Ardene5 Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Hi Has anyone done their family tree(s) and discovered there are odd facts or areas of fate within the history of the family? Where without being going to deep does it take you, as in areas. Have you visited somewhere and known about it before you arrived. But you have never been there before or read about it or as far as you know been told about it? Best regards Ian Ian & Valerie William & Harry Missy & Millie dogs 9 lovely Hens Henian Castle + inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 I started looking at mine, very interesting! I discovered that my great grandfather had delusions of grandeur and in fact most of my ancesters were workers in the textile industry in the north, rather than chaplains, doctors and philanthropists that he had 'discovered' I also discovered that he had married and had children prior to marrying my great grandmother! Would love to know what happened to that branch of the family as it has never been spoken about. The main thing I found interesting was the long family history of a link with the textiles industry - weavers, spinners, tailors, dressmakers in every generation. I think my sewing 'skills' may be genetic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 That could be true Snowy..... my ancestors are mostly farm labourers I've always felt a very strong affinity for France. I feel completely at home there and have done since my first visit in 1989. I've traced part of my family tree back to 1788, all fairly local although difficult at times as we are on the county border of Warwickshire, adjoining Worcs./Glos./Oxon. and in an area which used to belong to Worcs. A cousin has been researching a different strand of the family tree and we have had a very interesting, and French sounding name crop up - maybe my French connection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 oooh, a french connection - hope you find the rest of it! Mind you, it could just be France - I feel at home there when I go as well, love it! Interesting when you see what trades your ancesters were in isn't it? There is supposedly a spanish countess somewhere in my line, but I haven't found her yet Oh, and one section of the family were from canada - and my brother emigrated there a couple of years ago! Gone back to his 'roots'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardene5 Posted October 12, 2008 Author Share Posted October 12, 2008 Hi As regards our family trees part of it revolves around Sheffield, Yorkshire as Ians grandfather was in the cutlery industry but before that there are connections with farming. Then there is a connection to Sunderland / Newcastle areas but we have a lot of blind corners trying to find out about the Laidler family understand there could be connections with fishing and ship building. There is also a connection to the Campbells and Scotland. Whilst on my( Valerie) side of the family there are connections to Fleetwood & Hull with both fishing and ship building. We do intend to try and research both side of the family to see where it take us. Trust you all have fun doing yours. Best regards Ian & Valerie William & Harry Missy & Millie dogs 9 lovely hens Henian Castle with + inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 When I was younger I used to go to the same place in Devon a lot. I later found out that my family were coastgurads around there for generations. I've also discovered that another load of us are all from East Anglia not far from the places I've lived. Never felt a connection here though. We do have the aristocracy, some French, some Canadian and all the other things that come up and are actually true in our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I havent done the family tree, but my auntie (mums sister) has. well, she traced back her side (note - no link to my dad, until he met my mum ) so, working upwards, her mum and dad, her dads (my grandad) mum and dad (are you getting this ) well, to cut a long story short - my grandads, grandmother, has exactly the same first name and surname as me weird cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cammy73 Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I'm doing mine at the moment, found out that my Grandad and his brother were fatherless, and my Great Grandmother (their mom) married a further 3 times! and out lived them all!!! Sharon x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 My brother is tracing the family tree, but now taking time out to increase his line!! One side are like nomads and we can't find where they were, but believed to be from Kent. Another line were coachmen and grooms who moved to London and now I live 15 minutes away from where they originally came from without knowing it! We have Master Mariners from Suffolk and tenant farmers. Irish drapers and a Frenchman who will be difficult to trace because the French destroy their records over a certain length of time. Since I used to plot all the records on Genes Reunited I have made contact with 3 different branches of the family and exchanged photo's - some bear striking resemblances to my family. So far all the info that my grandfather gave us is WRONG! His mother wasn't Jewish and his father wasn't a Catholic! He even got his mum's middle name wrong! There is also talk of a Spanish link - but after this, we don't believe it! One great, great grandfather fell in a furnace and his widow was awarded a mangle as compensation! Another one fell off the haywagon and died as a result. My great grandfather hated doing farmwork and so ran away to sea at 13 and eventually became a fireman in London. He was awarded medals for bravery and saving several lives - but when he first started he was also reprimanded and fined for breaking a ladder and worse - telling the fire crew the wrong directions!! He eventually became Chief in charge of several stations in London. One great, great grandmother gave birth before her wedding, naughty girl! Her husband also had another son prior to marrying her - 2nd wife perhaps, she was only 17 at the time. I am told my blood group comes from Norwegian Vikings - I wish! Apparently we also have links to criminals sent to Botany Bay - their line became sheep farmers and ended up relatively wealthy, but the line died out in Australia and all funds were spread between all surviving members in England. My dad received half a crown! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timhenman Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 Well I have been tracing it recently and my goodness was I surprised, we are a Saxon family "Ooops, word censored!"ility in fact. (Wow who would of thought it) anyhow direct decedents of Harold Godwinson oh and just a passing thought who honestly believes he got shot in the eye! I for one can’t believe it. Very interesting stuff we found but I don’t want to ramble ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I started doing mine a couple of years ago. My mum and dad had both done some work but we have found out a lot more now with the aid of the computer. I've found lots of new relations. A new one appeared last week. I never knew my Grandad had a brother and his great granddaughter has contacted me. Its all fascinating stuff. Unfortunately no "Ooops, word censored!"ility in my family so far. Mainly labourers, farm workers etc. But we come from Wales, Ireland, Somerset mainly. edited to add: apparently way back we might be related to smugglers, a member of The Hawkhurst Gang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 My OH had two relatives looking at his family tree at the same time. Within a few weeks of us moving from Birmingham to the Suffolk town where I grew up, they both told him that his great Grandfather was from a small village 6 miles out of the town Everyone had previously thought that he was from Cornwall, so it was a real bolt from the blue. So it turns out that my OH has Suffolk blood going back further than I do and My mum was born here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 I've done a lot on mine! It was really intriguing. You can get a really long way on the internet now, which makes it really handy, and I've 'met' lots of rellies online too. The French connection that we'd heard of from my Grandmother hasn't turned up yet though. A number of my family on my dads side lived in the City of London in an area where I've worked and know well: so it was pretty amazing to think we'd walked the same streets! One day my sister and I plan to tour the Essex villages where one section of the family lived for ages. It doesn't really come alive when its just a tree and lists of names and places! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 I visited Monkton Combe in Somerset whilst I had a weekend in Bath. My gt gt gt grandmother came from there. It felt really nice walking along the same roads. Unfortunately the original church had been replaced and the old gravestones had become unstable so there was nothing to see. But it was still good. I'm going to do some rooting around in the villages in Kent. I wish I had some researchers on my tree like they do on Who do you think you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackiepoppies Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 I'm doing mine at the moment, found out that my Grandad and his brother were fatherless, and my Great Grandmother (their mom) married a further 3 times! and out lived them all!!! Sharon x Crikey Cammy An immaculate conception twice over.....what a clever Great Granny Jackiex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scramble Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 (edited) Well, haven't really studied but there is one thing I know: My Great Grandfather worked on one of the Lifeboats that went to help the Titanic. He was 19, Ernest St.Clair. He donated a life jacket to the Albert Dock Museum, I think it's called the Maritime Museum. He has a quote on the wall, basically blah blah bla...Ernest St.Clair My dad took me to the museum when we went to see the Mersy River Festival and I saw the name and went 'Are we related to him? He has our last name!' and my dad was all' yeah...he was my Grandfather, I told you yesterday'!!!!! Shows how much I pay attention x Edited October 17, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooklady Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 I've done loads on mine and my OH's. It's so interesting and so addictive. I haven't found anything really outstanding but relatives of my maternal grandmother had quite and unusual name and unusual for where they lived which was East Anglia and the name is more commonly linked with Lancashire. Having said that I found 17 different spelling which was amazing, things are not always what they appear to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 It's almost as adictive as chickens - I now have about 1,500 people in my tree and met alost relative we didn't know existed, but two big mysteries in the family (one was why I started doing the tree) still remain Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 I am addicted too! It's one of those things where you genuinely don't notice time passing. It's very exciting. I have a book written about one branch of the family based in Warwickshire and Birmingham - must be the same area as Lesley's because mine are all on the junction of those 3 counties. In August my son and I visited Stratford and Alcester and some of the surrounding areas. It was thrilling to go inside a shop in Alcester which was owned by a distant relation of mine in the 1800s and to see the churches and fonts where they were baptised. My great great grandfather on another branch was quite an authority on astrology and his books were re-published in USA only a few years ago! His father was a surgeon in London and a practitioner in Homeopathy. He spoke to the Select Committee on why he thought mass vaccination was a bad idea! I have met up with my mother's cousins whom she hadn't seen since childhood and since discovered a cousin of my Gran's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitbag Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 It's almost as adictive as chickens - I now have about 1,500 people in my tree and met alost relative we didn't know existed, but two big mysteries in the family (one was why I started doing the tree) still remain Tracy OOOOOOHHHH what mysteries?? I'm not nosy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 I've only just found this post sorry! I've been researching my family history for years... It was my Nan's old photos and stories that got me addicted One branch of her family were Brewers... from Birmingham. Then as I delved further back, I met a cousin many times removed who had gone further back to the 16/1700's... and found out we were possibly related to Bishop William Juxon (former Archbishop of Canterbury) who was a good friend of Charles I and looked after him on the day of his beheading My GGG Gran's maiden name was Juxon, she was born in London and her family were well to do Quakers... but we just can't find a direct link to our family and the Bishop It is so addictive and frustrating Going back to the French connections (not FCUK ) people have - could they have been Huguenots? Happy hunting everyone! BWx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 My MIL has traced French Huguenots in her side of the family going way back, will have to jot down all the details. My gt grandfathers christian name was Friend and his father's name was Friend so I was thinking there's a quaker aspect but can't find anything relating to it. Frustrating but a really good puzzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 ok, you have got me here how do you start tracing the family tree? do you use a software package or is it all on paper? I have watched "who do you think you are?" and I would love to have a go, but I dont know where to start (I will have a word with my auntie, but I have heard that she didnt trace the tree, a friend did for her ) can any of you offer any tips? thank you cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I wish I had some researchers on my tree like they do on Who do you think you are. Yes - there's obviously so much background work that goes on! But I found that when I got stuck the BBC forum was really helpful. There are people on there who just find things for you! Brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardene5 Posted October 19, 2008 Author Share Posted October 19, 2008 Hi everyone, This is just a thought................................. Has any one wondered or found out that they are connected to an other Omleteer? Happy Family Tree hunting. Best regards Ian Ian & Valerie William & Harry Missy & Millie dogs 9 lovely hens Henian Castle with inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
