Family legends that turn out to be nonsense

[Charlesworth]

Today I got a copy of my g g grandmother's probate through, which confirmed that her son did NOT run off with all the family cash. It was always said he'd taken the money and properties that were meant for my g grandmother, but it turned out that after debts were paid there was only £31 left! (In 1927)

I have also found out a great grandfather didn't abandon his wife for my g grandmother as thought - they'd parted years before he met my g grandmother.  But that g grandmother wasn't a widow as thought - she'd run off from her husband into the arms of my g grandfather!

I've been told stuff about people being 'killed by a shire horse' when no, it wasn't as exciting as that. There have been so many family myths that have been debunked and balloons burst.  And always, along the line, somebody was supposed to have died of a broken heart.  And yet it never comes up on the death certs! 

How about you all?  I'd love to hear yours!

[aghadowey]

Grandfather's grandfather's grandfather was a sea captain and 'died at sea'. Newpaper report says drowned in well at home!

Grandfather's grandfather born in Rhode Island (true), was a doctor in Dayton, Ohio (true) and went to Brown Univeristy in R.I. (they have no record of his attendance- turns out he moved to Ohio with mother and stepfather when a young boy and went to medical school in Ohio).

Uncle Harry was related to former U.S. President Richard M. Nixon (strangely enough never mentioned again after Watergate). True story- both families were Quakers and lived near each other in California.

Grandfather was English, orphan and only child- family from Ireland, mother died when he was 6 weeks old and father when he was 13 (but raised by oldest brother and sister- naturally the 'only child' bit was wrong- he was the youngest of ten children).

Original story- James Leslie Hunter died aged about 11 years old. Then, found old photo (labelled for a change) of 'James Leslie Hunter' in Bronx, N.Y. police uniform so looked like he survived and moved to America. Turns out there were two cousins in the family around the same age- one died young and other moved to New York with parents...

However, lots more family stories have been proven to be accurate so it's always worth checking just in case.

[purplekat]

We were always told that our paternal grandfather's first wife ran away to America leaving Grandfather with his two sons.  The implication was that she left him alone to bring up two small children.  However from checking out passenger lists we discovered she had left for New York when her sons were aged  20 and 14 and by then he had four more children with my grandmother.

[downside]

I always hear stories about hidden treasure or money.

Apparently straight after a funeral a family went to the house of the deceased and tore the place apart looking for alleged stash of money - no floorboard left unpulled etc.  Needless to say, the deceased died penniless.

[cati]

My Spicer line came over with the Normans: strange that I can't trace them before 1821...

My great great grandad was a laypeacher when he was sober which wasn't often, and died in 1900 when he fell downstairs drunk and broke his neck:  he turned out to be a coaldealer who died in bed of TB in 1901, and no, he wasn't a laypreacher (though his brother turned out to be a deacon)

Another great great grandad was brought up in someone else's family: no, but after his mother and most of his sisters died in the cholera outbreak, he, his brother and his Dad went into lodgings...

Family legends?  Love 'em!

[Charlesworth]

Love these stories!

A friend had been told that her g grandfather was the illegitimate son of someone from the Bass brewery, and was named Bassey because of this.  Turned out he was registered Thomas Bussey, the legitimate son of a gardener and his wife.

[cati]

Other than 'they came over with the Normans', though, most of my family legends have a grain of distorted truth in them somewhere...

I'll never find out if great great great auntie Eve was'feeble minded' as was thought by my Nan - she's not shown as having any disability on any census return, but then I can just imagine her mum thinking 'That's not anybody's business but ours' - however, as Eve was born when her mum was in her forties, the only illiterate one of her siblings and always lived a t home with her Mum, I wonder if perhaps she was a Downs Syndrome baby... 

[LizzieW]

My grandfather was an orphan and studied music at Keller Hall, although he apparently met my gran at a Manchester college of music.  He was an orphan in that both his parents were dead by the time he was 15, but he gave the impression he was an only child.  Wrong, he had 5 siblings.  Keller Hall have no record of him at all and none of the Manchester colleges of music have a record of either him or my gran!  As he was in the army from age 15 to 20, from where he was discharged to a mental asylum.  He only stayed in 6 weeks and the records only give his date of entry and discharge.  Less than 12 months later he and my gran were married.  So when did either of them have time to be at a music college.

[IMBER]

You don't actually mention it but I guess you are aware that Kneller Hall is where army musicians are trained etc. Just a thought.