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Got any interesting or odd ancestors? Discovered any surprising family history?

Blog Last Activity 6 years ago 389 views 6 comments


 


I just recently found out that my great-grandfather was a senior civil engineer who helped design and build the Curitiba-Paranagua Railway in Brazil, one of South America's most beautiful and spectacular train rides. He lived there for seven years, ate snakes in the jungle, and, ahem, cheated on my great-grandmother. In fact, this cheating poisoned things in my family in a way that had echoes down to my own childhood. But it also means, I've also just discovered, that I have quite a few distant cousins in Brazil, who are awesome people I'm now friends with.


 


Anyone got ancestors or family members who did something interesting? Any other discoveries you've made about your family history which surprised you?

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6 years ago

I hereby lay claim to being descended from George Jamesone (1587 – 1644) He was Scotland's first eminent portrait-painter. Having spent the last 6 or 7 years researching I am 90% positive of the fact. 


If I am related to him then I will then be able to trace my family back to the 13th century.

6 years ago

Family history says that my Father's family moved to Canada after the British loss in the War of 1812. My grandfather immigrated to the US in the late 1890's and fought for the US in World War I

6 years ago

I had two relatives that were on the Titanic. Both survived.


 

6 years ago

This was something my father's first cousin did:


When:  November, 1952.

 

Where: St. Louis.  He had moved there from Omaha, and had been in the ice cream business for seven years

 

Who:   He was then 45 and owned a chain of five Ice Cream Stores, attempted to rob a Brinks truck.  He was shot in the robbery and killed.

 

What:  When the Brinks truck arrived at the bank, he waited until two of the three guards went into the bank.  He slipped into the cab of the truck and used a home made device to send ammonia into the area of the truck where the remaining guard was locked with the money.   The guard was quickly blinded by the ammonia, but fired five shots into the cab.  Three of them struck him.  He was dead when police arrived.  The poor guard died a few days later.

 

Why:  This is the big question.  We know from the articles that his business was successful.  He left his wife an estate valued at close $100,000.  There is some speculation that he had some business reverses, but the overall impression is that he was doing ok.  There is other speculation that he was trying to plan and commit a perfect crime.  It appears more likely that he was suffering from depression or other mental illness.  One key fact is that he had applied for a $3000 loan from the bank he tried to rob shortly before the robbery, and had been turned down because he was not a regular customer of the bank. 

StillKicken
StillKicken
6 years ago

My great-grandfather was a territorial Marshall and even fought Indians (no longer politically correct), or so my grandmother told me.  He wore 2 Colt Peacemakers in 45 long Colt, and a small .38 hideaway.  In her will, my grandmother left me his 3 guns, the entire leather rig and shoulder holster, and even his badge forged from a silver dollar (she'd kept the firearms well oiled and they still worked; the leather was in good shape and she'd polish the badge that was mounted in a shadow box), but a cousin who lived near her when she passed, grabbed the case the guns and leather were in, along with the framed badge, and in the late 90's actioned off the collection for - as I've heard - over ten grand.  The whole family was upset.  


 


His older brother had inherited great-grandad's "saddle gun," a Sharps carbine; his short-barrel side-by-side 12 gauge known as a "stagecoach" shotgun; and full size lever action Winchester (don't remember the calibre) rifle that he'd leave at home for my great-grandmother.  The older brother caught him trying to make off with the Sharps and busted him up pretty bad (don't ya love dysfunctional families?).  


 


My thieving cousin had inherited a museum quality genuine Remington etching, but the Buffalo Bill "Cody" museum refused to pay what he demanded, and I have no idea where it is, now.  


 


He was always an A-hole and braggart, so, when he let it slip how much he'd gotten from my inheritence, I pasted him good, breaking his nose at our 1998 family reunion.  He tried to have me arrested, so, if figured I'd smack him again.  He changed his mind when his Dad loudly proclaimed his beating was a long time due!   But the heirlooms were gone and there was nothing anyone could do.


 


 


And my Dad's side of the family was really interesting!