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the Truth about the Gillards (and Congreves)

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  • the Truth about the Gillards (and Congreves)

    I know that in the 20th century a bunch of BS was sold to american amateur genaologists regarding the Gillards of Chillington hall, so all kinds of people think they are descended from them who aren't.

    I worry that I may have become one such dupe for another reason. I have not been duped by the false lineage that went around America, but potentiall by one I found on a number of other people's trees on ancestry.com.

    This concerns Dorothy Giffard (1486-1571) who was married first to John Congreve and after his death to Francis Shirley with whom she had about 7 children. Dorothy was the daughter of Sir John Giffard (1466-1556) and Jane Hoord (1465-1491).

    What I want to know is how many kids did she have with John Congreve? I know she had at least two girls with John; Ursula and Elizabeth and that they both married boys from the Underhill family who lived on the estate, resulting in a legal dispute regarding inheritance at a later time.

    I believe they may also have had a son? Some people record no sons while others record numerous. I suspect many want to claim descent through this marriage as then they can trace a line all the way back to 1066. Advice and info much appreciated!
    Researching Ceylon Tea Planters and Lambeth lawyers. Work in Translation.

  • #2
    My approach would be to take those other people's trees with a huge pinch of salt, follow up any sources they provide to check they really exist and look for any sources I could locate myself (which of course won't necessarily be found online), bearing in mind you are back to the very limits of parish registers and beyond so will need wills, manorial records and the like
    Judith passed away in October 2018

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    • #3
      Gillard or Giffard?

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Mary from Italy View Post
        Gillard or Giffard?
        GIFFARD! excuse my dyslexia
        Researching Ceylon Tea Planters and Lambeth lawyers. Work in Translation.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by JudithM View Post
          My approach would be to take those other people's trees with a huge pinch of salt, follow up any sources they provide to check they really exist and look for any sources I could locate myself (which of course won't necessarily be found online), bearing in mind you are back to the very limits of parish registers and beyond so will need wills, manorial records and the like
          Many of them don't appear to have used any sources from the ancestry website which makes me wonder where they are getting info...
          Researching Ceylon Tea Planters and Lambeth lawyers. Work in Translation.

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          • #6
            No sources usually means they are just blindly copying someone else's "work" - work which usually means they copied someone else's "work". Rubbish, in other words. Start again and do it properly yourself, which, as Judith points out, won't be easy and probably won't be online.

            And - all the proper research in the world cannot cover missing or nonexistant records. If the documents you need do not exist then that's the end of the line for you.

            OC

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Wurding View Post
              Many of them don't appear to have used any sources from the ancestry website which makes me wonder where they are getting info...
              From proper documentary sources hopefully.... but more likely they are just copying each other based on little genuine research at all.
              Retired professional researcher, and ex- deputy registrar, now based in Worcestershire. Happy to give any help or advice I can ( especially on matters of civil registration) - contact via PM or my website www.chalfontresearch.co.uk
              Follow me on Twittter @ChalfontR

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              • #8
                Bear in mind that very few people can genuinely get back that far. It'll take a lot of hard work and study and probably travel to the local Record Office.

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