Ancestral brushes with the rich or famous

[kena]

Hi, William the Conqueror is my 27 times greatuncle, honestly!. My 26 times greatgrandfather is mentioned in the Doomsday book as well.

Anna

[joboy]

I often come across notes in family trees that state something like this ;
"Uncle George was a tailor to King Edward 7th" or "Florence was a nanny to Lord Nelson" ........ but when you dig into the ancestry you find that,more often than not, 'Uncle George' was a 'breeches maker' from Bootle and he lived and died there and that 'Florence' was was indicted for feloniously stealing from  16th of February last, a Silk. Damask Petticoat, value 30 s. a pair of Stays 20 s.
Does anyone find similar notes in their recorded history?
joboy


Moderator Comment: topics merged

[miss marple]

My mother always maintained we were direct descendants of Robert Burns and were also related to Florence Nightingale. Apparently in the 1920s her father had paid quite a lot of money to a researcher to trace his family tree (why didn't somebody keep a copy!)

When I started my family history research it didn't take me long to find that there were indeed Burns and Nightingales in my grandfather's family but needless to say not related in any way to the famous ones. I don't know whether it was an unscrupulous researcher of the time who misled my grandad, or perhaps just a bit of wishful thinking on his part that got distorted over the years.

Jane

[yn9man]

Yep.

I have three typed/handwritten family journals / diaries with information about  my ggg grandfather McKey. Only two are dated and they weren't written at the same time.

What was written ...GGG Grandfather McKey was a boatswain in the Royal Navy and served on the HMS Victory with Admiral Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar. He was killed along side Admiral Nelson during the Battle.

After years of searching (high and low) I was unable to prove this family story. Due to last years 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar more information has been made available. In the past two weeks, or so, I was able to determine the following.

GGG Grandfather McKey was an able seaman and not a boatswain.. He was on the HMS Polyphemus and not the HMS Victory during the Battle.

I still haven't found information listing if he was killed or wounded but records show the HMS Polyphemus suffered very few casualties during the Battle.

I think / believe every family story has some basis of truth. I am just not sure why stories are "enhanced" though. 

yn9man

[ozlady]

I suppose I'm an ancestor to my grandson... I remember Tom Jones when he was Tommy Scott and The Senators. Used to play at our local Saturday night dance. 2 bob on a Saturday night, 2/6d if it was Tommy Scott!!

[sallysmum]

Really enjoyed this thread!  With regard to the Stewart heritage, my mother also believed that we were related to Bonnie Prince Charlie.  Like Wheeldon, I don't give a fig, all I want to do is find 2xG grandfather William Stewart.  He married and died but as to being born, well that's a mystery!
Sallysmum

[davierj]

I saw the Queen once, and knew a fellow about whom the then Prime minister said 'Whooo?'
Cheers Dave

[polidor]

The nearest i can come to 'famous' is that my aunt [in-law] was the descendant of Wat Tyler, rebellion leader of the 1300's

Really cheating now but my old school friend was a direct descendant of William Wilberforce who helped to bring an end to slavery.
Poli.

[Gadget]

The Queen and rest of the Royals used to drop anchor - in Britannia days - and have a picnic on one of the islands that I overlook.

I didn't live here then but the island's still there.

Oh I did wave to her when she did her coronation tour - I was in junior school.

And not forgetting my 4th cousin - but I've decided to prune that branch since his recent antics in stetson and spurs.

Gadget