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Skeletons in the cupboard

#1
It's amazing the amount of skeletons i have found since tracing my ancestry.

Stories,that have never been handed down in the family,swept under the carpet in most cases, except for the good parts.

When growing up i was told i was a bitser,bits of Irish,English, Scottish and Spanish.

Any way i have found I'm Irish, Scottish, & English and there is a black African about 250 years ago, We had a lord Mayor of Waterloo that was classed as old Sydney Town then, who shot himself accidently duck shooting, we've had 3 convicts, one of whom managed the Government salt works at Rose Bay near old Sydney town while still serving his sentence and at the end of his sentence opened a pub and brewery, God knows where he got the money from.

And one female convict that married a prison warder, and a son of hers that Started up Kinsela's Funeral homes in Sydney and i think still in operation, one soldier that fought in the Napoleonic wars [decorated] and then came out to old Sydney Town as a guard when some of my ancestor convicts were serving out their time, as Sydney was a small place back then, you can bet that there paths crossed, quite ironic.

Then there was a gambler that gave his watch to his son one day and the next day disappeared at the age of 73 never to be seen again,his heart medication still at home and he was never found.

And then in the mid 1800s one ancestor owned about 5 pubs, one being the famous Currency Lass.

So for all of those out there researching their ancestors, beware of the surprises you might find,and i hope you have a good time doing it.

Oz
 
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ral91

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#3
I've always thought of my family as very respectable. How wrong I was!

One, goodness knows how many greats, grandfather has turned out to have been having children outside of his marriage (ones I am directly descended from!, no less)

I've also found out that another rellie was in the workhouse from his wife's death to his own :(

Perhaps not much of a skeleton, but I've also found out my great great grandfather was run over and robbed blind while lying in the gutter! :'(

Anyway, I'm sure there's to be plenty more surprises lurking in the thus far shrouded past. Can't wait.:)
 
#4
I've always thought of my family as very respectable. How wrong I was!

One, goodness knows how many greats, grandfather has turned out to have been having children outside of his marriage (ones I am directly descended from!, no less)

I've also found out that another rellie was in the workhouse from his wife's death to his own :(

Perhaps not much of a skeleton, but I've also found out my great great grandfather was run over and robbed blind while lying in the gutter! :'(

Anyway, I'm sure there's to be plenty more surprises lurking in the thus far shrouded past. Can't wait.:)
That's a bit rough, being robbed while you're out to it in the gutter.

Oz
 

DaveHam9

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#7
I think I have more brick walls than skeletons in my tree. :rolleyes: Perhaps they are all behind those brick walls. :D
 

JulesSmith

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#8
apart from a couple of illegitimate births, the only skeleton I've uncovered was gg grandad serving time for the murder of his wife, they were both very keen on the drink, and that all came out in the court case. The wife had tried to committ suicide several times over the last 10 or so years of her life and ended up in court for throwing herself in front of a tram lol.
But as my family are proving very difficult to find, there could be other things lurking out there somewhere.

Oz, I'm envious that you have so many skeletons :)
 

p.risboy

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#9
I've no real skeletons to report, apart from my Gt.Grandmother and her two siblings, all being born by immaculate conception.:rolleyes:

Oh yeah, just one more.......my cousin SteveGraham from Oz.:2fun: :2fun:

Steve.:)
 
#11
Are you and Oz actually related then?

I found a skeleton in the cupboard...the airing cupboard. :D
Benny,

Yes we are,don't you feel sorry for me. >:D

We both shared the same set of Grandparents {Grahams} and now i have to pay the penalty for their indiscretions by having a trouble maker and heavy talker for a cousin.:2fun: :2fun:

Oz from down under >:D >:D
 

Flora1966

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#15
Only the usual skeletons in my tree..

Illegitimate births, 2 suicides by hanging, 1 bigamist, 2 thieves, 1 transportation for life, 1 person in prison, and my grandparents not marrying until after their 4th child was born...

Jules ..
 

benny1982

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#16
My 2xgreat grandmother was illegitimate. He parents married after her birth. her father was still married when the babe was conceived.
 

ianto73

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#17
The problems I'm finding with the skeleton syndrome, is knowing where to look for confirmation of "what happened next". Since perfection doesn't exist, and you can pick your friends but not your family, it does add up to life's rich tapestry?
 

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