced descent from John of Gaunt and from a long ago Scottish king (Malcolm III, I think) but I am not sure about this yet, either. 

We are definitely descended from Henry Norreys who was beheaded by Henry VIII for alleged adultery with Anne Boleyn, and from his son's wife Margaret Norreys who was a favourite of Elizabeth I, referred to by her as "My Crow" because of her dark complexion. 

There may be others but not proven as yet!

MarieC

[kerryb]

I've got one that nobody has ever heard of, Jonathan Harmer who created terracotta bases on gravestones in Sussex. 

People into art apparently have heard of him.

Also my partner is descended from Admiral Balchin, a famous sailor apparently.

No, you haven't heard of either of them, have you???

Kerry

[XPhile2868]

I'm distantly related to the footballer James Scowcroft, and possibly to the PNE player Paul McKenna.

[AmyUK]

My Great Great Great Great Grandmothers brother was John Young who moved from Scotland to Canada and founded the port of Montreal and was connected to the railways, trade and culture. There is quite a nice statue of him in the harbour of Montreal.

[kat2004]

This is great! Is there any inherited likenesses in those of you who have definate famous rellies?

[MarieC]

Hi Kat,

I hope I am not good at offending the powers that be so that I might meet a sticky end, like poor old Henry Norreys!!!   Not that I think it was at all difficult to offend Henry VIII!!

I am definitely not dark of complexion like Margaret Norreys.  Fair skin and freckles, reddish hair - take after the Scottish part of the family, the Camerons!   The dark complexion would be handy in the Australian sun, actually - wouldn't have to hassle about having skin cancers burnt off!

MarieC

[behindthefrogs]

Stick your tongue firmly in your left cheek and take a large pinch of salt.

I can trace a line back to Petronious Probus Consul in 322 and from there a link to the Governor of Cyprus who interviewed St Paul on his first missionary journey to Cyprus.

David

[kerryb]

Well here's another one of those!

My paternal grandmother was a Harmer and they go back to 1066, one of William's barons was Miles De Haremere who was given land at Haremere Hall, Etchingham, East Sussex and his family dropped the two extra 'e's and became Harmer.

Also my Baldwin line is reputed to come from another Lord or Baron Baldwin who was one of the Crusaders.  I can't remember the exact details because I glossed over it, I'll never get my line that far back - I've got stuck in Ireland in the late 1700's!!!!!!

Kerry

[PrueM]

Let me tell you a tale....

My grandmother always told us that her grandfathers were wealthy men.  One of them owned large tea plantations in Ceylon and was a wealthy tea merchant...the other owned diamond mines in the Transvaal, and was an investor in the railways in America (both were English).

HOWEVER (everyone has a "however"!!) once I started digging, the truth was revealed:  the Tea Merchant was actually a Schoolteacher, and the Diamond Tycoon was an  East End Warehouse-manager.

I mentioned to her many years ago what I had found out, but she was adamant that her version was the truth.  My great-grandmother told my grandmother these stories, probably I think she believed them herself, although they were far from reality.  Great-gran's mother died when GG was only 17, and the younger siblings were farmed out to orphanages etc.  Maybe to keep her sanity she made up these fantasies about lost fortunes and better times, in the hope that one day she might return to that...who knows!

I don't mind whether they were famous or not, but I do wish there'd be some hidden millions somewhere!! 

As for getting back to Roman consuls...like many I'm stuck in 1700s Ireland and there I'm fated to stay, I think!!

Prue