Am I really related to William the Conqueror??

[Gillg]

Guyana
I have several generations of Huntingdonshire cordwainers, but the following generations had to find other work after the factories took over shoemaking.

[Guyana]

Mine have mostly been in farming, at least since  the 1560s, although one or two went back into leather at times, and even into silk in a menial way.

[Simon G.]

I can do one better, in that the Norwood surname part of my tree are rumoured to be descendants of Harold Godwinson.  I want my bloomin' throne back!!!

In reality though even if it is true, proving it is going to prove to be a nightmare.  A number of medieval genealogies, even if you can connect to them, are as much about politics as they are accurate families lines - unless there are genuinely people out there who are descendants of Thor & Odin.

[coombs]

Before 1800 I have so many "possibles" in my family tree as the waters get very murky before census and BMD eras. That is why wills and poor law records are a great substitute to census records. Also witnesses on marriages from 1754 onwards.

My ancestor was Sarah Lee who wed Thos Standen in 1767 in Bolney, Sussex. The transcripts seem to omit the witnesses names so I will have to wait until I can view the original PR. I don't think people realise how vital the witnesses names are, providing they are not regular ones. Sarah died in 1768 aged 34 (noted on her headstone). So born c1733/1734. I have 2 possibles, one in Clayton in 1733 and one in Ditchling in 1734. The Ditchling one seems to descend from a local lord of the manor and back to Borde Hall in Cuckfield. So she may descend from Billy the Conq then. 

A Mary Lee died in Bolney in 1767, a widow. Could be Sarah's mother. Both possible candidates for Sarah had mothers called Mary. It seems the mother of Sarah from Clayton died in 1737 as a Thomas and Mary Lee died close together, so the Ditchling one seems more likely. There is always a small chance there was a 3rd Sarah Lee born in the area.

[jbml]

I can do one better, in that the Norwood surname part of my tree are rumoured to be descendants of Harold Godwinson.  I want my bloomin' throne back!!!

Begging your pardon, but being a descendant of Harold Godwinson doesn't entitle you to the throne. It merely makes you, at best, king-worthy. An atheling. One of the candidates from whom the Witan are entitled to elect a king ...

There was no settled and established right of succession to the throne in Anglo-Saxon England.

[Gillg]

No wonder there was so much murder and mayhem, then. Too many wannabes.

[Rena]

I've got a couple of copy wills from 17th and 18th century Huntingdonshire ancestors, one of which worth over £2 thousand left his eldest son the farmstead, the hovel (barn) and the lyon horse, etc to his oldest son with his daughter being left half a crown.  I had illusions of the family being of a lower order to a richer ancestor.  This week my illusion was shattered when I discovered their names taken from a list of bmd's in a book entitled "Commoners and Paupers" 

[Simon G.]

I can do one better, in that the Norwood surname part of my tree are rumoured to be descendants of Harold Godwinson.  I want my bloomin' throne back!!!

Begging your pardon, but being a descendant of Harold Godwinson doesn't entitle you to the throne. It merely makes you, at best, king-worthy. An atheling. One of the candidates from whom the Witan are entitled to elect a king ...

There was no settled and established right of succession to the throne in Anglo-Saxon England.

Indeed.  Very much aware of this. A joke, my friend, a joke.

[Guyana]

It ain't a joking matter, your Majesty.