Have you traced your family tree and if so, what interesting facts have you found?

Question

My great-great-great grandfather Henry Wagstaff founded the well known Tui Brewery in New Zealand in 1889!

Answer 1

Israel Church Anthony was a privateer during the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812, I forget which.   That, of course, was legal p****y sanctioned by the government.  

Until my little brother came along, Susan B. Anthony was the last member of my family who spent time in jail.  Her crime:  voting.

There's a painting in the Capitol building of George Washington, Light Horse Harry Lee and one of the Tilghmans of Virginia (relation) painted by one of my Anthony ancestors.  

There's tons more, but that's enough.

Answer 2

Yes.  It turns out that I am not only the real king of England but also Emperor of the whole world and the known universe.

I have approached the current "Royal family" with my evidence and they all agree that it is genuine and are going to vacate Buck house within 28 days.

They say that they are all very sorry for using my royal previliges and have promised not to do it again.

Answer 3

I haven't had it traced, but my dad said my grandpa was part Cherokee, and my great great grandpa had red hair.

Answer 4

All Brits I'd assumed then in 1683 I have an ancestor called Beniamin Bourgoyne who married a Gatherude Rue in South Devon.

In 1829, a 3x Gt. Uncle, William Colley, was found guilty of the theft of £200 in Promisory Notes at Taunton Assizes; he was sentenced to death, but for some reason transported to Oz on the ship Claudine II (I have a full description of him) and sent to work on a small holding called "Cliefden" in the Wellington Valley.

My 2x maternal Gt. grandfather was a "Barge Captain" in 1851 (wonder where I got my love of boats and canals?) who also emigrated to Oz in the 1860's as a Free Settler and lived in Campertown, Sydney.

A friend at College, who used to arrive in a chauffeur-driven "Bristol" car, daughter of a Sir ----- ------- and Lady ------ turned out to be a cousin (we are side by side on the Family Tree).  I cycled to College!

My 10th cousin's mother was a cousin of Lady Di (that must make me about 10 millioneth in line to the Throne!)

I have a copy of a Government report in which an ancestor was interviewed at the age of 13; he'd worked as a coal haulier for 4 years doing an 8-hour shift 6 days a week. Walked 4 miles to the pit and 4 miles home.

I have an ex Leader of the Liberal Party on my Tree

My Aunt was murdered at the age of 80.

Answer 5

In 1302 my ancestors were benefactors of Castledermot Franciscan Abbey, Ireland.

Answer 6

I think it would be a good idea for all of us to become Trevor's newest best friends.

Party at Trev's in 29 days!!!

Hope to see  ya'll there!!

Answer 7

My moms great great great grandfather married his first cousin.

Answer 8

I can trace my father's side all the way back to William the Conquerer.  So very interesting!  I have little snips of information and stories about my tree as well.  I had an Aunt that was the only survivor of an Indian massacre.

Answer 9

I never knew that I had ancestors who fought in the Civil War, before tracing my genealogy I really wasn't sure that my ancestry in the U.S. even went back that far.

Answer 10

Interesting question.

My uncle traced our family tree back to 1600s and found that we are related to Sir Henry Morgan a well known privateer. This is kind of like a legit pirate but working for a country’s government taking ships from the spanish. This was back in the mid 1600s. we also found relatives who had served in the Napoleonic wars back in the early 1800s real interesting stuff.

Answer 11

My wife's family seems to be related to Sir Anthony Eden, the late Prime Minister

Answer 12

OMG! I'll drink to that!!!!

we were imigrant sailors...heheh....from Ireland!

Answer 13

Traced it all the way back to William the Conk. It's where the family got our big noses.

Answer 14

I found two babies in the baptism register that the rest of the brothers and sisters had never been told about.  They died as babies, and it was never talked about afterwards.

Answer 15

A distant ancestor of mine is William the Conqueror.

MY civil war ancestor died after being shot in the knee and refused any medical help because he didn't trust doctors.

I am distantly related to eleven different presidents of the united states including the fattest one of all, William Howard Taft.

My great grandfather ran away from home when he was 8 and went from England to America completely alone.

Answer 16

Yes, I have found out that my gt. gt. grandpa, Edward Ward went to Richmond, Virginia in 1868 and died,aged 44 in the famous "Capitol Disaster" of 1870 when a courthouse collapsed and killed about 65 people and maimed 250!

He was from England,but was not able to be transported home, but was buried at the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond the next day.

He was buried along side Confederate Officers who died in the Civil War! I have also found out that he went into the building to save  someone,but that person got out and my grandpa died.

Perhaps the American people new that and that is why he is buried with good company-I hope so anyway!!

He left a wife and 5 children who returned to England.