Common themes in your bloodline?

[snooziflooze]

After watching WDYTYA the other night and how Lesley Sharp found 'common themes' of illegitimacy in her family tree...I'm just wondering if Rootchatters have found any similar common themes in theirs?

In mine, there is the theme of being the second wife (after the first one died) and having to look after not only the first wife's children, but then having some of her own to look after too and often in quite humble circumstances, with the husband only being an ordinary working man.  And if that wasn't enough, the husband then dies early, leaving the second wife poverty stricken, even destitute, barely keeping themselves and the assorted children out of the workhouse.

[iluleah]

Yes lots of family scripts...... from repeating naming patterns, to what ages they married and had children, being pregnant before marriage, whole family line of using middle names as their first name, giving their first born mums maiden surname as a first name.

[jim1]

Illegitimacy is a common theme in all families ( hands up who hasn't got one ) & because of mortality rates being so high remarriage is also a common theme.
Not wanting to be sceptical but pre pension & National Assistance & with an 85 YO unable to work 10 bob a week would come in very handy...OK I'm being sceptical.

[Graham47]

Have to agree with both of the above as mine have been pretty much the same, from finding unknown war dead and those in service or farm labourers and the like. Even found some hidden travelers and  hawkers which the family had kept schtum about.

Not found anybody 'famous' and the nearest I got to riches was a close connection to a family of brewers up north and wouldn't you know it, my connection was by way of an illegitimate offspring, albeit recognized. D'oh!   

So a common theme? Yep, no fame or fortune, just normal down to earth people.

[baggygenes]

Bigamists seem to be ripe within my tree - and people having families with someone else whilst still married ... the former in my mothers side the later in my fathers!

[snooziflooze]

Many thanks for your interesting replies...

My father's side is noticeably awash with second marriages, the husband dying early, leaving the second wife destitute and struggling with various kids.  This seems to necessitate splitting up of the whole family to find work/survive and no-one settling in the area in which they were born.

On my mother's side it seems to be a different story with most peeps being married only once, surviving together until old age and staying put in the area in which they were born, for several generations.  Whether they are of hardier stock I don't know, but they are sure easier to track down!

My father's side, because they travelled so much, have been a lot more difficult to trace.

[Graham47]

I wonder if your fathers side came from the towns rather than the villages maybe and as such would have been drafted into the army where as you know, so many died leaving young families.

Perhaps village families were not recruited in the same way, being need to farm the land?

[Romilly]

Suicide/desertion/bigamy and untimely deaths seem to feature in my blood lines! :-(

I thought the Lesley Sharp episode of WDYTYA particularly poignant and moving: Lesley herself found a 'kindly home' through her adoption, and George Maybury also found a 'kindly home' with her Patient ancestors.

Two of my Great Uncles were despatched to Canada as 'British Home Children' by the NCH in the 1920's and so I was particularly interested in this strand to the story.

Romilly.

[Rishile]

Apart from the common theme of Ag Labs in my tree I have another common theme of spouses dying three or four years before the other.  This has even carried on to my parents.

Spooky

Rishile