wrong impressions

[Viktoria]

I always believed a family member was in The Guards!he was tall and quite imposing and I boasted a bit about it at school. I didn`t know which guards- Grenadier -Welsh- Coldstream -and  it led me up a few false trails in my searches.Eventually-long after he and anyone else who could have put me right had died(why oh why do we leave it too late to ask questions-if onlyI had asked more whilst people were still alive)I found him in the census returns. He was a guard-on the Lancs&Yorks Railway! How are the mighty fallen. Serves me right for boasting.Viktoria

[Roobarb]

He was a guard though Viktoria! Doesn't make him any less a person for being a railway guard. Or any less tall and imposing! Shame about the wild goose chase though 

[patrexjax]

Hello Viktoria, That reminds me of when I first started my search for my roots, a greatgrandfather's occupation on his civil marriage certificate was listed as "chemist"!!!     I searched for a long time trying to find him as a chemist....finally I found him in a census and his occupation there - and in all other censuses -was "chemical laborer"!!!     We never know where our search will lead us - but it certainly keeps the brain cells alive!  Continued success in your quest!  Pat

[indiapaleale]

I always believed a family member was in The Guards!he was tall and quite imposing and I boasted a bit about it at school. I didn`t know which guards- Grenadier -Welsh- Coldstream -and  it led me up a few false trails in my searches.Eventually-long after he and anyone else who could have put me right had died(why oh why do we leave it too late to ask questions-if onlyI had asked more whilst people were still alive)I found him in the census returns. He was a guard-on the Lancs&Yorks Railway! How are the mighty fallen. Serves me right for boasting.Viktoria

Viktoria,
Best laugh I've had all day - well done for finding him though!
I was told my granddad was policeman - turned out he was a ticket inspector on the railway! Policing the tickets I expect!
Cheers,
Indi

[ozlady]

Nana told me that Grandad's grandmother was a Romany. She was born to a Welsh Methodist family in Pontypridd and was a labourer in a local coal mine.

[aghadowey]

I was told that my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather was a sea captain and drowned. Came across his gravestone when looking in an old burying-ground so I got a date for his death. Assumed he died at sea but found his death in the newspaper- drowned in a well behind his house!

[celia]

but found his death in the newspaper- drowned in a well behind his house!

I know i shouldn't have but i just laughed out loud when i read that

Celia

[Daisy Loo]

found his death in the newspaper- drowned in a well behind his house!

Well, I am sorry, but this thread has given me such a laugh tonight!  Thanks ladies...always nice to know that we all have hopes of finding the dreams in our ancestry...still if we brush of the coal dust, shake off the cow dung...bet they were all diamonds underneath!

Voktoria, you certainly have inherited storytelling...couldn't wait to get to the end to see what you found

Viva la "search!"   

[Viktoria]

Hello Daisylou, I got to the end of the search with an enormous amount of help from Rootschat, I w ould never have made the leap from the huge error on the 1891 census to what ought to have been entered, totally different name, birthplace, age a bit out etc, but huge coincidences too which were too great to be ignored and it seems my grandfather ought really to have had a different surname so also my dad and therefore me. Grandad adopted his stepfather`s surname so there have been many wild goose chases or geese chases. You enjoy a laugh so how`s this-it`s on a par with the well drowning -not funny really but but I couldn`t help laughing:-an elderly man died from extensive burns when he set fire to his incontinence underpants whilst smoking., This was reported in The Telegraph on Monday I think , honestly! Viktoria