Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I've been doing a bit of research into our family tree (nothing fancy, just info gleaned from other family members). I've discovered that there is a mountain in Japan named after my great-uncle Ernest and today found out that I'm distantly related (through my birth mother) to the professor who was head of the Roslin Institute who cloned Dolly the Sheep . I'm assuming he doesn't live a million miles away from me! It's a bit compulsive . I've got as far back as 1767 to relatives who have plaques in Dublin Cathedral ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 You've got to laugh. My brother did this and discovered that we mostly come from the East End of London. I suppose I returned to my roots to a certain degree. My ancestors included gulley sweepers, one was born in a workhouse and several were Barnados children who were sent to Canada and Australia. My Great Grandfather ( I think) lived just outside the Nichol estate, which was a notoriously bad estate in Bethnal Green. Interesting book - the blackest streets by Sarah Wise. No claims to fame from this quarter I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Thats really interesting ANH. I often think people get a slightly warped idea of what is likely to be found in their family history from things like 'Who do you think you are?' because most of us are descended from ordinary/poor people who don't have remarkable stories to tell in terms of huge public achievements, instead the stories are deeply personal and often feature a lot of hard work and ill health. Speaking as the descendent of Welsh farmers and Surrey joiners and cabinet makers I think you're really lucky! The only thing which I've found out that I'm really fond of is that the Surrey lot started in Sussex, in the most tiny hamlet which still exists, which I unwittingly drove very close to for 25 years. Now I make a detour to look out to see if the people look like me 150 years later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 There is "Ooops, word censored!"ody famous in my family. On my Dad's side they were poor Welsh miners, although one was a naval captain and another (one great-grandfather) won the World Harp Playing Championships - he seems quite a colourful character. Speaking only Welsh, he managed to travel from the Valleys to Chicago, win the cup, and return home. He then offended Queen Victoria by refusing to go to play for her. Dad's family were mainly mining surveyors/engineers or nurses/midwives, and nursing seems to be the default profession on this side of the family (or similar - doctors, probation officers, social workers). Dad himself was saved from the mines by the War. He was called up, went into the Army as a private soldier, rose rapidly to become the youngest RSM ever in the British Army, and subsequently became an officer, leaving as a Major on demob. His brother, my Uncle Bob, who is now 92, did similarly well. On my Mum's side they were tenant farmers in the Home Counties and also pretty poor - the men were farmers, or in later years, worked in London as policemen or train drivers on the Underground (my grandfather did this when they were still steam trains). The women went into domestic service. DH is a descendant of Jonathan Swift 'though and has a much more colourful family history, largely comprising the gradual loss or sale of the family fortune. Much more fun to research! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Thats really interesting ANH. It does get addictive, although I've had a long break in doing mine. A friend of mine has discovered she has blue blood running through her veins. I've still to confirm that a smuggler from a rather nasty gang is an ancestor - I'm rather hoping its not true The rest of my family are pretty much labourers, farmers or printers. - so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 My sister has been researching our family tree for some time now, and I was dismayed to discover, as a proud Lancastrian who thought the best thing to come out of Yorkshire was the M62 westbound, that on both sides of our family we came firmly from Yorkshire for many generations! I guess I will have to start practising singing 'On Ilkley Moor b'aht hat' and saying 'ee by gum now! (Or am I a living cliche!?) At least I am not a softy southerner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 My sister has been researching our family tree for some time now, and I was dismayed to discover, as a proud Lancastrian who thought the best thing to come out of Yorkshire was the M62 westbound, that on both sides of our family we came firmly from Yorkshire for many generations! I guess I will have to start practising singing 'On Ilkley Moor b'aht hat' and saying 'ee by gum now! (Or am I a living cliche!?) At least I am not a softy southerner! Pardon?!! I'll get my gang round...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 My Mum's family always fancied that they were related to Sir Isaac Newton, but her family tree research disproved this My family are all from Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire and were mainly miners and market gardeners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 There is "Ooops, word censored!"ody famous in my family. ....one great-grandfather won the World Harp Playing Championships - he seems quite a colourful character. Speaking only Welsh, he managed to travel from the Valleys to Chicago, win the cup, and return home. He then offended Queen Victoria by refusing to go to play for her. "Ooops, word censored!"ody famous? Well done him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 There is "Ooops, word censored!"ody famous in my family. ....one great-grandfather won the World Harp Playing Championships - he seems quite a colourful character. Speaking only Welsh, he managed to travel from the Valleys to Chicago, win the cup, and return home. He then offended Queen Victoria by refusing to go to play for her. "Ooops, word censored!"ody famous? Well done him! Well yes, well done. There is a musical streak in the family, but then again, being Welsh it is sort of compulsory. DH's family are so colourful that mine pales by comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 We seem to have a lot of Master Mariners in Suffolk - along with tenant farmers. This neck of the woods are coachmen, grooms, maids, drapers, carpenters and the nomadic bunch of Crouchers (all of which have the same hairline including me!) who are so hard to find - they all seem to be a Jack of all Trades but masters of none! Interestingly everyone seemed to move to London at around the same time - and since then each generation has moved further away from London. I was amazed to find that one line used to live up the road - around Mortimer, Stratfield Saye, Reading. When we go for drives out that way I always wonder if they trod the same routes - a lot of it is still unspoilt (surprisingly enough). Then we have the Welsh side, the Irish side and the French side! Apparently the Norwegian Vikings distributed my blood type - although I see that the Blackfoot tribe of North American indians have even more than the Scandinavians! That will explain why I like going barefoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 .....as a proud Lancastrian who thought the best thing to come out of Yorkshire was the M62 westbound, that on both sides of our family we came firmly from Yorkshire for many generations!I guess I will have to start practising singing 'On Ilkley Moor b'aht hat' and saying 'ee by gum now! (Or am I a living cliche!?) ...excuse me while I moderate you.....where shall I start?... At least I am not a softy southerner! ...sorry, I mean exterminate you..... Love this topic ANH and all the stories so far. Also, I'm fascinated with the idea that 2 Omleteers might be unknowing related, perhaps a few generations back, I wonder what the chances would be. I'd like to start a topic where we list a few main names & locations from our trees, but I don't know if it's a good or bad idea, any thoughts? For internet safety it would be best if they were names from way back without the current family name mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 [quote name='"chickenNutterAt least I am not a softy southerner! ...sorry' date=' I mean exterminate you..... [/quote'] Speaking as a softy southerner - I think that's actually true - the climate is harsher in the north and people adapted according to the weather. Goodness knows where we all came from and how we evolved, but we are all related by our African origins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 Koojie, apparently my Dolly the Sheep relative has traced our family back to Norwegians landing in Liverpool . He has a big file of stuff which my uncle in Australia has offered to send me. We also have master mariners on my father's side. Talking of musical streaks in families, I forgot to mention the two distant relatives who have plaques in Dublin Cathedral, apparently . Mr. Spray (tenor) (John Spray was an English tenor who settled in Dublin c.1797, and was vicar-choral of Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedrals. Well known as a leading concert soloist) My family tree is getting a bit out of control as I have 2 sets of parents (luckily, in some ways, I don't have anything at all for my birth father apart from his name). ~~~~~~~~ Sheila, I think that's a great idea . Don't know quite how we'd do it but it would be fun! (I've already been told by an Omleteer on Facebook (can't remember her forum name!) that she knows two people with the exact same name as me. I wondered if we might be related way back on my OH's side .) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have people called Spray in my ancestry too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Ooh that's nice - I should imagine that would be a good name to trace - I've never heard of that one before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have people called Spray in my ancestry too Wouldn't it be weird if we were related . Do these names match anything you have? John Spray b. 1767, grandfather of Judith Spray who married John Smith b. 1795 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have people called Spray in my ancestry too Wouldn't it be weird if we were related . Do these names match anything you have? John Spray b. 1767, grandfather of Judith Spray who married John Smith b. 1795 Forgot to add, I've started a topic about this now so we can add the names there too. What location for Spray, do you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 My sister has been researching our family tree for some time now, and I was dismayed to discover, as a proud Lancastrian who thought the best thing to come out of Yorkshire was the M62 westbound, that on both sides of our family we came firmly from Yorkshire for many generations! I guess I will have to start practising singing 'On Ilkley Moor b'aht hat' and saying 'ee by gum now! (Or am I a living cliche!?) At least I am not a softy southerner! Pardon?!! I'll get my gang round...... Ha! You and your gang would never make it past Watford without an extra cardi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Hey I lived as far north as King's Lynn I'll have you know (only for a year though ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Who was that famous softy southerner who whooped those pesky vikings? Oh yes! King Alfred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Also, any more interesting family history facts? I was really enjoying reading those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 You are going to have to move to the other section that Teabag started: Family Trees; are any Omleteers related There's a lot happenin' on there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 16, 2010 Author Share Posted January 16, 2010 I'll lock this one up as it's taken on a new life here . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
