Many of us have famous ancestors Who are yours?

[harleyindys]

I am related to my Father
Award of the Silver Star
Index to Army Silver Star Recipient in World War II

Richey, Clinton A. HQ, 26th Infantry Division, G.O. No. 106 (1945)

and 4 Bronze Stars

Greatest Man I ever knew
May 15,1925 - February 25,1998

 

[cobber]

I'm related to both Adam and Eve.

These are the ones that count.

 

[the1kidd03]

I don't know that I would consider my ancestory as "famous" but have somewhat important ties.

Apparently, my family has been very involved in keeping track of our lineage over the centuries. One of my uncles has gone to great lengths in researching and tracking down our ancestory from relatives, traveling to local towns for records, etc.,etc. He got his hands on communications which our family had with a professional geneologist they hired at the turn of the 20th century. Which opened a lot of doors for him to make other connections. Now, I've picked up on the research in my spare time where he left off.

What I do know for documented fact: My ancestors migrated here in 1712. They were a wealthy family (supposedly descendant of royalty, although I have not been able to document that far back as fact yet). He was also supposedly close with William Penn and had bordering properties. Two years after arriving here, my many times great grandfather had his family's first home built. It was supposedly extremely well constructed and they later put their name/date into a block under a widow's peak. This house is still standing to this day in North Carolina, with the block still there and is a historical property I think. He was later killed in the barn by one of his servants for the cash he had on him.

His descendants (my other great grandfather) as well as his son and grandson were all officers in the Revolutionary War with several notable interests in history. The eldest, served as representative at the North Carolina Provincial Congress, later leading to continental congress, Declaration and all that excellent stuff.

There were a couple of other notable feats such as; founding some small towns, being the first "sherriff" (or whatever they were called back then, I don't remember), helping the underground railroad, etc. My direct ancestors have served in every major confrontation in the US. I even still have some old pocket diaries my ancestors kept while serving during the civil war. Difficult to read, but it's legible. Pretty creepy when he starts talking about his unit's learning of Lincoln's death.

For more recent times the most recognizable feat I guess would be our state flag. It was my great (x3) uncle who designed it, as well as several other significant contributions to the surrounding communities.


Things I know of, but have not been able to ABSOLUTELY document/verify yet:
It was another descendant who supposedly "founded" or settled the town of Paoli. Perhaps those in the area can provide some feedback on this, but I haven't looked into it yet.

I can't remember the town, but somewhere in the south (still in the Carolinas) there is a town/county which my ancestors had such a dramatic affect on the area that they relatively recently erected a statue in his honor. Again, I haven't gotten to that point in my research yet so I can't remember all the details off hand.

As you dig deeper into history it becomes MUCH more difficult to effectively find evidence/proof of things. So, I started with the migration here and working forward. Once that's complete I'll start from 1712 and work back. But supposedly, the furthest back records I have in my posession date to around the 9th century. The most notable thing I can remember from reading through it all was that my ancestor fought alongside William the Conqueror including the Battle of Hasting 1066. For his service, he was granted many things which would coincide with the other, more recent documentation suggesting royal descent...but again I haven't got that far and that's REALLY old to be able to document. Not to mention across a really big pond.

 

[Benny]

Nobody famous but I consider my uncle to be the best I have in that regard. He got a silver star in WWII swimming his men underwater across the Prum River under heavy machine gun fire and he was asked to be on Nixon's cabinet but turned it down because he said you had to be a crook to be in politics.

He counts, IMO.

 

[calcot7]

Son of "Minnesota Bob"/ Ely fishing legend & friend of Dorthy Molter

 

[upalot]

My 1st cousin who is doing the family tree tells me that General Alfred Howe Terry is a cousin of ours, He was in charge of the Dakota's and was reported to have given Custer his order to Little Big Horn.

 

[Hookeye]

None for my family, guess I gotta do something

 

[amboran]

Abe Lincoln was mom's great uncle-pretty awesome to have honest Abe in our family tree record book.

 

[Lumpy76]

Don't have too much info from the past but my first cousin is Karen from the TV show Falling Skies.

 

[stephen87]

Hatfields and McCoys are the only ones I know of.

 

[philo]

From the Irish side, family history has us descended from Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair (Roderick "Rory" O'Connor) the last High King of Ireland before the Norman conquest - more "greats" ago than can be counted. Lo how the mighty have fallen.

Actually a more intermediate ancestor was one of three brothers - don't remember which, who emigrated under duress as they were wanted for horse thievery by the crown (English).

On the German side my great grandfather was the superintendent of the largest school district in the state of Wisconsin. His portrait still hangs in the principals office at a school in Milwaukee. His roll top desk is still used by the school's current principal.

He was hired to teach at the age of 14. The principal that hired him encouraged him to wear a ring, smoke a cigar, and carry a cane to appear older. He was fluent in 5 languages and could read and write several more. Smart guy. Those genes didn't come down to me.

 

[xcalibur]

Not related to any one person of fame, but how about a feud between the Tollivers and Martins known as the Rowan County War ...Took place in Kentucky in the 1880's and lasted about 3 years. Around 20 people died and close to the same were wounded....

Politics and C.C. don't mix

Little more info.......

Tolliver - Martin Feud

 

[Hoosier8]

I am related to my Father
Award of the Silver Star
Index to Army Silver Star Recipient in World War II

Richey, Clinton A. HQ, 26th Infantry Division, G.O. No. 106 (1945)

and 4 Bronze Stars

Greatest Man I ever knew
May 15,1925 - February 25,1998

Folgate, Homer E., Jr. HQ, 6th Armored Division, G.O. No. 238 (1945)

Known as Emmett, my uncle who became a well thought of lawyer in Rockford, IL. 200 people came to his funeral.

This is Emmett receiving his Silver Star.

 

[drysdaleg]

The Wright brothers, cousins of my dads mom. I remember seeing a few letters my dad had gotten passed down to him. There was one that they had written to my grand mothers sister, talking about the first time the successfully got there aircraft to fly. Also don drysdale is a cousin of mine. He played for the dodgers as a professional baseball player.

 

[Hammerhead]

My sister has been doing some research into our family geneology, but I don't know any direct ancestors that are famous. I do know that we're Scot-Irish and Blackfoot Indian on my Father's Father's side. Don't know about my Father's Mother's side. My Mother's Father's family all came from Holland. I know that my Mother's Mother's side came to the Carolinas from England a while back and most still live there.

I've done some research into my family clan (the Scottish one) to find out where my name and ancestry were from. I do know that the Clan supported Robert the Bruce (one of them at some battle, not sure exactly which) and thus were given the name Robertson (Robert's Son) as a reward. Basically the Bruce treated us as kin for supporting the crown. A hand supporting the crown in the family crest. (My family is a sept of Robertson.)

Going further back, the clan becomes Clan Donnachaidh, or Duncan's Child. Duncan was the nephew of Macbeth that came back from Denmark and killed him for killing his father and taking the crown. Yes, the story made famous by William Shakespere.

I wish I knew more. I've always been interested in my family lineage, but there was a time when finding those answers was near impossible. I believe that I could do so, but need to quickly.

 

[Super Bee]

Nothing to really brag about, but Rock Hudson was my second cousin. I never met him, but many of the older members of the family did.

 

[Liberty1911]

William Wentworth, 11th G-Grandfather, one of the founders of Exeter NH, his signature is on the 1638 town charter.

Also related to Dick Lugar, 4th cousin.

 

[HavokCycle]

James "Jimmy" Blair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
on the French side

Mennen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On the German side

 

[7urtle]

david ruffin from temptations somehow.

 

[manygunsmike]

My great grandfather Wayne Tredway Wayne C. Treadway - IMDb on my mothers side .

Dinosaurus 1960

manygunsmike