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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Who are you really?
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CuppaT
Shipmate
# 10523
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Posted
My paternal grandmother swore that my dad was of her husband, but my grandfather divorced her anyway. She had named the baby X, and very soon after the divorce got married again, to a man whose name happened to be X. Rather coincidental. But my father and his older brother retained their original last names. Still, it would be nice to know if I really am that heritage, which my maiden name strongly reflects, or if I am this other possible grandfather's. Makes no difference, just nice to know.
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Stand at the brink of the abyss of despair, and when you see that you cannot bear it any longer, draw back a little and have a cup of tea.
~Elder Sophrony
Posts: 919 | From: the edge of the Ozarks | Registered: Oct 2005
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pererin
Shipmate
# 16956
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
Unfortunately my paternal grandmother traced my ancestry back to Oliver Cromwell...
Well, it could be true that Cromwell was the 5-great-grandson of Catherine of Valois. Then things would get interesting...
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"They go to and fro in the evening, they grin like a dog, and run about through the city." (Psalm 59.6)
Posts: 446 | From: Llantrisant | Registered: Feb 2012
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Spiffy
Ship's WonderSheep
# 5267
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Posted
One side of the family hit North America on the Mayflower in 1620.
Other side of the family had already made it to North America, though. Helped found Santa Fe (now in New Mexico) in 1612.
Working on my Daughters of the American Revolution application right now, actually. Turns out I'm not able to use one branch because they were fairly prominent Quakers in Pennsylvania. That's ok, the other branch made a bunch of money selling supplies to the rebels--oops, meant patriots-- and that makes me eligible.
When I was in 6th grade my parents had to sit me down and explain my paternal grandfather was not actually my biological grandfather. It hadn't occurred to me that the fact my father had a different name than my grandparents Meant Something.
Sometimes I'm slow.
[ 02. November 2013, 23:52: Message edited by: Spiffy ]
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Looking for a simple solution to all life's problems? We are proud to present obstinate denial. Accept no substitute. Accept nothing.
--Night Vale Radio Twitter Account
Posts: 10281 | From: Beervana | Registered: Dec 2003
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
As far as I know I'm Scottish through and through, although if you go back far enough there may be a wee bit of Viking in there somewhere (my Orcadian grandmother's maiden name was Harcus, which apparently comes from an old Norse word meaning "rubbish" ![[Eek!]](eek.gif) ). My better half reckons that because I'm dark-haired and dark-eyed I'm more likely to be descended from someone shipwrecked in the Spanish Armada ...
My maiden name was Bain, and shortly before I was born a bloke in Canada (whose wife was a Bain) wrote a book about the clan including a branch that he traced back to Donalbain, who was briefly king of Scots in the 11th century.
Our branch of the family didn't get a mention in his book (maybe we were the ones who were chucked out of the Mackay clan for stealing sheep ![[Devil]](graemlins/devil.gif) ), but there were enough people in various branches who shared Christian names with my father, grandfather and great-grandfather that I feel we might fit in there somewhere.
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Net Spinster
Shipmate
# 16058
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Posted
Good mix in my family (English (Quaker, Unitarian, atheists, and an Anglican bishop in the early 1700s), Irish Catholic and Protestant, Scots (a lot of ministers in that branch), French (via Canada and possibly Haiti/Jamaica)) though I'm stymied but haven't hunted too hard yet on a Major John Smith born in Ireland and retired to become a Wesleyan preacher and temperance advocate in London in the late 1800's. If I'm reading the census records correctly he also married a parlour maid (which I suspect is a bit odd for a British cavalry officer in the 1850s).
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spinner of webs
Posts: 1093 | From: San Francisco Bay area | Registered: Dec 2010
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comet
Snowball in Hell
# 10353
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Posted
both my mother's and my father's clan take ancestry very seriously. I could write the world's longest post on various ancestral lines and notable people along the way. there's an unofficial family motto on my mom's side that goes, "we come from a long line of people who left home" which pretty much sums it up.
There's a lot.
genetically speaking, though - I'm about 3/4 Irish extraction with the other 1/4 Spanish. it's muddier than that, bits of English and Scottish and I think even a tiny strain of French somewhere.
The Spaniards came over during the Spanish California time and settled in (I think) Santa Cruz and kept it within their community until relatively recently, complete with mile-long names and very posh heirlooms and a love of great, dramatic, everything.
the Irish on my mother's side is my grandfather, who came over to fight in WWII. That marriage - to one of the California Spaniards - was quite shocking, at the time.
The rest - my father's side - came over to the US just before and just after the Revolutionary war. Don't know much of their story but by the time the 1890s rolled around they were fairly comfortable merchants in NY state before moving out to LA.
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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions
"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin
Posts: 17024 | From: halfway between Seduction and Peril | Registered: Sep 2005
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Pomona
Shipmate
# 17175
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Posted
My mum's family tree ends in the early 20th century due to great-grandparents being raised in orphanages, and I have no contact with my bio dad so no info there. My dad (stepdad) has more info on his family tree but obviously has no bearing on my DNA....but not sure how much I care really. I never feel like my DNA is what makes me.
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Consider the work of God: Who is able to straighten what he has bent? [Ecclesiastes 7:13]
Posts: 5319 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2012
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North East Quine
Curious beastie
# 13049
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Posted
My great-grandmother's brother was awarded the DCM for an incident in the First World War in which he single-handedly killed several* "burly huns" with a trench hatchet.
Thus, my husband's claim that I'm related to an axe-murderer.
* nine, according to the local press; five according to the regimental history; three according to the citation for his DCM.
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
Mr C. might be related to Sir Francis Drake, that famous Creamtealand seafarer. If he's ours, he's a hero, if he's not, then he's a pirate. Go figure.
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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MrsBeaky
Shipmate
# 17663
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Posted
I'm a mixture really: my father was Irish (grandfather from Dublin, grandmother from Cork)
My mother is American (grandfather of Dutch descent, grandmother of English-Hampshire- and Welsh descent)
Our murky family secret is the part played in British history by my American grand-mother's cousin who was frowned upon by the rest of the family...her name was Wallis Simpson....
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"It is better to be kind than right."
http://davidandlizacooke.wordpress.com
Posts: 693 | From: UK/ Kenya | Registered: Apr 2013
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Sir Kevin
Ship's Gaffer
# 3492
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:
Working on my Daughters of the American Revolution application right now, actually.....
My wife, whom you know as *, is a member of DAR as is her sister. Her dad did the research for his daughters.
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If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Writing is currently my hobby, not yet my profession.
Posts: 30517 | From: White Hart Lane | Registered: Oct 2002
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Jack the Lass
Ship's airhead
# 3415
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by basso:
The only slightly dodgy bit (AFAIK!) in my ancestry is my father's maternal grandfather. He apparently deserted the family (wife and 7 children) at some point and his name wasn't mentioned again.
Exactly the same here. What little I know of our family tree confirms that we are the world's most boring family, so my paternal grandmother's father's deserting of his (not insubstantial) family to have another (also I suspect not insubstantial) family with another woman is the only bit of scandal I'm aware of. I'm certainly not descended from anyone famous or notorious or even vaguely interesting ...
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"My body is a temple - it's big and doesn't move." (Jo Brand)
wiblog blipfoto blog
Posts: 5767 | From: the land of the deep-fried Mars Bar | Registered: Oct 2002
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
My great-grandmother's brother was awarded the DCM for an incident in the First World War in which he single-handedly killed several* "burly huns" with a trench hatchet.
Sorry, but I keep reading that as "burly nuns" and having to go back and re-read.
Anyway, do carry on.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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Drifting Star
Drifting against the wind
# 12799
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Posted
I read it as 'hurly buns' several times before I could make it make sense.
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The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Heraclitus
Posts: 3126 | From: A thin place. | Registered: Jul 2007
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jedijudy
Organist of the Jedi Temple
# 333
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Drifting Star:
I read it as 'hurly buns' several times before I could make it make sense.
[tangent]
Me, too! ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Somethink like this? [/tangent]
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Jasmine, little cat with a big heart.
Posts: 18017 | From: 'Twixt the 'Glades and the Gulf | Registered: Aug 2001
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ExclamationMark
Shipmate
# 14715
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Posted
The direct descendant of at least 9 generations of farm labourers who lived in the same village where my dad still lives. One reached the dizzy heights of a blacksmith's assistant but that's about it.
Oh, a bit of sheep stealing on the side and transportation for life for one. He died in the New World - the trial transcript includes his defence: his family were starving at a time food riots were breaking out elsewhere. The judges response? "Starvation is no excuse for criminality."
On my mother's side a little more interesting. One ancestor who was transported in the 1830 's was known by 2 very different surnames that crop up again from nowhere in the 1940's. Who's your daddy?
Mrs M's family are more interesting - her very well to do great grandfather married a young lady who was from a more prosaic background namely Bermondsey Docks. At the census she reinvented her age, date and place of birth and lived at what appeared to be some kind of hostel or home on the South Coast for ladies of dubious character. The family cast out great grandfather and disinherited him.
Posts: 3845 | From: A new Jerusalem | Registered: Apr 2009
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