Family Tree

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

I've told the joke my Family Tree only goes back three Generations, because my Grandad was a Lumberjack. However after watching Who Do You Think You Are? I thought wouldn't it be interesting, to find out about my Family Tree. So to that End I employed a Genealogist, one Doctor Tom Cobblers who came up with the Following Interesting Facts about, some of my Ancestors. I had nothing to do with any of these facts about my Family Tree, so the Work described here is all Cobblers.

1066. One of my Ancestors was first on the scene when King Harold Got an Arrow in his eye. His advice to the King ? Keep blinking 'H' it'll work it's way out.

During the War with Napoleon, one of my Ancestors was on a Ship which was captured by the French. The Emperor himself questioned the Crew. He declared that the British should surrender and let him rule Britain  because he would beat any British Force. To which my Ancestor became the first person to use the term Oh Yeah, You And Who's Army?

That same Ancestor remained a French P.O.W  for a few years, and in fact married a French Woman. Their eldest Son became a Famous French Chef, who invented Gravy. I found this very interesting. Really I said one of my Ancestors invented Gravy. Oh Yes said Dr Cobblers I'm sure you've heard of the Count of Monte Bisto.

On my Mother's side there is Scottish ancestry and one of her Ancestors emigrated to America, where he became a Famous Red Indian Fighter. Hawkeye the Nu.

This last Fact I find the most Interesting. Have you heard about the Football Match which took place between English and German Soldiers on Christmas Day 1914, during World War I ?

The Final Score was 1-1. However my Great Grandad thought he had scored a late Winner only for it to be disallowed, just before the Big Guns started firing again. He swore till his Dying Day he wasn't Off Side claiming there were at least Two German  Soldier Defenders Level With Him.

Well there you have it my fellow PON Members,, if you're thinking about doing your Family Tree, go ahead and Do It, you can find out some interesting things about Your Past.

 

[Chris]

Jokes aside.

My sister-in-law, @Harrys_Mummy has done a lot of tracing of the family tree. It's something I am curious about, as @cheeky~k8's brother created a family map and was sharing it with everyone during our visit. They're very interesting, I always wondered about my dad's side.

I didn't know my grandfather had a then living brother until I attended the funeral and wake.

He was a very friendly person, like a bigger brother to my dad (Super has said). He reminded me a bit of Fred Elliott out of Corrie. Just not as repetitive, but fairly loudly spoken. Very funny, I wished I had known him better.

[TheSkipper]

Supposedly, one of my far distant relatives was a “Sea Dog” who fought against the Spanish Armada. My parents have his portrait in the hallway leading to the kitchen. I always had “Goonies” vibes when I saw it. I would joke when I was younger that he looked like a pirate in fancier dress and wondered if he had buried any treasure like One-Eyed Willie.

[liampie]

the sea dogs is an interesting subject and how they attacked rival nations ships, just to steal their goods, its something that helped the united kingdom but is also different, that a queen who is supposed to hate pirates actually encouraged her commanders to attack and basically be pirates.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@Chris

The Topic I've written is meant to be just for a laugh, on a Serious Note I've in the past traced my Family Tree, well branches of it I've only done my direct line (excluding Aunts and Uncles and Brothers and Sisters and their Partners and children e.tc) Because that takes up one hell of a time. There is some truth in the above jokey Family Tree that being, my Mum does have Scottish Ancestry (Not sure about Red Indian Fighters).

My study of Coats of Arms and Heraldry (which I wrote about in another Topic on PON) started my interest in finding out about my Family's past, and if you have the time doing the research yourself when you find out something it's an Amazing and Satisfying Feeling, much better that paying some Online company vast amounts of money to do all the work for you. Admittedly Online sites can be helpful, if you become stuck at a certain point as Census  only go back to a certain date. If your Grandfather or Great Grandfather served in the Armed Forces during the World Wars, their service records can be read usually Free of Charge on the Regiment in which they served on the Regiments Website. 

Birth Marriage and Death Certificates, are a Good Start, but an Elderly Living Relative Grandparents, Aunts Uncles E.tc. are Goldmine of Information. Unfortunately by the the time most people who become interested in their Family Tree, those Relatives have Sadly Passed Away.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@TheSkipper

Wow that certainly sounds like it may be worth pursuing, an Ancestor who fought the Spanish Armada, however it would be one huge task confirming it or even going about it, the only thing I could suggest is getting in touch with the Royal Navy Records, but I doubt even their Records would go back that far. As for the Portrait in your Parents hallway if you take it to an Antique Dealer they should have an expert on board who could date the Paining for you. There maybe opposition to that suggestion, as Most Families have some sort of Story about an Ancestor who way back in the Mists of time who did something Brave or outstanding or was a member of some Ship's Crew who fought the Spanish or French or any other Sea faring Nation and they have No Wish to know the Truth, such as the Portrait which hangs on their wall was painted in the Victorian Times and Not in the 1580's. They much Prefer the Story which as been Past Down through the Generations.

[Chris]

56 minutes ago, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

@Chris

The Topic I've written is meant to be just for a laugh, on a Serious Note I've in the past traced my Family Tree, well branches of it I've only done my direct line (excluding Aunts and Uncles and Brothers and Sisters and their Partners and children e.tc) Because that takes up one hell of a time. There is some truth in the above jokey Family Tree that being, my Mum does have Scottish Ancestry (Not sure about Red Indian Fighters).

Aye, I got that.

I didn't have anything to add, other than I do think looking up your family tree for real can be interesting.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@liampie

Nah I'm Sorry Mate You Got It All Wrong. Queen Elizabeth I  (for it was she who gave permission for English, Not the UK, for the UK was still made up of the independent Nations of England Scotland and Ireland. Wales was considered part of England ) Sailors to capture Spanish Ships and return their cargo to England, where the Crown took a percentage of their Booty/Loot. The Queen stated they were in fact Buccaneers ( which sounds much Nicer Than Pirates don't yer think?)

[Robbie]

@liampie

@Wheelbarrow repair man

The Spanish were stealing treasures from the indigenous people of central America & the West Indies such as the Aztecs & the Incas in central America 

During this period the Spanish were basically at War with England, remember the Armada.

Stolen treasure was being brought to Spain to finance the Spanish military to threaten England.

Privateers were under the Queens Commission & some of them were commissioned to attack Spanish commerce to prevent that treasure getting to Spain.

Famous English privateers were 

Sir John Hawkins

Sir Francis Drake

Sir Martin Frobisher 

Sir Richard Grenville 

Grenville died a hero in 1591 fighting the Spanish fleet despite overwhelming odds so English ships could escape.

These Privateers were not pirates in the literal sense, they were an important part of the English Navy at the time 

You have to remember that the French, Dutch and later the Americans had privateers too.

American privateers attacked British shipping during the American revolution.

A famous American Privateer was John Paul Jones.