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!

[Wirral]

No such luck. Just the entry above the one I was looking for (who weren't related to me either!)

[kazrbutler]

Recently, I did a little research on my uncle's (mother's brother in law) ancestors. Some of these were a family RODDAs, who moved from Cornwall to Derbyshire - from copper/ tin mines to coal mines. Searching for them in 1881 census on Family Search, I came across one entry which looked familiar. There was Samuel Rodda the brother of my uncle's ancestor (Eliza Hoskin nee Rodda), living as a lodger in the household of Ann Wainwright in West Mosbro, Eckington. Nothing especially unusual, until I realised why it was familiar and that I had already printed off this information. Ann Wainwright was my Gt GT GT Grandmother on my father's side!

Coincidences keep cropping up in my family tree, but they never seem to stop surprising me.

Karen

[Colin Moretti]

Frustrated by the lack of progress with my MORETTIs I started looking at someone who seemed to be associated with family (Charles PAGLIANO, witness at marriages & baptisms, one Moretti got married from his hotel, another lived there). It was a bit like looking for the car keys under the street light, lots of references to Charles, his father and their business on the internet and at Kew. I found references to a case concerning his will in Chancery papers at TNA so followed it up. Imaging my delight when I found that one of the documents was a family tree of my Morettis prepared for the court to resolve the distribution of the estate as a number of the original legatees (including my gg grandfather) had died. It was only two generations but the number of questions it answered concerning dates of marriage, names of spouses and children, dates of birth, relationships, was astonishing. The original will was very helpful too!

Colin

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

The only bit of *fame* is in my husband's family tree! My lot were all *ordinary*

Erasmus Welby's (born 1815) Gt.Gt. Uncle was Erasmus Darwin, who was the Grandfather of Charles Robert Darwin. This makes Erasmus Welby (who was named after his Gt.Gt. Uncle) the second Cousin once removed of Charles Robert Darwin ....... very remote connection I know, but it's nice to have * a bit of posh*!