 Poll
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| Question: |
Have you found anyone famous in your family tree?
| Yes |
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   70 (36.1%) |
| No |
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70 (36.1%) |
| Not yet |
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54 (27.8%) |
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| Total Votes: 194 |
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Author
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Topic: Found Anyone Famous (Read 9158 times)
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MarieC
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3301
In Queensland, Oz
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Interesting question!
Mum always said she was descended from Captain James Cook's family (she knew he didn't have direct descendants). However, although I have found a Cook in her ancestry, and although her grandfather was a seafarer and captain of his own barque which traded all round the world, regrettably I have found no trace of the descent she claimed and think it is just not true.
I have found a connection by marriage to a very eminent chemist of the late 19th/early 20th century, Sir Walter Noel Hartley FRS, who made an original important discovery (unfortunately, not being a scientist, I cannot really appreciate what it was). We may also be connected to the Boyle who developed Boyle's Law in chemistry, but we have yet to prove that.
My cousin who is working with me reckons she has traced descent from John of Gaunt and from a long ago Scottish king (Malcolm III, I think) but I am not sure about this yet, either.
We are definitely descended from Henry Norreys who was beheaded by Henry VIII for alleged adultery with Anne Boleyn, and from his son's wife Margaret Norreys who was a favourite of Elizabeth I, referred to by her as "My Crow" because of her dark complexion.
There may be others but not proven as yet!
MarieC
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Martins in London and Wales, Lockwoods in Yorkshire, Hartleys in London, Lichfield and Brighton, Hubands and Smiths in Ireland, Bentleys in London and Yorkshire, Denhams in Somerset, Scoles in London, Meyers in London, Cooks in Northumberland
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kerryb
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 11961
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I've got one that nobody has ever heard of, Jonathan Harmer who created terracotta bases on gravestones in Sussex.
People into art apparently have heard of him.
Also my partner is descended from Admiral Balchin, a famous sailor apparently.
No, you haven't heard of either of them, have you???
Kerry
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukSearching for my family - Baldwin - Sussex, Middlesex, Cork, Pilbeam - Sussex, Harmer - Sussex, Terry - Surrey, Kent, Rhoades - Lincs, Roffey - Surrey, Traies - Devon & Middlesex & many many more to be found on my website .... www.kerrysfamilyhistory.co.uk |
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XPhile2868
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1011
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I'm distantly related to the footballer James Scowcroft, and possibly to the PNE player Paul McKenna.
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Smith (Lancashire), McKenna (Ireland/Liverpool/Leyland), Maynard (Hertfordshire/London/Preston), Ricketts (Gloucestershire/Wigan/Preston), Scowcroft (Preston), Harling (N. Yorkshire/Lancashire), Willis (Preston), Clegg (Manchester/Preston), Dodd (Wigan/Cheshire), Alston (Lancashire), Hulks (Hertfordshire), Nicholson (Lancashire), Russell (Lancashire), Wilson (Kendal) Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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AmyUK
RootsChat Member
Posts: 218
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My Great Great Great Great Grandmothers brother was John Young who moved from Scotland to Canada and founded the port of Montreal and was connected to the railways, trade and culture. There is quite a nice statue of him in the harbour of Montreal.
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SUSSEX - Linscer, Lincer, Linser
LONDON - Watts, Sale, Steel, Ewin, Powell, Bevis
HERTFORDSHIRE (especially WARE) - Adams, Bangs, Petts
AYRSHIRE (& surrounding areas) - Young, Armour, Buchanan, Murray
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MarieC
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3301
In Queensland, Oz
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Hi Kat,
I hope I am not good at offending the powers that be so that I might meet a sticky end, like poor old Henry Norreys!!!  Not that I think it was at all difficult to offend Henry VIII!! 
I am definitely not dark of complexion like Margaret Norreys. Fair skin and freckles, reddish hair - take after the Scottish part of the family, the Camerons!  The dark complexion would be handy in the Australian sun, actually - wouldn't have to hassle about having skin cancers burnt off!
MarieC
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Martins in London and Wales, Lockwoods in Yorkshire, Hartleys in London, Lichfield and Brighton, Hubands and Smiths in Ireland, Bentleys in London and Yorkshire, Denhams in Somerset, Scoles in London, Meyers in London, Cooks in Northumberland
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behindthefrogs
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4251
EDLIN
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Stick your tongue firmly in your left cheek and take a large pinch of salt.
I can trace a line back to Petronious Probus Consul in 322 and from there a link to the Governor of Cyprus who interviewed St Paul on his first missionary journey to Cyprus.
David
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Living in Berkshire. From Northampton & Milton Keynes DETAILS OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES ARE IN SURNAME INTERESTS, LINK AT FOOT OF PAGE Wilson, Higgs, Buswell, PARCELL, Matthews, TAMKIN, Seckington, Pates, Coupland, Webb, Arthur, MAYNARD, Caves, Norman, Winch, Culverhouse, Drakeley. Johnson, Routledge, SHIRT, SAICH, Mills, SAUNDERS, EDLIN, Perry, Vickers, Pakeman, Griffiths, Marston, Turner, Child, Sheen, Gray, Woolhouse Census Info is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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kerryb
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 11961
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Well here's another one of those!
My paternal grandmother was a Harmer and they go back to 1066, one of William's barons was Miles De Haremere who was given land at Haremere Hall, Etchingham, East Sussex and his family dropped the two extra 'e's and became Harmer.
Also my Baldwin line is reputed to come from another Lord or Baron Baldwin who was one of the Crusaders. I can't remember the exact details because I glossed over it, I'll never get my line that far back - I've got stuck in Ireland in the late 1700's!!!!!!
Kerry
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukSearching for my family - Baldwin - Sussex, Middlesex, Cork, Pilbeam - Sussex, Harmer - Sussex, Terry - Surrey, Kent, Rhoades - Lincs, Roffey - Surrey, Traies - Devon & Middlesex & many many more to be found on my website .... www.kerrysfamilyhistory.co.uk |
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PrueM
Global Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 7400
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Let me tell you a tale....
My grandmother always told us that her grandfathers were wealthy men. One of them owned large tea plantations in Ceylon and was a wealthy tea merchant...the other owned diamond mines in the Transvaal, and was an investor in the railways in America (both were English).
HOWEVER (everyone has a "however"!!) once I started digging, the truth was revealed: the Tea Merchant was actually a Schoolteacher, and the Diamond Tycoon was an East End Warehouse-manager.
I mentioned to her many years ago what I had found out, but she was adamant that her version was the truth. My great-grandmother told my grandmother these stories, probably I think she believed them herself, although they were far from reality. Great-gran's mother died when GG was only 17, and the younger siblings were farmed out to orphanages etc. Maybe to keep her sanity she made up these fantasies about lost fortunes and better times, in the hope that one day she might return to that...who knows!
I don't mind whether they were famous or not, but I do wish there'd be some hidden millions somewhere!!
As for getting back to Roman consuls...like many I'm stuck in 1700s Ireland and there I'm fated to stay, I think!!
Prue
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Paper and Photograph Conservator
I live in NSW, and am researching:
BALFOUR (Derry) BIGG (Kent) BONSALL (DBY, NTT, CHS) BRISBANE (Fife) DANKS (STS) DOBSON (BRK) FRANCIS (ESS) GOODE (HAM) HAYNES (Cork) INGRAM (MDX, SOM) LANGWORTHY (Jersey, DEV) MCKAY (Fife, Aberdeen, Banff, Moray) MORRISH (LND) NANCARROW (CON) OGILVIE (Moray, LND) STRATHDEE (LND, Banff) - SWAN (Fife)
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Berlin-Bob
Global Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 5689
by: My Daughter. Chatting to find her Roots !
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Stick your tongue firmly in your left cheek and take a large pinch of salt.
Well, if we are including them, then I will repeat my "claim to fame" (as posted in "are you related to royalty")
The legend is, that our family is descended from the Habsburgs, and from King David (the biblical one !)
and NO !, I am not going to try and prove it There are already mountains of literature on this subject.
If you don't know the story already, it's all here:
The Royal (Habsburg) Connection
Habsburg, Shmabsburg ! King David Rules, OK !
On the more mundane sides of the family, I am still struggling to get earlier then 1800 !!
Bob
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« Last Edit: Saturday 28 October 06 15:27 UTC (UK) by Berlin-Bob »
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Searching for Coleman, Moore, Kallnung in London; Margulies, Remenyi in E. Europe; Ancestors of Hessie Stevenson-Coleman-Baxter (Ireland, 1861) and, of course, any other ancestors for my web-site. All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) |
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linmey
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1568
Propping up a Saxon shore fort!!
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I havnt found anyone yet in my tree who has any claims to fame, just lots of agricultural labourers and shepherds. My friend tried to cheer me up the other day by saying that I should be comforted by the fact that at least none of my forebears had exploited anyone.(only sheep).
Linmey.
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Reynolds, Woodham, Payne, Wilmott, Hart, Richardson, Packwood, Tandy, Dexter - Bedfordshire. Chamberlain and Wagstaff- Hunts. Freeman, Cheney, Cox- Northants. Burns, Muter, Cobban, Hossack, Strachan, Moonlight. Lanarkshire, Ross and Cromarty and Kincardineshire. Garvey- Ireland. Census Information Is Crown Copyright From-- www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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stuizzy
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 508
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I'm not sure whether my ancestor is counted as famous, unless maybe you're from Stockton-on-Tees. My granny always used to brag about her grandfather, Joseph Dodds, who was the first MP for Stockton, as well as being Mayor there at one time. His name crops up all over the place as being on this board and that organization.
However, I discovered that he had to take the appointment of Steward of the Manor of Northstead and resign as an MP in 1888. He had been caught embezzling money from a lady who had given it to him for safekeeping!! That was a part of the story that Granny never told.
I guess politicians never change!!
Isobel
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ger_g
RootsChat Member
Posts: 210
S-Bend surfer... righteous.
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Fellow Aussies will get more out of this than most, I fear... someone on my dad's side reportedly found a link to Kerry Packer (very rich but not the most appealing guy). Needless to say the 'ching ching gene' has not passed onto my little twig of the family tree LOL
Ger
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EVANS, SMART, PREECE, PARTRIDGE, SYKES (Ross-on-Wye and surrounds Herefordshire ENGLAND) LEWIS (Llangarren Herefordshire ENGLAND) ROBERTS (St Maughans Monmouth and Llangarron Herefs) POWELL (Monmouth and Herefordshire) WATKINS, JENKINS (Hentland Herefordshire) HAMILTON, McCUTCHEN (Urney Strabane Co. Tyrone IRELAND) McLAUGHLIN (Manorcunningham Co. Donegal IRELAND) http://evansinherefordshire.comCensus information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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MarieC
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3301
In Queensland, Oz
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Ger,
As a long lost cousin, you couldn't work out some way of appealing to Kerry's family values (if they exist) and getting him to donate some of his largesse to you as a good cause? 
I'm sure he wouldn't miss a hundred thou or two!!
Another Aussie,
MarieC
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Martins in London and Wales, Lockwoods in Yorkshire, Hartleys in London, Lichfield and Brighton, Hubands and Smiths in Ireland, Bentleys in London and Yorkshire, Denhams in Somerset, Scoles in London, Meyers in London, Cooks in Northumberland
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