Genealogy Chat

I researched my husbands tree as far as i could some four years ago. This year my stepfather, who married my mother when i was grown with a family of my own, asked me to start researching his family. My husband hails from Leeds, my stepfathers family hail from the Durham area and he and my husband had never even met until after my mum and stepfather married. It turns out that they share the same 4x great grandfather and are 5th cousins!!! The man in question was born in Lincolnshire and moved to Leeds, one of his daughters married my husbands 3xgreat grandfather, another moved to Durham and married my stepfathers 3x great grandfather. I couldnt stop laughing because my husband and my mum have whats called i think a love hate relationship and my husband now insists on calling my stepdad cuzz, and every time mum complains about him in any way my hubby chips in and says , 'hey thats my family your talking about'.....so far she's resisted the temptation to smash my hubbies face in but i dont know how long she can keep that up lolol. Any more coincidences out there?

Yes. (Well almost!) I've nearly got a link between my husband and myself. We met working in Somerset and both had West Country mothers and Lincolnshire fathers. Tracing our trees I have discovered that my father's direct paternal ancestors came from Norfolk and my husband's direct paternal ancestors came from a tiny village only 2 miles away in the same area of Norfolk! I am sure that some 200 years ago our ancestors on our male lines would have known each other and I am wondering if we have an actual family tie further back. Years ago I read the theory that we are reincarnated and keep meeting the same group of souls. Nice idea......not sure whether I believe it or not but it might account for why we feel close to people we haven't known long. Having said all that.......by the time you go back a few generations it does get more and more likely that you could find a family connection. We are a small island and the vast majority of us will be related somehow if you go back far enough. Sue

Someone said, about thirty years ago now, that if your ancestors lived in England at the time of Elizabeth I, then you were related to everyone in England. At first I thought what a load of baloney - but the more you think about it...............!! Victoria

If i had married my husband in a former life i would have known better this time lolol....just kidding, he's lovely really. I suppose when you think about it, Britain being so tiny we probably are all connected somehow....nice thought really, one big happy family.