I’m related to Jefferson Davis through my mom’s family, but it’s a pretty tenuous connection, I think. Her maiden name was Davis, and there’s a lot of them in the south, I’m told. I’m also related to a US vice president somehow, but I don’t remember which one. We used to have a print somewhere when I was a kid, and all I knew is that it was # 18, or something like that. I don’t remember his name, or the president he served under.
TV Time, were your horse thief ancestors from County Cork back in Ireland? You might be related to my wife! That’s her father’s claim to famous ancestors, at least.
I’m a direct descendant of King Edward II of England, his gay lover Hugh le Despencer, his Queen Isabella, and her lover Roger Mortimer.
I also have a father-and-son pirate team, several vikings, one Kuman warlord, a nazi war criminal, several canonized saints, and one guy who used to murder monks, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and there ran through the streets half-naked while his servants spanked him with whips, all the while screaming for God to forgive him. Yikes!
Hiya, cousin. I’m a several x nephew on General Lee’s on my mom’s side.
On my dad’s side, we’re descended from Jean Lafitte, the famous pirate of the Gulf of Mexico who helped turn the tide against the British Navy during the War of 1812. The line of descent actually follows from Jean’s brother Pierre, but he’s far lesser known.
Uh… I’m from Martin Van Buren’s hometown… ::grasping at straws::
Lots of my uncles and cousins drive race cars, and my third cousin Dave Blaney is a NASCAR Winston Cup driver, not that he does much to get himself noticed. Other than that we’re just a long line of farmers from Canada (mom’s side) and Pennsylvania Dutch country (dad’s side).
Smartalek reply : each and every one, right? Think about it…
How the heck do you spell smartalek?
Well clayton_e’s got us both beat. Actually funny thing is sooo many Americans are descendants of those crazy guys but try try try as I might I just can’t seem to find any roots further north then Somerset Co., MD. But really I’m just a Georgia-Alabama-Mississippi-Tennessee-Arkansas-Texas kind of guy. As for those Lond traders, makes you begin to understand why England ruled so much of the world for so long. Shady business practices.
I’m not a blood relation, but some of my ancestors married into the Hatfields.
You know, you’ve got to think carefully about getting into this genealogy stuff because sometimes you can turn up too much information. For instance, I discovered that I’m…um…a bit more closely related to my ancestors than I’d previously thought.
Explains some of the family quirks though.
Hey iampunha we may be cousins! (Sort of.) My father’ step-father’s last name is Drake! And if I ain’t, my SIL knows someone who is. There’s some guy who comes in where she works, who’s traced his ancestry back that far and is related to Sir Francis Drake. Also on my father’s side I’m related (not sure how) to Joel Barlow who was a poet and best friends with Thomas Jefferson (Ol’ Tom made him Ambassador to France, he liked him so much!).
Family legend has it that I am a direct descendent of Napoleon III. Of course it’s hard to prove, because it’s through his maid/mistress (cleaning woman!) whom he promptly plopped on a boat headed for America.
I’m also a semi-distant cousin of Kate Mulgrew–aka: Captain Janeway of the starship Voyager. She is rather infamous around here, so I don’t admit my relationship to anyone from my hometown.
Some relatives were passengers on the Mayflower. (Maybe my fam shared some cabin space with someone in one of your families!)
I’m one of those snotty Daughters of the American Revolution. (Does this organization serve an actual purpose other than awarding scholarships for essays?)
One of my relations was in the Civil War, and I think family members of mine assisted in the Underground Railroad.
My family owns one of the oldest establishments in my hometown–a pharmacy over 100 years old that has survived the Depression and two fires.
My grandmother was the last white child born in a log cabin in Summit County (Ohio.)
My cousin works for National Geographic. (I’m reaching.)
And, the crowning achievement of those related to me…
Anyone ever own a Kirby vacuum cleaner? The company was owned by my grandfather’s cousin.
[QUOTE] Originally posted by Ginger:
Are you kidding? Geneology is the national pasttime in Iceland*
Therein lies the problem. I’m mostly Norwegian and a little Swedish, both have the habit of altering their surnames. For a family reunion she hosted, one of my sisters traced us back to 19th Century Lillehammer.
One of my ancestors was General Winfield Scott, who served in the Mexican/American War, IIRC. He was also a commander in the Civil War, but was way past his prime and in over his head, I believe, and was relieved of his position fairly early in the game.
No famous or noble ancestors I’m aware of, except: [list][]Supposedly I’m related to Harper’s Ferry through my maternal grandmother[]Through my maternal gfather I’m related to the Chicago Water Tower, a gg or ggg uncle having been the general contractor on that project.[]Through my paternal gmother I have people who lived in Salem, Mass. during the witch trials.[]And last but not least I’m a direct descendant of Cornelis Aertsen, discussed as the first citizen of the Bowery Village in NYC in the Alvin Harlow’s Old Bowery Days(1931). Through him, I can trace back to the 1300’s in The Netherlands, though they all seem to have been fairly ordinary folk…artisans, farmers, small landowners, etc. I suppose it’s a fairly average gaggle of ancestors that I have.
How is that possible? The people who would one day become Scandinavians didn’t write in those days, did they? Or are you referring to ancestors who lived in the Roman Empire?
Iceland from about 10th century; prior to that it’s all through Europe, before that who knows. I haven’t seen the newest revision, but the last one I saw ended somewhere around 200 AD.
I got a frantic phone call from my mom that said “Mae’s gone back before Christ” - and I thought there was some kind of weird near-death thing.
