How to discover who I am related to that are famous?

[jess5athome]

Hi, I have been reading all of the response's with interest, It's something I have never thought about to be honest and I don't know what I would do if I found someone in my line who was famous, I suppose I would be very proud, but there again I find myself being proud of all of my ancestors.
As has been said, you just have to double check things you find, and in particular someone else's research findings.
Frank

[groom]

I expect if we all dug deep enough and followed various branches we would all eventually find someone famous. The strange thing about the tree that the link showed, is that there were supposedly dozens of famous people, even Noah.

[Billyblue]

@Billyblue - I think that is an unnecessary response. I couldn't care less if I was related to famous people, until I look into something that gives me a possible chance.

Thanks for the personal opinions and information people. 

Sorry about that Dan.  If you couldn't care less, one wonders why the question in the first place?
             

Dawn M

[ThrelfallYorky]

On the whole I agree with most of those who ask why anyone would specifically search for links to "famous" people - why on earth bother?
But I do get rather worried that some people to accept and adopt these runcible trees "linking" rather improbably back over centuries taking in almost everyone who was "Famous" along the way. As others have pointed out, usually it's quite easy to poke holes right through them if you look properly.
We all probably are linked to various famous names - but we just don't have accurate, documented records that "prove" it. So who cares? We get a load of interest out of managing to put each little person into their place in the jigsaw - and I'm proud of all my farmers, painters and decorators, silk weavers and dairymen, amongst all the others.
In fact I feel rather a perverse pride that with two lines traced as far back as is practical, to the start of Parish Registers, I haven't a title or a famous person ANYWHERE!!

Original poster, stop hunting the famous. If they're there, you'll find them in time. Hunt the ancestors and relatives, and you'll become fascinated by the lives you find, and forget all about fame.

[TheBanana]

Thanks to some for the positive feedback.

@groom - Back to Noah? As in the impossible fictional story of Noah's Ark?

[groom]

Thanks to some for the positive feedback.

@groom - Back to Noah? As in the impossible fictional story of Noah's Ark?

Yes - he has a link to Noah, that's why that particular tree needs to be regarded with caution. 

[Greensleeves]

Another example of how on-line trees need to be taken with a very large pinch of salt. The only way, really, is to start with your grand-parents and work backwards, doing the research properly, instead of linking into other people's trees.  If you are purely looking for famous people, the chances are that you are going to be bitterly disappointed.  If you are looking for stories of people in the past, then you will reap wonderful harvests.  A lot of FH can be boring when seemingly populated by centuries of Agricultural Labourers.  And then you will find a real jewel which will bring their lives into focus: for example a parish record which tells of the Plague coming to a village in the 1500s.  Nothing to do with famous people, but more to do with people who were part of a major event in British  history, whether they liked it or not.

[spandy]

From an old faded letter, I learned that an ancestor was a compatriot of
Hereward the Wake. The name meant nothing to me but research rewarded
me with all sorts of fascinating history. Maybe my ancestor wasn't famous
but he knew somebody who was. Like a lot of us perhaps.

[Erato]

Maybe my ancestor wasn't famous but he knew somebody who was. Like a lot of us perhaps.

Yeah, I posted on this topic a long time ago ...

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=170961.msg385252#msg385252