Introducing your Family History research into everyday conversation

[louisa maud]

OK Martin, missed that one, perhaps a bit early !!!

My husbands aged aunts always said they were related to a much better side of the family with the same surname, not "working class",  2 Sirs, so having gone to Carlisle to research this wealthy side I discovered they were not related, so now the aged aunts don't ask and if I mention anything I just watch the glazed  look and then I switch off.

Louisa Maud

[Mart 'n' Al]

Louisa, I never understand snobbishness in ancestry.  It's only a chance of birth after all, isn't it?  I like all the black sheep I've unearthed.  My favourite, not a black sheep, is a Victorian lamplighter in Marylebone.  I think that is special.

Martin

[louisa maud]

Martin
I am inclined to think if anyone does a decent days work and earns a reasonable living in hard times I commend them, my father was always partially blind till he was finally registered    blind when he was about 48 ish I think, he worked till he was 70 with only 2 years off after he was made redundant in 1958 from the United dairies, they mechanized and had no need for a groom, they sadly had to let him go after 6 weeks as there wasn't a suitable job for him, he had a glowing reference

Have unearthed some fascinating things which sometimes have given lots of people something to talk about and I always tell them if they are shocked that we cannot change history, we have to accept warts and all as they say

LM

[coombs]

One relative have sneered at the Scottish line in the family, saying that has worn off by now. Sorry but it hasn't. It makes up part of your DNA no matter how far back. I also have French Huguenot ancestry and love the fact some of my ancestors were from the continent, and long, long after 1066. One came over in 1752, among the last of the Huguenots to arrive.

[hell o]

I tell them my gran was "boarded-out" by her mother at age 7yrs, never saw her again. My research found out why? My great grandmother was a prostitute - and a good one, running a brothel at age 22yrs, despite being from a decent background.  She was in Duke Street Women's Prison in the 1911 census, and went to Canada in 1922 where she continued her profession.  My gran died long before I started my family history, from having no family to over 100 direct descendants.

[River Tyne Lass]

Welcome to Rootschat hell o,

Interesting post you have put on and I am sure this would be a good conversation starter on the topic of family history research.  After a time, it is certainly fascinating to discover 'colourful ancestors' when doing family history.  I certainly have my share of these too.  My most 'colourful' story is of two blood-line ancestors who were charged with the murder of their landlady.  This story was covered in lots of local and national newspapers of the time 1855-1856 and was referred to as the 'Matfen Murder'.  However, fortunately they were acquitted after always declaring their innocence.  I believe they were innocent too.

I also have a Grandmother who died early middle age before I or any of her other now numerous descendants were born. 

 

[clayton bradley]

My sister's husband recently announced he was a cousin of Dixon of Dock Green. I researched it and came to the conclusion that he couldn't be, if the trees online for the actor are correct. I assume his family thought as they had the same surname they must be related.

[Mart 'n' Al]

Does she mean related to Jack Warner, the actor who played Sgt Dixon?

I used to love DoDG, straight after Dr Who on Saturday evenings.

As my surname is WATSON I was delighted to find that my GGF, James Sedcole Watson, had a brother, William Holmes Watson.  I loved the Holmes-Watson joke, until I realised that it was just a bizarre coincidence as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was only nine when William was born.

Martin

[angelfish58]

The object of any conversation is to see how quickly you can get around to discussing Mornington Crescent! It always helps if you do have relatives who came from there.

Martin

I like an "in", so using the above I could say "My second cousin twice removed was called Mornington Mansell, his sister, Margaret, married my husbands great uncle Horace, and the couple were my late father in laws god parents"
I bet some of you have glazed over after that.