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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: portybelle on Thursday 24 March 11 22:29 GMT (UK)
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Family legend has my husband's family related to the famous Grace Darling but I've got a bit stuck trying to prove it.
I have a death record for Janet Park (ms Darling) who died in 1905 aged 80 in the district of Maryhill, Lanark. Her parents are listed as William Darling (mason) and Sarah Darling ms Docherty. This puts her born at about 1825 with her parents possibly around 1800.
I know William Darling is a common name in Grace Darling's family and am pretty sure that this one is not either of her brothers from looking at a genealogy I found online.
So I'm wondering if he may have been a cousin?
But can't find anything else on William and Sarah so am a at a dead end. It would be good to be able to say one way or the other whether my husband can claim famous blood in his ancestry!
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Grace Darling's father was a lighthouse keeper
The 1841 census for Northumberland has 174 entries for the surname Darling whilst the Scottish 1841 has 682 entries so it was not an uncommon surname
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The only way ( I can see) is a step by step approach. You need to establish when and where Janet was born. Get a copy of her baptism to confirm her parentage (just because they are named on her Scottish death certificate doesn't necessarily mean they are right) . Then look for any other children of the marriage, look for the marriage of the parents and there ages. Find out where they are born etc etc
In short what I am saying is its a long haul and not helped that by having a quick look at the Grace Darling trees on the web I can see a lot have some fundamental mistakes.
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i had the same problem a while back but was lucky and did find that link - my female ancestor married graces brother Robert. the info that helped me was i knew the occupation of the brides father and this proved to be crucial.
i wsa chuffed because i was not actually looking into the Darling family at all - i came across the marriage by accident and was shocked to see who the husband was!!
Diddy ;D
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Unortunately all I have to go on is Janet Park's death certificate. I haven't been able to find her birth/christening or any more details on her parents. Was just hoping someone else might have been looking into the line and recognise the names of William and Sarah (ms Docherty) darling.
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There are a couple of trees on ancestry that say she (Janet Darling) is born circa 1828 at Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
For her father William the 1841 and 1851 census differ as to whether he is born in Ireland (41) or Glasgow (51). Either way that would not appear to tie in with Grace's father or grandfather.
So if there is a connection it could be of quite distant cousins.
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Thanks for looking that up - looks like the family legend could be just that then!!
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for info:
grace Darlings father William b. 7/2/1786 belford Nbld d. 1865 bamburgh = Thomasin Horsley
Williams father: Robert Darling b 11/3/1746 Duns, berwickshire d. 1815 farne islnds = Elizabeth Clark
Diddy
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Hi
I too have a family "legend" that we were related to Grace Darling.
I did find the ancestor who had the surname Darling (i.e. Agnes Darling b: 1803 Lumsden, Berwickshire who moved to Chester-le-Street, Durham with her husband Alexander Forsyth, but that is as far as it goes.
I think everyone just wanted to jump on the "band wagon" and as you say, it is just that, a legend.
Mo
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I have recently found out I am related to grace darling on my grandmothers side she's a great aunt a few times over of my grandmas I'm doing my family tree and I have no clue were to place her its actually hurting my brain lol
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I have recently found out I am related to grace darling on my grandmothers side she's a great aunt a few times over of my grandmas I'm doing my family tree and I have no clue were to place her its actually hurting my brain lol
That's great that you've found a real link and not just a family legend! Good luck putting it all together.
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I have recently found out I am related to grace darling on my grandmothers side she's a great aunt a few times over of my grandmas I'm doing my family tree and I have no clue were to place her its actually hurting my brain lol
How far have you managed to get back? What names do you have (without mentioning anyone living)?
Mo
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our family are connected through the Morell family. There is a brooch that belonged to Grace Darling that was handed from eldest niece to eldest niece - After my great aunt had it it was to come to my mother then to her eldest niece, my cousin on mum's demise. Sadly the bequest was not followed through from my great aunts family.
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My GGGrandmother was, allegedly, Grace Darling's cousin. In the beginning I knew nothing about names or locations but have managed to trace lineage back to the point where the two girls were contemporaries in locations that were just a few miles apart and almost certainly knew each other. Grace was in Bamburgh and my ggGrandmother was in Detchant near Belford at the same time. Grace gave my ggGrandmother an artefact from the Forfarshire which is still in the family. I have never managed to make the final link between the families but have several examples of the Darlings and Swans (ggGrandmother's family) on neighbouring farms and in each others houses on censuses.
The definitive work on the Darling tree is attributable to John Elkin and is available, or used to be, on this link. Maybe it will help you.
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.elkin/darling001.htm#grace
Grace died young without issue so there are no direct descendants. Connections with her tend to be rather convoluted, as I have discovered.
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Slightly off Topic but during the summer we were on holiday in the Northeast and went on a birding trip to the Farne Islands and the captain of the ship was telling the story of Grace Darling, but because of the noise of the waves I thought he was talking about grey starlings. True story.
Martin
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http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=785196.0
Perhaps you might find it helpful to contact the lady who started this thread.
She was trying to help out a descendant of James Darling a sibling of Grace.
You never know, since you and this descendant are connected to Grace you possibly might be able to help each other out.