If you have traced your family history?

Question

has anyone found out that they are related to anybody famous?

I know it's a bit personal, please don't offend me if you don't want to answer.

Answer 1

Hey Spiro,

I can go back to William the Conqueror, FAIRLY reliable. I have DNA back that ties other researchers to my researched surnames, at the time of the Mayflower around 1620. Those people are famous in a historic way. My Washburn ancestors came to the US around 1629, and are decendant from William.

In my FUN file, I have Charlemange, and Cleopatra - hope there were no jesters in there.

Answer 2

Yes, actually.

I am the seventh cousin twice removed of Laura Ingalls Wilder. My ancesters settled the Hudson valley in New York and were the original settlers of Sleepy Hollow. In fact, I'm a descendent of the original Knickerbocker family. One old document I came across listed the birth place as "Breuckelen" aka Brooklyn.

On my Mom's side I've traced my genealogy to William Brewster (head dude on the Mayflower), Edward Longshanks (the villian of Braveheart), Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, all the way back to Charlemagne. I don't know if I trust the documents that trace Charlemagne back to Mark Antony--but it's good dinner conversation.

Answer 3

70% of the people in the world with English, French, German, Swiss, BeNeLux or northern Italian roots can get to Charlemagne if they keep digging. The normal route is through a supposedly royal bastard child. Once you get to the S. R. B. C. you get to be related to half the crowned heads of Europe at the time and everyone back before them.

In my case, the SRBC is William Longspee, Earl of Salisbury, 1176 - 1225, one of Henry II's 100 or so illigetimate offspring. I always say this about the connection:

As an example of how far you can take genealogy, one branch of our family is supposed to go back to Charlemagne, Emperor of the West and King of the Franks. The chain depends on 1,200 years of record keeping, through fire, flood, worms, the fury of the Norsemen and the Black Plague. In one place our royal blood depends on a lady who worked in a castle, came up pregnant without a husband, and told her parents it was the King.

Well, let's see. Assume you are in that lady's situation. You can approach HRH and say coyly "Oh, you royal stallion, you've done it again." If the child is a boy and looks like him, the king may make him an earl, and you can live out your days in an upstairs suite in your son's country manor, with a maid. On the other hand, if you tell the hulking young assistant gardener that you have to get married, you'll end up living in a hut at the foot of the Royal Onion Patch, cooking for a man who washes his feet every other month. Some women are practical.

I told my kids not to give themselves airs.

Answer 4

I have researched my family history back to 15th Century on Genes ReUnited and I found out I was distantly related to 2 very famous brothers who ran the East End of London!

Answer 5

Sitting on my desk next to my computer screen are two volumes of my family history. Volume one covers from 1629 to 1898 volume 2 covers 1898 to 1998. In these pages are engineers, sailors, horse thieves, statesmen, pioneers, soldiers, and just about every other thing you can imagine. There are some that were quite notable figures in their time and for some time after as well. There is one (still living) who for some unfathomable reason runs for president every election on the prohibition ticket.(seriously there is such a thing in the state he lives in.. such an embarassment.. sighs..)
This only covers the lineage on Dad's side of the family. There have been golden gloves champs, and a lot of railroad men in the line.
Some might even be considered famous within their relative fields of endeavor.. but so far no dictators, popes or conquerors..

Answer 6

I haven't managed to find any famous links,but I have discovered that three of my ancestors were transported to Tasmania in the 1800s!Having a few 'Villains' has certainly made my research that bit more fascinating.
I also found out one of my fore-fathers was a pretty wealthy private physician/surgeon..shame the 'wealth' didn't get passed down though..some 'swine' of a Solicitor swindled my Great-Gran out of it all!
Another was a Vicar & two were Master Mariners..What a combination eh!!

Answer 7

I went on Ancestry.com. It's a descent site. I learned a lot about my ancestors who came to America 300 years ago. Then I was able to pull up the census figures from 1790 to 2000, which confirmed much of what I learned via Ancestry.com. I learned I am related to Henry VIII. And I uncovered a huge scandal from the 1870s that was really something! My poor Mother was mortified, lol.

Answer 8

I even have been tracing my relatives history for over two decades.so which you may have an prolonged job beforehand of you. there are such quite some seek engines on the internet to help you hit upon issues out. i individually have stumbled on Genes Re-united an extremely good source, Curious Fox is yet another. 1901 census and all the different Census, on locate my previous is yet another one. All relatives tree web content with inform you first of all your nearest and dearest and glean as lots information from them as achieveable. it fairly is totally costly in case you enable it fairly is. yet maximum folk will help out the place they are in a position to .I even have met some very advantageous human beings in my travels and found out some appealing issues.i wish you relish it as much as I even have .I even have 1092 in my tree now. From small beginnings and all that.If there is any way i will help i will.

Answer 9

Yes, I found out I'm related to Thomas Hardy, John Bunyan and David Duchovny. What a mix!

Answer 10

Turner, the painter, was related in some way. The first mention of someone with my surname that I know of in this country was in the 1086 Domesday Book. He was chief herald to William the Conqueror