Who has a surprise connection to an historical figure?

[zetlander]

Sarah Evans (I'm descended from her brother) emigrated to Pennsylvania from Bala North Wales.

In October 1711 she married John Hank.  At some point the family moved to Kentucky.

Sarah and John Hank had a grand-daughter Nancy Hank who married Thomas Lincoln in 1806.

Thomas and Nancy Lincoln were the parents of Abraham Lincoln b 1809.

[Knight-Sunderland]

My great great grandmother was good friends with Stan Laurel. They spoke and wrote to each other regularly, and I was lucky enough to discover copies of the many letters he sent her at this website! www.lettersfromstan.com

I would love to have seen the letters she wrote to him, but no copies exist.

[Creasegirl]

My great aunt Alice lown from throckley married the footballer Joseph waters Spence also from throckley in 1922.  He was a famous Manchester united player from 1919 until 1933.  That must have been like the posh and becks at that time and although easy to get a photo of him I would love to find a photo of her. 

[Gillg]

Very impressed with all these famous connections.  The best i can do is my gt-gt-aunt Martha Fairey, who married one of Queen Victoria's footmen.

[trish1120]

Iris Murdoch is my second Cousin although born 37 years before me!

Very few people would know her Grandparents married in New Zealand 1888.
(Wills John Hughes Murdoch/Louisa Shaw) I have the M/C.
Iris's Father Hugh was born 26 April 1890 • Thames, New Zealand


Louisa was my Grandmothers Sister.

Quote;
ONE day in 1888, on the North Island of New Zealand, a runaway horse with an alarmed and excited girl on its back galloped into Wills Hughes Murdoch's view. He was twenty-seven years old, and had been quietly tending his sheep. He managed to race after the horse, to jump out and grab the reins, calm and finally stop it. The girl, Louisa Shaw, who was on her way to school, was that November to be his bride. She was only seventeen when they married.

Trish

[cati]

I am distantly related to Jane Lane (1626 - 1689), who helped the future Charles II escape after the Battle of Worcester - a connection which I wasn't aware of until I began to volunteer at a National Trust property where Charles hid...

And I recently discover that Ronnie Reed, who was a member of MI5 and ran double agents during the Second World War (including Agent Zigzag),is also related - a fifth cousin.

Cati

[River Tyne Lass]

My Mother told me she once polished the shoes of Henry Ford's Grandson. She was working 'in service' for a Lady Rose Baring (as I recall in Kent) before she (my Mother) married in 1936.  She said this man came down to the kitchen to ask if someone would polish his shoes for him.  She said his feet were huge and that he gave her a very big tip.

[River Tyne Lass]

Another tenuous link to fame

.. Owen Brannigan - opera singer

My Dad and his family lived in Annitsford when he was growing up and knew the Brannigans.

Family story is that when my Grandfather was on his death bed (1932) my Dad tried to persuade the local priest to come out and give the last rites.  The priest refused as he did not believe my Grandfather was dying. Dad was very upset about this but Owen Brannigan's Father told him not to worry he would 'make' the priest come out.  Eventually, the priest was persuaded to come out but it was too late.  Grandfather had passed away.

[MaxD]

My maternal great grandmother Matilda Belton nee Ball was employed in 1901 as a cook to Bramwell Booth, son of the founder of the Salvation Army and at the time Chief Staff Officer, later succeeding his father as General of the SA.

MaxD