Exciting genealogical finds!

[clarefmshaw]

Has anyone found anyone or anything !TRULY EXCITING! in their genealogical searches - ie someone who was famous/infamous?! Or just something wildly unexpected?!

Probably a bit of New Year gloom, but I've just felt strangely glum about my ancestry (other than a couple of naughty grandfathers - army desertion/bigamy......)

best wishes
Clare

[Burrow Digger]

Other than the fact that Paul McDonald, one of New Zealand's Olympic canoeists at the 1984 Olympics who several won gold medals, is distantly related to my family only by marriage, no I havent found anyone of interest.

Two of Paul's uncles married two of my fathers cousins.

BD

[RichardMarcJ]

George Bernard Shaw is distantly related to my family through a couple marriages.

[clarefmshaw]

George Bernard Shaw is distantly related to my family through a couple marriages.

Wow! you lucky person.....believe it or not, I've always dreamed of being related to G B Shaw (only because of my surname and an Irish family connection).....

[Wirral]

Just found today in 1851 census, living in Shipston on Stour, Worcs:

Robert Strong, head, widr, 57, Cordwainer, Worcs. Shipston on Stour
Mary Strong, sister, wid, 73 Worcs. Shipston on Stour
David Duford, cousin, unmarried, 80, income from French Government, London, insane

I'd love to know the story behind that!

[clarefmshaw]

Just found today in 1851 census, living in Shipston on Stour, Worcs:

Robert Strong, head, widr, 57, Cordwainer, Worcs. Shipston on Stour
Mary Strong, sister, wid, 73 Worcs. Shipston on Stour
David Duford, cousin, unmarried, 80, income from French Government, London, insane

I'd love to know the story behind that!

blooming heck Wirral! Presumably this is a relative!

[Mutley]

Just found today in 1851 census, living in Shipston on Stour, Worcs:

David Duford, cousin, unmarried, 80, income from French Government, London, insane

I'd love to know the story behind that!

Mad dogs and English men go out .........

[JohnMorrisonIOM]

In doing my research on my Grandmother, I came acroos this one.
It's a mouthful, My GG Aunt's Husband's Grandmother' first husband, apparently killed his first wife with a red hot poker.... AND got away with it!!
Still trying to track down the details.
His name was John Cowx, bn around 1780 in Cumberland but moved to Ballaugh in the Isle of Man.
I haven't yet managed to find out the name of the wife he is supposed to have killed.

[GillC]

My only claim to fame as far as my ancestors is - my Grandfathers great uncle is a Yorkshire Cricketer called George Ulyett. He played in the "Ashes" game, with W G Grace, that was so bad it caused the ashes to be. In fact he was the highest english run scorer on the test.
He was also porported to be the cricketer to have created the "yorker ball" - because of his unusual bowling technique.
So if anyone else is related to him - they may well be related to me............ cool eh

[Ledganteast]

That is an incredible link.


"His sister Mary, "worn down to a state of extreme nervous misery by attention to needlework by day and to her mother at night", was seized with acute mania and stabbed her mother to the heart with a table knife. With the help of friends he succeeded in obtaining his sister's release from what would otherwise have been lifelong imprisonment, on the condition that he take personal responsibility for her safekeeping."