Family legends that turn out to be nonsense

[Benody1921]

My favourite was that my nan's mom's family, the Perry's (mother's maiden name MAYNARD), thought they were above everyone else because they were cousins with the Countess of Warwick, Daisy Maynard. My aunt asked a relative recently about this and it turns out Daisy Maynard was a cousin, 36 X removed......so basically impossible to actually prove. The Perry's were also proud that they were part of the Maynard's who started the Maynard candies. This also has not been proven.

Another goodie was that my nan's 2nd or 3rd great grandmother was Indian and that's the explanation for my brother and my dad having olive skin and dark eyes as well as my brother having a Mongolian Birth Mark. I've traced my nan's ancestors and there's nothing exciting there.

The only exciting story was that my 3rd great grandmother inherited some money when her mother died. With that money, she left her 5 children (one being an infant) and her husband in England to go to America with her boyfriend and started a whole new family. This story was kept a secret and when it was uncovered, the family member that found it immediately gave up on researching the family history 

[isk]

In complete contrast I have been able to prove all but one of the family stories told by my very dear mother-in-law concerning both her own family and my father-in-law's.  She was a wonderful support when I began my research and I just wish she had lived to see what I have discovered. A very Happy Christmas to all Rootschatters

[ray2]

The story that's been in our family for many years! My G Grandfathers brother James Brown, captained the Blackburn Rovers side in both the 1885 and '86 F.A cup finals, scoring the winning goals in both of their triumphs and then holding the trophy aloft to the jubilant fans! Also, he was an England International! My old uncle at 87 years old, still boastfully tells everyone about it to this day!

On research, James Brown did achieve all of these things! Unfortunately, not our one! Both born about the same time and place, two completely unrelated sets of parents though!

I'll not say anything to my uncle though, he likes telling the story!

[LizzieW]

Another goodie was that my nan's 2nd or 3rd great grandmother was Indian and that's the explanation for my brother and my dad having olive skin and dark eyes as well as my brother having a Mongolian Birth Mark. I've traced my nan's ancestors and there's nothing exciting there.

It could have been another ancestor.  As a midwife the only babies I ever saw with Mongolian birth marks were Asian babies.

By the way my dad and his siblings had olive skin and dark eyes, I've got very dark eyes and skin that I call "dirty looking", which goes olive if I get enough sun, but we know that is because my dad's g.grandmother was Spanish.  Some of my cousins have the "Spanish" gene as does my daughter and her daughter, whereas my other children and grandchildren seem to have missed it.

[Neil H]

I had two silly stories in my tree.

I was assured my great grandfather played football for Arsenal. Turned out to be wrong - he worked at the Royal Arsenal (and wasn't on their early teams).

Secondly we have an item given to my great grandfather's brother by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (an inkwell). One family member said it was given in thanks because he "saved the life" of Conan Doyle. Complete rubbish. Though I was able to prove they would have met. He was stationed in Crowborough for WW1 training, where Conan Doyle lived. Doyle often used to give gifts away to soldiers and others.

[JAKnighton]

I was told that my great-grandmother's stepfather was a big man, a six-footer. But I found a picture of him standing next to my great-grandfather who was 5'3" and he is barely taller than him, probably 5'7" at the very most.

My great-grandmother was 4'9" though so he must have been very imposing to her!

[maclennan25]

Not my own family that this 'legend' comes from but from an old forum in 1999. They state that the info came from"church records in Dingwall" and I would love to know if there is any truth in it as it may help lots of people.

"the name McLennan in Cromarty that before 1745 they were MacLennans but due to the local minister who registered births they were told that there was no such name as MacLennan, and therefore some births were registered as McLeman. Around 1900 the true story of the name came out and most of the people in Cromarty changed it back to McLennan."

[HeatherLynne]

I've been told I am related to Howard Hughes, Sir Anthony Eden, Jane Russell, and David Moyes.


So far I've found two thieves and a brothel keeper, with no sign of any such proof I'm related to any of the names above.

Sometimes I do wonder that most people fall under the myth of name association. i.e Howard Hughes must be a relation because we have the same surname. I think this is what has happened in my family.

Matt

Hi Matt, we must be related!!!  My maternal Grandmother was an Edden and the family story was that Sir Anthony had originally had the surname Edden but had removed a 'd' to make the name sound less harsh.  Unless Sir Anthony descended from Plasterers from Bury St Edmunds then I think this is very unlikely! 

Heather

[dobfarm]

My family legend story turned out just the opposite to nonsense, my mother parents, my maternal grandfathers side, all mums siblings knew was their Great granddad had topped himself and it was never talked about in the family. Strange story, (one in reality for  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ) it turned out my GT x 2 granddad was a poacher with his much elder brother, in 1859 they had encountered the local gamekeeper, in short being they killed him, the brother got the full blame transported for life and Gt x 2 granddad got 2 years for playing a lesser part in the crime. After Gt granddad got out of prison, he went to working in mining, given the job by a local magistrate who also owned a mine, Gt granddad was in trouble again for killing a women who he was having an affair with but was found not guilty, he put another gamekeeper in hospital, killed 4 more women and admitted he killed the game keeper in 1859 not his brother in his suicide letter after he topped himself after he found out the police had finally cottoned on to and after him.

Mum never found out the truth before she died and I only found out through ancestry research.