Embellishment of truths?

[TwigletNumber5]

Mod's. Hope this is where it should be, but please move if it isn't.

I haven't really been doing family research all that long, just 2 years, but I have found so much of the information my mother used to tell us about her family that is so wrong! Safe to say I have found her to be an embellisher of truth.

For one; my grandfather was not a twin!
Second; he was not Jewish!
Third; My Grandfather's mother was not called Mariah!
Forth; The family did not own a pottery in Devon!

And there are probably others I have yet to find out. But why did she embellish the truth, I do not know? But she has left out things I know are true.

Has anyone else come across embellishments in their family tree?

Twiglet.

[JudithM]

Not so much embellishments as half remembered stories I think. Its always worth looking for the event/occurence in other parts of the family.
My dad said his grandfather had twin sons from his first marriage - truth, he did have two sons and there were twins in the family - just not these two boys.
He said his gt grandfather was Irish. No he was born in London, where his parents had previously married, BUT the surname is one which occurs in Ireland, so perhaps there was an Irish ancestor further back, or perhaps someone in the family just surmised they might be of Irish stock.
And a half remembered story which actually originates with me. I "remembered" going past a shop in North London and being told my two great uncles had run as a watch/clock shop. Truth - their father was a watchmaker, but my great uncles worked together (presumably in that shop) as electrical engineers -among other things patenting a system of air conditioning. So presumably I had combined two stories in my memory.

[Janet]

Yes, I think we can all find these myths! My sister, who has no interest in Family Hstory, has told me that we are related in some way to Paynes Fireworks Company!! I have been unable to find any basis in this after 30 years of Family Research. One day perhaps......! One other told me that our Great Grandmother met a priest in the street in Poplar who was very upset by what he said to her and never went to church again! How do you prove/disprove that one?? Well, not long ago I was lucky enough to get hold of letters written by my Grt Grandfather to a school insisting that his son be brought up C of E instead of RC which was the religion he was baptised, so that was probably what the argument and subsequent withdrawal from Church was most probably all about, but that was a stroke of luck!! I have another who was supposed to have invented rayon, whereas in fact he invented the sulphite method of making paper, close!! He was an inventor of many things!

I have many other myths which one day I will write up and distribute round the family with their subsequent probable or definite truths!! I certainly think that some people listen with half an ear to stories that are told and then passed on like chinese whispers to end up with a different story after the retelling many times, so not lies but embellished stories.

Strangely enough I always find some truth somewhere within the rumour, so I never discount family tales!!

Janet

[Christine in Herts]

There are plenty of "enhancements" in the BMD certificates in my family!

"Enhancements" is, perhaps, not the best word for declaring someone as dead when they're still alive, even if it makes it easier to contract a new marriage, or explains why a father isn't attending a marriage. Usually the "enhancements" involve promotion: "stationmaster" for someone who worked on the railway, "farmer" for "ag lab", and such like. They can also involve inventing a father's name, if the person were born illegitimate. Sometimes they involve adjustments of ages, when a few years added or taken away from the age would make life more convenient. People become single and childless, if that suits the next stage in their life, irrespective of actual marriages and births! I think I've had all those in my tree.

One of the family names on my mother's side was LANCASTER - I have not yet managed to fulfil her dream of attaching my tree to the royal house of that name!

Christine

[clematised]

My Brother decided when he put together the beginnings of our family tree to embellish the story of Grandfather being born India and added that he was in the Mounted Police, I was writing off to the India List and got all sorts of information based on a lie, then he told his grandchildren that Grandfather's old Dad stole the Koh-I-noor diamond and gave it to Queen Victoria, those poor children did not know what stories to believe when growing up.
My sister does the same with her grandchildren who go into school and tell all sorts of things that sister had told the children and they argue with their teacher as Gran is always right.

Good Job I know the truth of things Gt GF British Citizen was a railway clerk in India and died young leaving the children in orphanages after his wife had died before him. GF joined the British Army and asked to be transferred back to the UK which he eventually did.

Edna

[Olde Crone Holden]

My great great grandfather was an engine driver (in the days when that was the highest occupation a working class man could aspire to) and drove the Flying Scotsman. I spent hundreds of ££££ on variious railway sites before discovering that he was in fact a STATIONARY engine driver in a factory!

My great grandfather was a master jeweller. Dunno when though, because he appears on every census as a pawnbrokers assistant!

Another 2 x GGF was descended from Border Reivers. Not sure how he knew this because he certainly didn't know the name of his own father!

My grandmother was brought up in a terrible orphanage where she was beaten and starved daily. Again, not sure when this happened because she was 16 when her mother died and 45 when her father died! She married from her father's house.

OC

[Ann Bentley]

Apparently my Mother was a twin, who'se sibling died at birth! Well! There are twins in the family - my niece has twins, and my first great grand-children are twins, but I still haven't proved Mums story to be true.
Ann

[kylejustin]

i would agree they are half memorised stories most of the time. other times they don't have much info to start with, when they pass on the tale. grandma told me we were descended from george III. pigs bum- edward III haha. though i did find a line from james IV she was unaware of.

some stories i have found the grain of truth in, but for some families i just can't find anything. one of my ancestors supposedly saved fort george/fort marlbro in the east from french invasion in the 18th century. her husband was the governor (so would be marlbro) and he and the troops were off doing something that day. the french sailed past and thought about attacking. she cleverly had the soldiers wives dress up in their husband's spare uniforms and prance around the battlements. french thought the fort was well manned and sailed away.

another concerns the death of an ancestor, supposedly drowned in the canal in manchester while talking to someone. fell through a trap door. can't find any evidence- he vanishes 1826, wife called a widow in her dad's will 1832.

then there are those grand stories of fighting for the stewarts at preston pans (which one? civil war? or hanoverian?) and losing everything, fleeing to holland (the netherlands? or holland in leicester?) for two generations, then returning to essex. would be nice if we could track the family past 1787.....then there are the stories about being presented at court (who was?) and having millions in chancery cases.

oh and don't forget the family legend that we are descended from the 18th century farmer's daughter, who was raped/had a liasion with the duke of buccleugh or one of his sons (depends which branch of the family you talk too). this one is supposedly cogswallop, but once again, the family concerned can't traced past the late 18th century.

[Christine in Herts]

Apparently my Mother was a twin, who'se sibling died at birth! Well! There are twins in the family - my niece has twins, and my first great grand-children are twins, but I still haven't proved Mums story to be true.
Ann

Have you seen her birth cert? If there were a twin born alive, then your mother's cert should have a time on it.

Christine

[Christine in Herts]

<snip>

then there are those grand stories of fighting for the stewarts at preston pans (which one? civil war? or hanoverian?) and losing everything, fleeing to holland (the netherlands? or holland in leicester?) for two generations, then returning to essex. would be nice if we could track the family past 1787.....then there are the stories about being presented at court (who was?) and having millions in chancery cases.

<snip>

Not forgetting that Lincolnshire was split into Lindsey, Holland and Kesteven.

Christine

[kylejustin]

haha yes, christine, that's the one i meant!

[Janet]

My great great grandfather was an engine driver (in the days when that was the highest occupation a working class man could aspire to) and drove the Flying Scotsman. I spent hundreds of ££££ on variious railway sites before discovering that he was in fact a STATIONARY engine driver in a factory!

OC

My Great grandfather and grandfather were engine drivers in Cork and Dublin but I had forgotten the story of one of OH's ancestors who was supposed to have gone down with the Lusitania. Yes we did our research and yes there was a George Sullivan who died on Lusitania. We bought books and visited the site in Ireland and then many years later found out that the George Sullivan who died came from Liverpool not Southampton, which was the crucial bit of evidence!! However, more homework and we have now discovered a G Going on the trip and a George Going is a missing ancestor in said Family History who did work for some time for Cunard as a steward so..........................more work, but tantalisingly we can find nothing about G Going who died on the Lusitania, not even his first name!! Is there some truth within this rumour??

Janet