General Chat

I was surprised to learn that my maternal Grandfather was named George and born in Llwynypia in Glamorganshire, when my Mother had always told me his name was Oliver and he'd been born in Somerset. She had also insisted there was no 'Welsh blood' in her family, but although my Grandfather's paternal ancestors were indeed from Somerset, his mother was born in Rassau, nr Ebbw Vale. So, far from being three-quarters English, one-quarter Scottish, I now find I'm half-English (on my Father's side) and one quarter Scottish/one quarter Welsh (on my Mother's side). I just hope the Welsh family history is easier to follow up than the Scottish! CB >|<

Found out my Gran had been married before and had 3 children my her first husband and then my Dad and his sister with her second (my Grandad, They all went to live in Canada in 1920 when my Dad was 4 and his sister 2. The others were 21, 19, 17, and when they came back 6 years later all the older ones, (first husbands children) stayed on in Canada, probably they had married etc. (they were all girls). Nothing was ever said about it and it was only when my Mum died 2 years ago and I found all the B M D certs. and was really suprised. Am now in touch with the grand daughter of my Gran and first husband, who still lives in Canada. Linda

I am surprised that I am unable to find any evidence that my grandma (on the distaff side) ever married grandad. Does that make me a bastard or, perhaps, half a bastard? Len

That's a great story Sherlock the man must have had some staminer Have you met the lady?(his last born).Gill

Not exactly a shock though have found a few of those. What I have found is where a local saying comes from. 'Kick one person in Fleetwood and all Fleetwood limps'. The town was founded in the 1830's/40 and when you start delving you find everyone is related to about 3 families talk about inter marrying!! every time I get in touch with someone on here about one family one or two more always creep in. Germaine

Just had to answer to this thread. We had a big shock/surprise about 2 hours ago. We just found out that we will be adding another little twiglet to our family tree sometime in January!!! Dianne & John

I am begining to think we all would be a good match for Inspector morse because to do this work you have to be a really determind detective who never gives up. Gill

My paternla great grandparents married after 7 children, so all of them born illegitimately, but she assumed his name and the marriage took place 48 years after the first child was born!!! Why - She was already married, and her first husband it appears was a bigamist, as he (remarried) 10 years after he married by g grandmother. On the marriage certificate it shows her marital status as widow and his marital status at the age of 73 bachelor! Took me many years to find this marriage as you can imagine................ So, dont forget look forward amnay many years and you may be lucky. My dad who is 85 and his brother who is 97 today had no idea that they werent married so guess no-one in the family did. Jayne

We always knew my mother's oldest brother belonged to my grandfather and my grandmother's sister.What we didn't know was that he was thirty-three and she was fifteen.There has always been a lot of nastiness,child cruelty and unpleasant jealousy in the family and I am wondering if grannys sister was not the last. As for being hanged for murder.People who weighed over fifteen stone would not be hanged as it was possible that their head might be pulled off in the process.

Since doing this,which hasn't been that long I have found out that great grandfather was married before he married my great grandmother and he had a child with the first wife,sadly first wife died in child birth and the daughter actually died when she was 17. It gets better though because I have met up with cousin that I have never met before,he came all the way from Basingstoke up to Hull for a few hours so we could meet each other. Then last week I met my half uncle for the first time ever.He was put into a childrens home when he was a baby and because he had a friend in Enlgand trying to find us and me doing what I've been doing,we both came into contact with each other and things went from there, then finally he came over from Aussie for a family reunion. I can only say no other hobby can be so rewarding.

Yes, and still wondering about the exact circumstances! lol.

It's quite surprising how much they got around.Iam trying to follow the tracks of someone in the 1820s He's all over the place i was very surprised. Gill

In the 1861 census I found my gt grandmother in a penitentiary in York age 16. I have yet to find out why she was there. I also found her father in York, place of birth Holbeck. I don't know which was the biggest surprise, the fact that gt gran was in the pen or that I have ancestors from the north. I had been looking for him in Essex where gt gran was born.

Hi Diana, and they talk about kids today i can't believe what they got away with Can you. Iv' got a first cousin who is also a second cousin, her father and my mother were brother and sister but my grandfather on dads side and her mothers mother were brother and sister. Gill

my grandad and grandma are first cousins now i know why we are all fruitcakes great grandma had two husbands, never divorced or killed first one and was a spinster on both certs, so assume bigamy. diana

Hi Len that say something about keeping secrets in families i know he did wrong but it was built up into something it wasn't and had everyone worried when they need't have been. Gill

I was asked by a friend to look into his family tree as there seemed to 'something horrible' that no one would discuss but which disrupted the whole family. On digging, I discovered that the cause of the rift was that Grandad, in the 1940s had co-habited with his dead son's widow( she had 3 children by her husband) and produced a male child. To my mind, this was old history which, although causing a glitch in the family tree on paper, and morally improper as Grandad was a pillar of the church, had no genetic implications. A family conference resolved the family feud as most of them had no idea of what was the skeleton in the cupboard and had assumed that they carried some awful genetic disorder Len

Hi Sarah . Thats a good one you wouldn't except a cup of tea off him would you

Hi All I've got a few a could do with selling on e-bay!!! LOL My other half's rellie poisoned his dad in 1880 over an argument about the rent he owed!! and just before he was hung confessed to poisoning his first wife the same way. Another of his rellies was eccentric fruitcake vicar who eventually was tried for a collection of weird crimes in the 1870's!!......what have I let myself in for!!!! Sarah xxx :)

i have just realised my family is quite normal have found most of the above. This why we do it is'nt it thanks for all your replys really enjoyed reading them. Any more stories?