General Chat

Think the one that fascinates me most is Harriet Hiscock, born c. 1818 on Bell Island, Newfoundland. She is reported to have been disowned by her family when she married great great granddad Owen Stentiford in 1845. They later moved back to Owen's home area of Devon, UK. Read more about her under George Hiscock Stentiford, Issue 7 at www(.)Stentiford(.)org

i dont think mine is as interesting as yours maggie mine is more of a mystery never got chance to ask the man himself but my dad was born john mchugh then his mum and dad got married so he was john hurtley that was done offically he was re reg then when he married my mum he was william sharp so i wonder am i really a mchugh a hurtley or a sharp. jackie

Jackie, That certainly does sound like a mystery - have a friend who has a similar problem - his father was born a West, but Grandad West died young, and Grandma married a Mr Smith. Son West was renamed Smith - and all his descendents are Smith - but by rights they should all be Wests!! (Names changed to protect privacy of living "Smiths"!!). Have you any chance of finding out why your Dad suddebly became a "Sharp"? Did he change his name by deed poll? My other two interesting ladies both had children out of wedlock - one of my great grandmas had three children before she married great granddad - no reason to think that the children she had before she married him are his. Another great great grandma had my great grandma out of wedlock, and then went on to marry many years later - again, no reason to think that the man she married fathered the children - which leaves me with a great big brick wall where great great granddad should be!! Best option seems to be to check parish registers - and also the census for Little Torrington in Devon in 1861 to see if there any likely candidates!! Georgina Greek was born c1862 to Elizabeth Greek in Little Torrington. Hope you solve your mystery - it must be bugging you.

Newfoundland is on the extreme eastern side of Canada - parts of it have recently been buried under very large quantities of snow!! Can't wait to visit newly found 6th cousin there - also icebergs, whale watching and puffins - to name but a few of the attractions!!

Hi Maggie, It's got to be my mum's grandmother Margaret Lynch. She was a bareback rider in a circus (although it's hard to believe if you see the size of her in photos from later in life). Just for good measure, she may or may not have been born in Ireland, her real name may not have been Lynch, her father (the splendidly-named Joseph Thomas Patrick Lynch) may not have really been her father and she claimed to have had 13 children including two sets of twins (although we only know of four children in total). She was also a fine singer and met my great grandfather through working in the music hall. She used to sing at Shepherd's Bush and would come home late at night too drunk to stand and bang around in the kitchen making food. Rumour has it that is was unwise to try to talk to her in this state !! Shame I never got to meet her ! Rick.

so I've been told, my great uncle was Frank Swift the footballer. he played for manchester city then retired to become a reporter and died in the munich air crash. I can only vaguely remember my dad telling me and as I've only just started researching my family, I haven't got there yet to confirm it. Elaine

Rick, Sounds like quite a lady!!!!! Always wished I could have known my Grandma when she was young, but as far as I know, her life was nothing like as interesting as your Margaret!! All, Guess all these stories are why we do family history rather than just family trees - don't you just wish we could time travel and go back and meet some of them - and ask them the burning questions we have about their relations!!!!!!

The ancestor who is the most interesting to me is the one who started my interest in genealogy. I found a piece of paper folded in a picture frame at my grans house about 10 years ago. All I could see was the word 'heaviest'. I opened it up and found the following. I didn't recognise the name, there is no date, didn't even know if he was a relation. eventually I found 2 newspaper articles about him. He is my Gx6 grandfather, who died in 1842. DEATH OF THE HEAVIEST MAN IN ENGLAND Died on the 17th inst., after a short illness, Mr. Henry FLOYD, Bricklayer, aged 47. Deceased was well known from his having within the last few years attained such an enormous bulk as to become an object of curiosity and astonishment. Although his weight exceeded 32 stone of 14lbs., he rode about in his cart with apparent ease, attended to his business & was a constant attendant at Church (where a new pew had been made on purpose for him) until within a week of his death. He was a shrewd & intelligent man, good natured, & much respected. The corpse was removed from his house on Friday last, a large opening having been made in the wall below the bedroom window so as to let the coffin , which was of an immense size slide down some planks with ropes. It was then conveyed to the grave on a truck drawn by a number of men, followed by his family & friends., & it is supposed that there were at least 2000 persons at the funeral. So much time was necessarily employed in removing the body from the house that the turnpike road was completely blocked up, & the ‘Rocket’ coach & other vehicles were obliged to go up a back lane. The deceased was nearly 6 ft tall in height & was well formed, His coffin was 7ft. in length, which with the shell contained 200ft. of inch board., it was 3 ft. in breadth & nearly 2ft. 6in. in depth Deceased was there can be no doubt the heaviest man in England. It was a heavy family Mrs. Floyd, wife of the above weighing 218lbs. Mrs. Powell her daughter 206, Mrs. Hawker, also a daughter, 173. Total weight of the family of four persons 1040 lbs.

Maggie, What a find!! ....and what a popular bloke!! That cutting really brings him to life!! Maggie

I have two: One ended up a Sir The other one was a habitual criminal, who at the age of 18 it was probably suggested he joined the forces. He joined the 17th Lancers (Death or Glory Boys) served in Ireland, was involved with the Zulu war etc. etc., he was continually in prison during his service eventually being discharged for various medical reaons. He then marries my g grandmother, has a daughter then disappears one month later, where he went no one knows probably in prison yet again, (it is reported he was a bigamist, not proven, but suspect), he then reappears seven years later in a street brawl in which his father is killed, not his fault I hasten to add, then he disappears for a further two years. He eventually moves to Canada in 1907/08, with his family and when the 1914/18 war broke out he tries to enlist by dying his hair (not very successfully I am told) by this time he is 58/59 years old. He was from information I have a very colourful character who loved life.

The distant cousin I met last year is an archeological illustrator, a deep sea diver, and has been a journalist. Has led the most varied life and travels the world, have even seen a spread about her in National Geographic magazine! And a lovely person to boot!! Steph

Heard not long ago that we are ALL related to one woman from Africa whose genes can be found in all of us !! 1

My most interesting is an apothecary called Thomas Haines in the mid 1700's Had 11 children (9 of them and his first wife seem to have disapeared off the planet!). He remaried and his second wife died 3 years after marrying him!!!!!!! Can't find death records but you would think that some one who was basically a chemist would not have such a sickly family - my sister thinks he was experimenting on them!!!