Famous Relatives (or infamous!) - just for fun

[mumnosbest]

Researching my family tree, I was surprised to find I'm related to Florence Nightingale and Brian Blessed. Who'd have put those to in the same tree? Any of you discovered any little surprises?

My grandad's uncle discovered gold in Australia and has a mountain range and river named after him. That's as close as we get to famous ancestors. But he then ended up working for the state governor - who was DH's grandad's uncle and only famous relative.

Clearly we were fated to be together!

My dad's family were tenant farmers for the last 400 years, and all the rest of my mother's family were the Eastern European equivalent.

Michael Faraday, the Boleyn family and the Spencers.
Someone who was the perpetrator of a massacre against Aborigines in New South Wales.

I find all this fascinating. Haven't researched my family tree (not sure how to go about it) but can I ask a probably thick question. How do you decide which line to follow? Say you look at your mums line, how do you choose whether to look at your grandfather or grandmother and then your great grandmother or greatgrandfather? Or do you do all of them?

Wow! Very jealous of you well connected people!
I would love to have found someone famous in my famy tree. Though mine seems to stop dead at my great great grandad!..
So.. I have decided in 100 years time I am going to be the 'famous' relative!!

Not sure on how it's going to happen yet though!

My great great grandfather was a bit of a cocklodger and abandoned his wife Mary and children to the workhouse. Both of them then went off having children with other people.

Mary's daughter became the great grandmother of Michael Sheen. Her estranged husband's daughter was my great granny. I think that makes the two girls step-sisters but Michael and I no relation whatsoever so not really sure why I posted it here

Anyway, it would have made for interesting threads if MN had been around in the 1880s...

My granny's first cousin was Margaret Lockwood the British film star. Her real name was Davey not Lockwood.

My ancestors were largely landowners, vicars and naval officers. Am also descended from the 1st Bishop of Bombay.

I'm related to a spy for China against the US? Does that count? I'm also related to a guy who discovered Syrian hamsters. They have wiki pages- hamster guy and the closest to James Bond in my family

How do you all find this stuff out? It's fascinating.

I'm not related to anyone remotely famous. But DH is related to Willie Nelson, Pocahontas and a Lord Mayor of London.

Elephants, my DH did his research through an online database, Ancestry, I think?

And you look them all up, each one, and wiggle around trying to verify (if someone hasn't already) if that Elizabeth Hughes is your great great grandma or not.

My 27th great grandfather is William the Conqueror, so through him I'm related to oodles of royals,including St Margaret who was Queen of Scotland. Bit odd to be descended from a saint!
We dropped out of the line of succession in Edward I's time as I am descended from his daughter Joan of Acre.

I think we are distant cousins as I am also descended from Joan. We dropped out of the royal tree after Edward 111 - my ancestor is Richard 111 bro the Duke of Clarence via his daughter St Margaret Pole - both judicially murdered in the Tower. Elizabeth Woodville the mother of the two murdered princes is also my ancestor via her first marriage. Brian Boru is also my ancestor via Inchiquin - one of many unpleasant ancestors. I also have a genocidal Irish ancestor who allegedly has the epitaph - England's honour. Scotland's wonder, Ireland's terror lies here under. Nice. Also have Fitzgeralds, strongbow etc. Therefore related to most UK and Irish posh titled families.

There are some claims that the Spanish royals were descended from Muhammad via North African nobles, which if true would also make him my ancestor and probably yours.

DH and I are distantly related both descend from siblings of Boyle (boyles law). I am related to the current royals in various ways but unfortunately have not been able to shape shift - still trying.

I think we are all related much more closely than we imagine!

27th G/grand daughter of Edward III. Actually I can now take it back past William the Conquerer to Rollo of Normandy b. 846, before that it all goes a bit wishy-washy in Norse legand.

Lady Godiva !

We have no proof yet but our research suggests that there may be a link between us and the infamous Dr Shipman. Not my first choice for famous relative.

A friend of mine is quite closely related to Dr Shipman - you could do a lot worse than be related to my friend.

My great great grandfather is from the same Irish county as Barack Obama's great x lots grandfather, so obviously we are related. I'm genuinely related to a few mildly famous-in-Ireland people. The main one is my grandmother's first cousin, who is considered one of the best players ever in the Irish sport of hurling. He's even been on a stamp...the excitement .