Found Anyone Famous

[Annie65115]

Started loking at my friend's tree on her behalf at the weekend.

She had a photo of a family gravestone which was a really good lead so we managed to find out within minutes that her gt-grandfather is mentioned by name in Ulysses by James Joyce (Hades chapter)

(He was the dublin coroner!)

[Maggie1895]

My grandfather was Richard Christopher, named for Richard Christopher Mansell, the Uncle who had brought his  Mother up, and so my Gr.Gr.Uncle.

Richard Christopher Mansell (he always used both names) was b.1814 in Liverpool, and a railway engineer heavily involved in the railway boom in Victorian times.  He  had a full time employed post (Locomotive Superintendant of South Eastern Railways) he was also an inventor, and amongst other things held the patent for the Mansell Wheel.

There's a nice picture of a train with one of his engines in 1855 in a book by John Betjeman, and some more detailed information in the Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851.    Some of his engines were 0-4-4 (which means a lot to railway enthusiasts but nothing to me) though I do like his naming them 'Gunboat'.

Sadly though on his Wikipedia entry you learn that 'none of his engines had a distinguished service life'.   Does that mean the wheels have come off my claim to fame?

[moraf]

My late father once got a mention for catching a fish on Grassholme reservoir.

[James R. Yeowell]

Apparently one of my distant cousin's (Dr. Joseph Sampson Gamgee) got mentioned on BBC Radio 4's The Unbelievable Truth yesterday.  I shall listen to it soon myself.  There was also a television programme on ITV that mentioned him once too but I have never seen it.  I also have a copy of The remarkable Gamgees : a story of achievement (1974, Ramsay Head Press), by Ruth D'Arcy Thompson (daughter of Prof. D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, a nephew of Dr. Joseph Sampson Gamgee) which is about the rise of the family from humble farmers to veterinary surgeons and inventors.

My recent research on the Lodington family has (potentially -- I have yet to make the exact link) also linked me to more landed gentry.  Including Hugh Aglionby Shore, 6th Lord Teignmouth (as well as his son, the 7th Lord Teignmouth).

[Maggie1895]

Apparently one of my distant cousin's (Dr. Joseph Sampson Gamgee) got mentioned on BBC Radio 4's The Unbelievable Truth yesterday.  I shall listen to it soon myself.  There was also a television programme on ITV that mentioned him once too but I have never seen it.  I also have a copy of The remarkable Gamgees : a story of achievement (1974, Ramsay Head Press), by Ruth D'Arcy Thompson (daughter of Prof. D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, a nephew of Dr. Joseph Sampson Gamgee) which is about the rise of the family from humble farmers to veterinary surgeons and inventors.

Without wishing in any way to be less than respectful of Dr Gamgee's achievements, I got quite excited when I read that.
For a wonderful moment I thought your family came from Middle Earth and spent a lot of time searching for Rings..

[aghadowey]

More recently, my great-uncle was 1st person to sail around the world single-handed and very famous in his day.
Just read this through and it should be 1st person to twice sail around the world single-handed.

Logged onto Facebook last week and it suggested my great-uncle as a possible 'friend'- complete with a photograph so no doubt it was him- which was a bit of a surprise since he died in 1954
Was much relieved to know a cousin had set up the account

[Isabel H]

As close as I can get is my 4x GGrandfather Richard Wouldhave was on board the frigate Pandora which was sent to the south seas to capture the 25 men who had 'pirated' the Bounty and cast adrift her captain, William Bligh.

 I have a connection to the mutineers! James Morrison, Boatswain's mate on the Bounty, was my 3xg-grandfather's brother. He was tried and found guilty, but later pardoned. He died in Feb. 1807 when he was Master Gunner on Admiral Troubridge's ship HMS Blenheim, which was lost somewhere off Madagascar.
Isabel

[oldtimer]

For a wonderful moment I thought your family came from Middle Earth and spent a lot of time searching for Rings..

You are not far from the truth  Apparantly Dr Gamgee was a friend of Tolkein's, and he borrowed his name for the character!

[colin buckle]

My Gt Gt Uncle was a hangman from 1901 - 1924. Quite a famous one, Crippen was one of those he hung.