Chinese Whispers!

[shan42]

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! 
I'm still hoping to find the Mitchells were originally from the Emerald Isle though - but who knows!

[NEILKE]

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

[Ermintrude46]

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

[kizmiaz]

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.

[shan42]

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!! 

[NEILKE]

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

[Luzzu]

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

[Pels.]

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 !! 

 

[Greensleeves]

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....