Found Anyone Famous

[Shaztoni]

No one famous or even infamous on my side but my husband great grand uncles were the four McNamara's of "My Name is McNamara, I'm the leader of the band" fame. The leader of the band's name was Patrick "Todsie" McNamara and he was related twice to My husband.
He married Mary Clancy who was sister to my husbands Great Grandfather Patrick Clancy, Patrick Clancy married Jane McNamara who was Patrick McNamara's sister.
Now get your head around that one.
If that wasn't strange enough they lived next door to each other all their married lives.

Sharon

[SooCatt]

Interesting question!

Mum always said she was descended from Captain James Cook's family (she knew he didn't have direct descendants). 

MarieC

Me too!!!
My Mum (whose maiden name was Cook) told us , when we were children, that we were descended from the same family as that great man and ,being children we believed it wholeheartedly-after all aren't all Cooks related?

She denies all knowledge of such conversations now of course, or else blames a distant cousin on her father's side

In fact the only seafaring connection is on her mother's side and not a Cook at all!  He is connected with the Rowland shipping people from Whitby though!

Susan

PS  Right now I'd settle for finding anybody - famous or otherwise

[ger_g]

He he MarieC... if only! Doomed to franklins brand for some years to come I fear lol
Ger

[Minn]

I am distantly related to Charles Stewart Rolls, of Rolls-Royce fame.

And these two, not sure if they are famous or infamous, or neither...

Caroline Pride, Princess Diana's best friend & godmother to the younger Prince is married to one of my distant cousins.

Nicholas Mostyn QC who represented Prince Charles in his divorce settlement, is another distant cousin. I'd never heard of either of them till I started googling their names. 

My grt grt grt grt Aunt Elizabeth lived at Highgrove House in the 1800's where Charles & Camilla live now - more a famous house than a person

Minn

[Nick Carver]

I rang a friend yesterday. They were out but the phone was answered by somebody who said they were there researching a book on the life of my friend's grandmother. Now I knew she was related to John Maynard Keynes and Charles Darwin, but I felt it was rather unfair to have yet more famous relations. Some people have all the luck. Fancy having academics looking into your family tree.

[tulstig]

Found out that I am related to Cornwall's Explorer. Who we all ask. His name was Richard Lander and he traced the source of the river Niger and got 1st gold award fromRoyal Geographical Society, even has a Nelson's column style monument to him in Truro. If you're really interested checkout:

http://www.richardlander.org.uk/index.htm


Perhaps that's where my wanderlust stems from?!

Mark

[Christopher]

I have a distant ancestor Deborah Travis who sang in concerts around the country between 1815 & 1843. She was famous for her rendition of Handels Messiah and was indentured to the Duke of Westminster. She came from a lowly cotton family in Shaw Oldham. I would love to see a photo of her but have not found anything on Google. Her husband William Knyvett was even more famous in his time. He was a Proffessor of Music in the early 1800's. Conducted the Birmingham Festivals. He also composed songs and anthems for King George IV & Queen Victoria.

Although these are very distant ancestors, I have found a large number who have sung in various choirs.Also, a GG uncle Joseph Travis who travelled up and down the Golden Mile at Blackpool in the 1930's with a piano on a cart singing and selling sheet music . I would also like to find information on him. Singing does seem to be in our genes right up to  the present day and that includes myself. Which is another reason why I am trying to find  photos. of Deborah Travis/Knyvett and Gt Uncle Joe.

Any suggestions where I can look.

regards

dinkey

Hi dinkey,

Have you looked for Deborah Knyvett?

I found Knyvett, Deborah mentioned on the Royal Academy of Music website. It's on a Playbill for a Grand Morning Concert at the Royal Academy of Music which took place on Friday 4th July 1834 at the Hanover Square Rooms.

Christopher

[stewart_M]

My g/grandmother always said that her grandmother was a descendant of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife.  I have recently made contact with someone who has done a lot of research into the family and has said that he is related to her so it seems that great granny may have been right! 

She was also born in the same street as Charlie Chaplin 3 days earlier than him and the family of her husband-to-be (my g/grandfather) lived next door to the Chaplins.  Apparantly Chaplin was a quiet lad who was always washing cars, although there weren't too many around in those days!

I've just started looking into my partner's family tree and she is the g/g/g/g/g/g/g/g/g/g/g/granddaughter of David Nieto who was a noted Venetian rabbi born in the 1600s whose writings and influence are still apparant today in British Judaism - we've even found a portrait of him which is bizarre to be able to put a face to a 300 year old ancestor!

[Christopher]

I'm lacking in gs I wonder what the chances are of finding a few more gs in Norway