Family legends that turn out to be nonsense

[maddys52]

Well, my mother-in-law (who wasn't yet born) says they could see Mt Ararat, so must have been somewhere in the south. But I don't think I'll pack my shovel and start looking any time soon. 

Did your mother in law's family travel to Australia? If so, did they marry or die there? Their marriage and death certificates should name their parents and their occupations, so if they were farmers that adds a bit of truth to the story.

I don't think it is too far fetched - they may have expected to return to the farm to retrieve the loot. Gold was often hidden. It may also be that the 'gold' stash may have grown as the story passed down the generations. 

Frustrating that you will never know.

Hi Ruskie, they went first to Lebanon, then Syria, then Iraq (sort of followed revolutions around), then my in-laws came to Australia, so unfortunately nothing on any paper trail. Just memories. 

[Chilternbirder]

Not something that made it to family legend but an example of how these things can start. My grandmother always told people that my cousin was a professor at Oxford University. At the time he was in fact a lecturer at what was then Oxford Poly.

[jaybelnz]

 

Bless her!  University sounds a bit "posher and brainier" than a good old polytech!

I have a cousin who insists our great grandfather was Manager of a coal mine in Ayrshire, he was never Manager, but he was a coal miner! 😄

[Marmalady]

Sometimes, however, these family stories do turn out to be true

My great-grandfather drew up a family tree in which he said one ancestor, William, was "Secretary to Earl Fitzwilliam's Estates in Ireland" That particular parson lived & farmed all his life in Yorkshire. But two generations earlier an ancestor of the same name HAD been Earl Fitzwilliam's Agent on his Irish Estates.

But I still haven't tracked down the "James Wainwright, last of the wain wrights (waggon builders) and father of 15 children" that he also mentions! I can't even find anyone that had 15 children either within the family or from an unconnected Wainwright family

[NedSumner]

One ancient line in my ancestors claimed descent from Banquo, much like the House of Stewart. Total nonsense, I found out.

[Ruskie]

Well, my mother-in-law (who wasn't yet born) says they could see Mt Ararat, so must have been somewhere in the south. But I don't think I'll pack my shovel and start looking any time soon. 

Did your mother in law's family travel to Australia? If so, did they marry or die there? Their marriage and death certificates should name their parents and their occupations, so if they were farmers that adds a bit of truth to the story.

I don't think it is too far fetched - they may have expected to return to the farm to retrieve the loot. Gold was often hidden. It may also be that the 'gold' stash may have grown as the story passed down the generations. 

Frustrating that you will never know.

Hi Ruskie, they went first to Lebanon, then Syria, then Iraq (sort of followed revolutions around), then my in-laws came to Australia, so unfortunately nothing on any paper trail. Just memories. 

ah, that's a shame Maddys52. 

[Annie65115]

My grandmother (bless her soul) was adamant that we were descended from a wealthy (but very discreet) triple-barrelled family, the Marshall-Rawson-Uptons. We were worth something, you know.

Hmm. Funny how long folk memories last. In fact my 4gt grandfather Marshall did marry a Rawson, and their daughter married an Upton. (There is no evidence whatsoever of the names ever being hyphenated together!) That was all in the first half of the 1800s and the subsequent story in that line mostly involves the asylum, the work house, the prison, syphilis, the divorce courts -- nothing too posh there!

The Rawsons were indeed well off and quite big fish in their small pond, but my grandmother's story also failed to mention that the money seems to have run out around 1830 when Mr Marshall went bankrupt whilst on trial for attempted murder   . I somehow doubt my gran would have spoken of her "wealthy" roots with quite such longing if she'd known what I know now.

[Andrew Tarr]

Well, my mother-in-law (who wasn't yet born) says they could see Mt Ararat, so must have been somewhere in the south. But I don't think I'll pack my shovel and start looking any time soon.

Only on a very clear day I should think, as Mt.Ararat is in eastern Turkey.  Perhaps they could even make out the remains of Noah's Ark?

[pharmaT]

Well, my mother-in-law (who wasn't yet born) says they could see Mt Ararat, so must have been somewhere in the south. But I don't think I'll pack my shovel and start looking any time soon.

Only on a very clear day I should think, as Mt.Ararat is in eastern Turkey.  Perhaps they could even make out the remains of Noah's Ark?

Mt Arrarat can be seen from Armenia which was under Russian rule from 1828 til 1917.