Ancestors' names

[Tiresias]

This is purely because it amuses me.

My father has been going back through the family bibles for our ancestry.

Patrilineal side fine: Richard, John, Henry, Henry, Caleb (outlier), Norman and then my father.

But on the matrilineal side I have a Marmeduke and a Theophilus. In the late 1700s, early 1800s.

I’ve not been so happy since I found our pedigree Teckel had a grand parent called Helsinki Bartender (registered in Finland, natch).

Oh, and my maternal great grand mother was a seventh child of a seventh child.

And three generations back some poor old biddy had 10 children (plus 3 still born).

So any more entries on the most ludicrous names? (Surnames adopted as middle names don’t count – have to be user names).

(and my names are quite dull)

 

[AndyP]

The only one that sticks out in my family tree is Loft.
My great, great grandfather born in Gravesend 1840 as far as I can tell this is not a surname of any of his ancestors. His second name was William. I’ve always imagined a Scandinavian origin to the name but cannot prove a link.

 

[Malc2098]

Thomas Hunt Dann. The Miller and Constable at Wimbledon Windmill.

He arrested the earl of Cardigan (he of the Charge of the Light Brigade) for duelling on the common after it had been made illegal.

He got off on a technicality, obvs! All documented at the Windmill Museum and the Old Bailey archives.

I followed in his footsteps, not milling, you understand, but never got to nick an Earl!

 

[Lons]

My father in law did his and spent many happy years tracing his Scottish ancestry until one day he discovered origins in Cumbria. He promptly gave up and said it was all baloney and that stats and old records can't be trusted. :lol:
He was perfectly happy, indeed proud to be related to Border Reivers but not a cat in hell's chance he would accept English roots. :shock:

 

[RogerS]

My father in law did his and spent many happy years tracing his Scottish ancestry until one day he discovered origins in Cumbria. He promptly gave up and said it was all baloney and that stats and old records can't be trusted. :lol:
He was perfectly happy, indeed proud to be related to Border Reivers but not a cat in hell's chance he would accept English roots. :shock:

I can understand his reticence

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My grandmother was Scottish according to her. My mother told me years after she died she was actually born in Morpeth, which makes the fruit of my loins 3/4s Cornish and 1/4 Northumbrian. Weird.
I have a distant ancestor christened Withanee ............. Anne Withanee ......

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My father in law did his and spent many happy years tracing his Scottish ancestry until one day he discovered origins in Cumbria. He promptly gave up and said it was all baloney and that stats and old records can't be trusted. :lol:
He was perfectly happy, indeed proud to be related to Border Reivers but not a cat in hell's chance he would accept English roots. :shock:

Isn't it curious that there are Irish, Greek, Italian, Polish, Dutch etc. Americans but seemingly no English Americans?

 

[Gill]

My sister did some of this sort of research. Apparently, Robert the Bruce and William the Conqueror both make an appearance in our ancestry.


I think it makes her feel important. For myself, I just care about the people who share my life now and the people whose lives I might be able to make a little more comfortable.

 

[kirkpoore1]

My father in law did his and spent many happy years tracing his Scottish ancestry until one day he discovered origins in Cumbria. He promptly gave up and said it was all baloney and that stats and old records can't be trusted. :lol:
He was perfectly happy, indeed proud to be related to Border Reivers but not a cat in hell's chance he would accept English roots. :shock:

Isn't it curious that there are Irish, Greek, Italian, Polish, Dutch etc. Americans but seemingly no English Americans?

If your family has been over here more than three generations you’re almost certain to have some English ancestry, so it’s like saying you have two hands—not a big deal.

Kirk
(Who’s grandparents were named Poore, Parsons, Swan—and Holopoff.)

 

[Cabinetman]

My sister did some of this sort of research. Apparently, Robert the Bruce and William the Conqueror both make an appearance in our ancestry.


I think it makes her feel important. For myself, I just care about the people who share my life now and the people whose lives I might be able to make a little more comfortable.

This is from the Telegraph the other day Gill about a special DNA test looking for descendants of Robert the Bruce. You or more likely your sister might find it interesting. Ian edit just re-read it only works for the males of the family, do you have a brother?

 

[Gill]

Interesting article. My sister came up with this assertion after a stranger on an ancestry forum phoned her out of the blue claiming to be extremely distantly related. He was one who had come up with the claim of descendency from Robert the Bruce and William the Conqueror. I don’t think he was trying to scam her, he was just a nerd.

For myself, I’ve got more immediate matters to deal with.

 

[AndyP]

Tracing our family tree, most of which my wife did a few years back now, bought certain aspects of history to life mostly surrounding the first world war.
Finding POW records for WW1 for example, naval records that showed how truly global WW1 was and a great uncle buried in Thessalonica who I doubt has never been visited by anyone in the family. My father had not even heard of him.
Researching some of the occupations has also been fascinating. Waterman and Lighterman were a surprise in amongst the labourers, stick makers and landlords.

 

[Lurker]

A cousin of my dad’s traced a line back to the Earl of Shrewsbury, his dad ,my grandfather, was a farm labourer so it didn’t do us much good.

 

[Cabinetman]

My Scottish mother always said that we were quite closely related to the Melons in America, think Rockefeller and Vanderbilt - well the Melons were up there with them, again, never did us any good lol.