Hidden in the Family Tree

~List ten family legends.


First I'll define legend as something that may or may not be true but people like the story so much they keep it alive. (Which means I don't know how many of these are really true).

Let's see:

1. Supposedly there were three things my ancestors were known for--1) they always lied 2) they had horrible tempers 3) they didn't abide by anyone harassing their family.--that's my dad's side of the family

2. My grandfather's family was chased out of town after they lit a hay wagon on fire and it rolled into town and burnt everything down.

3. We are descendants of Henry VIII. This is actually a family myth because Henry VIII doesn't have any descendants left.


4. We are descended from Richard the Lion Heart.

5. We are descended from King John. Famous for signing the Magna Carta.

6. The last time my grandfather ever saw his mother was after he had jumped onto a train and it passed the house... she was outside hanging laundry.

7. My grandfather personally knew Dale Murphy and one time, after my grandfather had fallen from a 3 story building, it is said that Dale Murphy came off of the practice field to find out how my grandfather was doing.

8. My great-great-grandfather... maybe great-great-great-grandfather died in prison. He actually died at home after contracting the illness in prison. (You can also find an extensive amount of his life's manuscripts at the University of Utah... which I think is pretty cool).

9. My ancestors (same as the ones in #1 were moonshiners).

10. My mother's father rode the rails for a large portion of his life.

Comments

Jennifer said…
Huh! Interesting how I know some of these same stories, but not the same way you know them.

1. As I heard it, they were liars and petty criminals.
2. Supposedly, Grandpa and his brother were sneaking a cigarette and their father came along. They tried to hide the cigarette by tossing it away, but it landed in or near the hay wagon, which (for some unknown reason) starting rolling forward, all the way down the hill to town, where the flames spread rapidly. I don't know if anyone knew it was their fault. Evidently Grandpa had a diary and this story was in it. I think Aunt R. has the diary.
3,4,5, - Wicked Prince John, through Susanna Peters, according to a chart that someone else did. I have no idea how accurate their research was.
6. Never heard this one! If true, how sad.
7. Grandma used to talk about this one, but I don't remember who the baseball player was. If I remember correctly, it was someone who lived in their ward for a while.
8. True, although I heard the inaccurate version first, too.
9. Really? I've never heard that one. How amusing! Where did you hear it from?
10. True, according to Mom, but evidently he was touchy about it. When I said, "You mean he was a hobo?!" she got all upset and said never to use that word, or tramp, around him.
Cannwin said…
Who knows where I heard they were moonshiners... It all kind of melds in my mind and I can't remember which one is which, I'm going to be you know more about this than I do so I'll defer to you. :)
Claire said…
Nice to know someone else has some funky colorful family legends. I have some from my dad's family. My dad told them all to me when I was young and my mom said they were probably all lies, but then I found a "long lost" first cousin on the internet who had never even met my dad and she knew them all too! Oh, and she said they were all true! lol Maybe I'll do this bloggy prompt too. :)
Jamie said…
We must be cousins cuz I've got the Richard on my Layton (dad's) line. My grandma had me watch "Lion in Winter" when I was about 12 to learn about Eleanor of Acquitaine because she was a "famous ancestor." Love that movie and story, but have yet to make the official Book of Remembrance connection.

Miss you guys!
Cannwin said…
Jamie!
I was thinking about you yesterday and deciding I missed having you around. :)

I hate that movie! Ralexwin loves it, but it's one of those ones I just choose to roll my eyes and go read a book instead of torturing myself through. lol

I'll have to tell him you like it too, that will make him happy.

Popular posts from this blog

How-To Pretend You Work For Anthropologie

Altered Shoe Art: Ring Holder Shoe Tutorial

Mutterings of a Middle-Aged Dreamer