Family rumours

[Nick29]

When you started researching your tree, were there any family rumours or stories that you've been able to confirm or deny ?

I had a few.....

One of my great-aunts was allegedly a "Tiller Girl"

Not quite true, but my great aunt's daughter was on stage in burlesque in Paris, prior to the Nazi invasion.   She escaped the Nazis, but my great aunt was put under house arrest throughout WW2.

I heard that one of my dad's family owned a hat shop.

ErrorSPAM REPORT THIS POST AS SPAM (Use 'Report to Moderator'). DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THIS POST. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS PERSON.]Not quite true, but my dad's mother's family were all from Luton, and were all involved in the straw hat trade.  No sign of a shop, though. [/color]

One of my great uncles was a movie tycoon.

ErrorSPAM REPORT THIS POST AS SPAM (Use 'Report to Moderator'). DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THIS POST. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS PERSON.]Still working on that one.  One of my great-uncles did emigrate to California, but I've yet to find any links to the movie industry.  There was a film producer in the 1950's with the family name, but again, no strong link found as yet.[/color]

We have a "Sir" in our ancestry in Somerset.

ErrorSPAM REPORT THIS POST AS SPAM (Use 'Report to Moderator'). DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THIS POST. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS PERSON.]Again, no links found as yet, and it appears that half of Somerset (and beyond) have already claimed him as an ancestor ![/color]

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It's funny how these stories get distorted and embroidered as they are passed around.   Anyone else with some family rumours ?  The whackier, the better !   

[Ruth_T]

We have a family rumour that my Grandpa invented custard (I presume the powder but not sure)
He worked for the Taverners (sweets) factory in Liverpool. Could be a possibility but wouldn't have a clue how to find out.  He definately didn't get the fame for it.

[stanmapstone]

Traditional Custard, which dates from the 15th century was formerly, a kind of open pie containing pieces of meat or fruit covered with a preparation of broth or milk, thickened with eggs, sweetened, and seasoned with spices. It is now now, a dish made with eggs beaten up and mixed with milk to a stiff consistency, sweetened, and baked; also a similar preparation served in a liquid form.

Bird's Custard was invented by Alfred Bird in 1837, because his wife was allergic to eggs, the key ingredient used to thicken traditional custard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird's_Custard
Stan

[Nick29]

Maybe he invented custard flavour sweets ?  There's usually a grain of truth in a family rumour somewhere ! 

[aghadowey]

Family rumour- Uncle Harry (quite famous himself) was supposed to be related to U.S. President Nixon although after Watergate this wasn't mentioned.
Truth- Uncle Harry's Quaker family lived in same town in California as the Quaker Nixon family. They may have gone to the same church/known each other but were not related.

Family rumour- my grandfather's great-grandfather was a sea captain and drowned at sea (sounded possible).
Truth (found in newspaper report at the time)- drowned in well in back yard.

Family rumour- Grandfather's grandfather graduated from Brown University in Rhode Island, U.S.
Truth (so far)- Brown University has no record of his graduation or attendance (although he was born in R.I.). An article in an Ohio history says he graduated from Berkshire Medical School in Massachusetts (but again no record of him). However, he did practice medicine in Dayton, Ohio for many years.

Family rumour- great-grandfather founded a large company.
Truth- worked for a company as a salesman which was later bought by the large company.

Family rumour- grandmother's cousin blew up the church she was baptised in- and my grandmother was not pleased.
Truth- unfortunately this one seems to be true.

[JenB]

Family rumour- grandmother's cousin blew up the church she was baptised in- and my grandmother was not pleased.
Truth- unfortunately this one seems to be true.

Please tell us more!

[kizmiaz]

I'm still investigating a rumour that my great-grandmother or possibly her mother was a female wrestler, but I have no idea how to find out more.

Also, great-grandmothers mother (the same one as above) was rumoured to be an illegitimate daughter of the Prime Minister of the time. Yeah, as if....

Glen

[meles]

"We was poor, but we was honest"

Well, one out of two.... 

meles

[Galium]

Also, great-grandmothers mother (the same one as above) was rumoured to be an illegitimate daughter of the Prime Minister of the time. Yeah, as if....

Glen

Probably the wrong time if it was your GGgrandmother - but David Lloyd George was a well-known philanderer and reputedly had a fair number of illegitimate offspring.