Genealogy Chat

Well, I've recently found a very nice skeleton in our ancestral cupboard. My grandfather never mentioned anything to my mum about him having a half sister from his father's first marriage - even though they lived in the same area. It was quite a shock to all of us when I first discovered her aged 2 on the 1901 census with my grt grandfather! I have since traced her daughter - so she is my mum's first cousin! They have never met - but we are all getting together this weekend and I am pleased to say that she is as excited as we are! Skeletons are not always scary, after all LOL Leah

It's very sad that you may be being held responsible for the actions of your grandmother......hardly your fault! Maybe they think you will rush to steal another husband? I don't think I have a skeleton like that one, but...... My gran probably spent almost her entire adult life waiting to spot her first husband in the street (or wherever).....and have to explain who he was to her second hubby, who she married as ''Condition, spinster''. It would seem that she didn't know the first marriage was bigamous (and could have been officially made void) as hubby No. 1 was already married. She also didn't know that after she and hubby 1 split up, he was killed in WW1 under an assumed name. So she spent from 1917-1985 waiting to be caught out. If only she had known this man was dead, my gran's immediate family wouldn't have been subjected to her tempers, tantrums and depressions, which (we think) mainly stemmed from the stress of waiting to have that ''tap on the shoulder''............................. Merry

No family's perfect-Mine included. I suspect a huge Skeleton in my family. cupboard. That's why it's good to tell people the truth as it tears families apart going generations back. Here's mine. My granmother died around 1968 never telling my mother (even on her death bed) who her father was. My mother was born in 1929.(sadly she passed away 9 years ago) It turns out that my granmother slept with her sisters husband and got pregnant with my mum. We have no proof of this apart from a picture of the guy in question, who looks very much like my mum.It's eeerie. So this caused a huge rift, resulting in us never seeing that part of the family again. The worst thing is someone from that part of the family contacted me a few years ago, through this site, then when she realised who I was and must of told some of the rellies still alive, all communication went out of the window very suddenly. You see so the stigma goes on. Would be interesting to hear of any other skeletons!!!!!!!! Catherine