TOO UNBELIEVABLE TO SHARE ONLINE?

This blog is taken from email between a fellow-writer and myself, my answers only, because the email group is a private group.

She shared some interesting stories she has read or heard about some of her ancestors, and places she would like to visit to see where they lived and to research further. One of the places on both our lists of places to visit is Scotland. I don't expect to ever visit Scotland, but maybe she will. She is younger and hopefully more mobile.

 

Although Scotland, Ireland and France are on my list, I especially would like to go England. The book I've referenced in a past blog is a cousin's book which traces our ancestors back to England where some of them were born in castles that I later learned are still standing, and to the tower of London where one "grandpa" died.

 

The cousin's book didn't say why this ancestor died in the Tower of London. After thinking about it for a few years along with urging from Ken (my husband) I got on the computer and googled the ancestor's name to see if I might find him mentioned someplace. I had thought of checking history books before starting to research on the computer, but  was busy with other projects. But after I began researching family on the internet, I thought If he is mentioned in history books, he should also be on the internet. And, lo and behold! WHEN HIS NAME POPPED UP THERE WERE ALL SORTS OF INFO AND SITES ON HIM, HIS FATHER AND GRANDPARENTS and further back.

 

I later learned the ancestor who died in the Tower of Lond was executed for leading a rebellion to de-throne Bloody Mary and put Jane Grey on the throne..

 

I kept following names and other vague leads until I traced us through kings and queens and knights to the Vikings in Norway (WHERE MY d-IN-LAW ONA'S FATHER WAS BORN), and to LOTS of other countries.   So my family chart on that line has been printed up on sheets I've taped together this way and that on taped together sheets of poster board and had copied for other family members.  I also have a hard-back notebook about a foot thick with copies of various family lines and things I've copied from the internet and history books.  Also have several historical novels about some of them and others are still being published, along with movies.

I've not put it all online because it seems too unbelievable to be true, but it's fun with the family anyway, and I have references for the material, which suits us.  It's like a treasure hunt or putting together giant and complicated puzzles. It can get hold of you like an illness that won't turn lose and take you away from other important writing projects.

 

According to email from my fellow writer/researcher, it sounds like she may use some of her research and family stories for books.  Don't know about mine, though. I am already too deep into more recent history for a possible series of inspirational, historical novels--which, hopefully, my agent Linda and I can find a publisher for. Right now, I am still working on a possible contemporary, second inspirational romance for Harlequin/Heartsong Inspirational romances and waiting to hear from our Heartsong editor on it.

 

Like my email fellow researcher/writer, you may be involved with sorting drawers and boxes of records left by a deceased "pack-rat" parent or other relative.   If so, happy

 

hunting and writing to you and to her. And happy sorting. Enjoy the memories you are stirring up and the new info you are uncovering about your loved one -- the way Kate--the heroine in my soon-to-be-released Heartsong Inspirational THE MISTAKEN HEIRESS, did.

 

My 3 sisters and I are still going through mother's "stuff" after her death almost 10 years ago. But it's hard to get 4 sisters together to go through old pictures with one living out of state and two more spending months at a time at their second-homes out of our home-base area.

 

Two of our four brothers are gone now. One is just now becoming interested in family history, and the other is interested only in more recent family (but helps the rest of us keep up with them). Lots of grandchildren  enjoy it, though.  So maybe when I and my other five living siblings are gone, our descendants will use my records and continue with family research.

 

Perhaps some of them will also visit places where some of our distant royal kin was born, lived, reigned and died.  Several of them already visit the countries on occasion, and have quite likely visited some of their castles without realizing they have family ties to the places. Or that blood was shed there with DNA which matches ours today.

 

 

 

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Shelba 

O