Who Do You Think You Are?

An eye opening journey for me, really and one that has told me so much about the opportunities this country can bring. I spent some time researching my male line back to the 16th century from a now extinct village, just outside Chilworth, from which my name derives (think Tanners Brook, Millbrook, Monks Brook). Like many of us, most of my ancestors were involved in farm labour, an industry that employed the majority of the population at the time.

The most interesting part of the exercise has been my recent search along my female lineage, from my grandmother. I ended up with a great, great, great-grandfather called "Blind" Solomon Stanley. He was an elder of the Stanley gypsy family that lived in caravans on Sholing Common, not 100 yards from the house I was brought up in. I used to play around the Millers Pond area when I was a kid, oblivious of the fact that his eldest daughter, my great great grandmother, did the same, while he was sitting in front of a camp fire, making baskets to sell in the area. I was also oblivious of the fact that like many in Sholing, I used the term "mush" all the time, without knowing is Romany for man.

Blind Solomon was tried for the murder of his first wife, whom he killed in a drunken argument at a campsite just outside Portsmouth, narrowly escaping the hangmans noose, after the judge directed the jury to find him not guilty. The Stanley tribe used to spend the summer in Wickham to collect the willow used for the construction of the tents, they then pitched in the New Forest. There's a Solomon Lane, by the common today.

So, here I sit, contemplating the deep roots that I have in Southampton, but also, the social mobility afforded by this great country, that allows a descendent of Romany immigrants, who once lived in England under the threat of hanging, for just for being gypsies, to reach the point I'm at today. Without this knowledge, I remember complaining bitterly about the gypsies that set up a camp on Wickham Common, as they had done for centuries, before the local council moved them on. I also remember thinking about the residents of Botany Bay Road, living in their caravans without a thought that I was related to people just like them. My perspective has been totally changed by the self knowledge I have gained, in seeking exactly who I think I am. I'm from Sholing, mush and proud of it...

Do you like dags?

I did this a while back, and discovered that I come from a long line of peasants. I did find out that my mum and dad share the same great great great great grat grandparents. Explains a few things.

Do you like dags?

I have seen some old photos of the Romanys that lived in Sholing and I can tell you they look nothing like the Irish travellers you are talking about (nor Brad Pitt, for that matter. He's American.)

I, too, am from Sholing and I went to junior school with a number of residents of Botany Bay Road, particularly the Bowers boys.

My brother has done extensive research on our family tree and one interesting fact is that we're distantly related to Matthew Pinsent! Our families originated in Europe, being minor royalty that lived in Germany, France and Belgium. I think most people in this country are descended from minor royalty.

An eye opening journey for me, really and one that has told me so much about the opportunities this country can bring. I spent some time researching my male line back to the 16th century from a now extinct village, just outside Chilworth, from which my name derives (think Tanners Brook, Millbrook, Monks Brook). Like many of us, most of my ancestors were involved in farm labour, an industry that employed the majority of the population at the time.

 

The most interesting part of the exercise has been my recent search along my female lineage, from my grandmother. I ended up with a great, great, great-grandfather called "Blind" Solomon Stanley. He was an elder of the Stanley gypsy family that lived in caravans on Sholing Common, not 100 yards from the house I was brought up in. I used to play around the Millers Pond area when I was a kid, oblivious of the fact that his eldest daughter, my great great grandmother, did the same, while he was sitting in front of a camp fire, making baskets to sell in the area. I was also oblivious of the fact that like many in Sholing, I used the term "mush" all the time, without knowing is Romany for man.

 

Blind Solomon was tried for the murder of his first wife, whom he killed in a drunken argument at a campsite just outside Portsmouth, narrowly escaping the hangmans noose, after the judge directed the jury to find him not guilty. The Stanley tribe used to spend the summer in Wickham to collect the willow used for the construction of the tents, they then pitched in the New Forest. There's a Solomon Lane, by the common today.

 

So, here I sit, contemplating the deep roots that I have in Southampton, but also, the social mobility afforded by this great country, that allows a descendent of Romany immigrants, who once lived in England under the threat of hanging, for just for being gypsies, to reach the point I'm at today. Without this knowledge, I remember complaining bitterly about the gypsies that set up a camp on Wickham Common, as they had done for centuries, before the local council moved them on. I also remember thinking about the residents of Botany Bay Road, living in their caravans without a thought that I was related to people just like them. My perspective has been totally changed by the self knowledge I have gained, in seeking exactly who I think I am. I'm from Sholing, mush and proud of it...

Surely you should have turned into a Skate then ??

I did mine a few years ago. It dispelled a large number of family myths but unearthed some really interesting stories.

If you go back enough generations you will find someone very famours such as Royalty. It stands to reason given the maths involved.

Surely you should have turned into a Skate then ??

I was going out with a French Canadian girl many, many moons ago! This encouraged my mum to track down her estranged Father (he was Canadian GI during the war and did the usual after the war!)

Anyway, she eventually tracks him and his family down and discovers that my maternal great Grandmother was Mi'kmaq Indian

On her telling me this I informed my work mates I was 1/8 Indian and promptly did a Rain dance in the office, 2 hours later it started raining and didn't stop for 2 weeks (Coincidentally when I did a sun dance!!)

we're distantly related to Matthew Pinsent! Our families originated in Europe, being minor royalty that lived in Germany, France and Belgium. I think most people in this country are descended from minor royalty.

I seem to remember the programme that detailed his ancestory unearthed a scroll showing his royal lineage right back as far as God himself.

In bow down before thee, thy holiness.

I, too, am from Sholing and I went to junior school with a number of residents of Botany Bay Road, particularly the Bowers boys.

 

My brother has done extensive research on our family tree and one interesting fact is that we're distantly related to Matthew Pinsent! Our families originated in Europe, being minor royalty that lived in Germany, France and Belgium. I think most people in this country are descended from minor royalty.

Champagne socialist - i knew it!!!

Champagne socialist - i knew it!!!

LOL but we sank rapidly - great, great grandmothers in service and a great, great grandfather in the debtors' prison.

Genealogy is fascinating. My ex Father in Law was one of the world's leading genealogists. He traced his family back to the Norman invasion of 1066. Some of the stories of his ancestors are fascinating, like the one who crashed the titanic and the one who survived the Charge of the Light brigade. Going back over your family always throws up surprises, both good and bad.

"I used to hate pikeys, but since I found out I am one I've decided they can't be that bad." There, I've paraphrased all that waffle for you.

Been doing mine on and off for about 10 years.

Managed to get back to the late 1700's on my dad's side and also on my maternal grandfathers side.

One unfortunate fact is that I'm related by marriage to Pound family who ran the big marine salvage yard on Pikey Island.

I’ve long been interested in genetics and social history so I too enjoy researching family trees.

Apparently, genealogy is one of the most popular internet activities. Unfortunately, my own experiences don’t support this: the mere mention of ancestors is usually enough to send my own family and friends off to sleep. Perhaps it’s something to do with the arrow of time moving inexorably forwards; ‘the moving pen writes and having writ moves on’… and all that sort of thing!

Naturally, people are more interested in things they have – or, at least, believe they have - some sort of control over, i.e. the future rather than the past. Nevertheless, is the fact that most of us strive willingly to improve our descendants’ futures whilst remaining blissfully ignorant to the toil of our ancestors slightly paradoxical?

"I used to hate pikeys, but since I found out I am one I've decided they can't be that bad." There, I've paraphrased all that waffle for you.

Lol

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

An eye opening journey for me, really and one that has told me so much about the opportunities this country can bring. I spent some time researching my male line back to the 16th century from a now extinct village, just outside Chilworth, from which my name derives (think Tanners Brook, Millbrook, Monks Brook). Like many of us, most of my ancestors were involved in farm labour, an industry that employed the majority of the population at the time.

 

The most interesting part of the exercise has been my recent search along my female lineage, from my grandmother. I ended up with a great, great, great-grandfather called "Blind" Solomon Stanley. He was an elder of the Stanley gypsy family that lived in caravans on Sholing Common, not 100 yards from the house I was brought up in. I used to play around the Millers Pond area when I was a kid, oblivious of the fact that his eldest daughter, my great great grandmother, did the same, while he was sitting in front of a camp fire, making baskets to sell in the area. I was also oblivious of the fact that like many in Sholing, I used the term "mush" all the time, without knowing is Romany for man.

 

Blind Solomon was tried for the murder of his first wife, whom he killed in a drunken argument at a campsite just outside Portsmouth, narrowly escaping the hangmans noose, after the judge directed the jury to find him not guilty. The Stanley tribe used to spend the summer in Wickham to collect the willow used for the construction of the tents, they then pitched in the New Forest. There's a Solomon Lane, by the common today.

 

So, here I sit, contemplating the deep roots that I have in Southampton, but also, the social mobility afforded by this great country, that allows a descendent of Romany immigrants, who once lived in England under the threat of hanging, for just for being gypsies, to reach the point I'm at today. Without this knowledge, I remember complaining bitterly about the gypsies that set up a camp on Wickham Common, as they had done for centuries, before the local council moved them on. I also remember thinking about the residents of Botany Bay Road, living in their caravans without a thought that I was related to people just like them. My perspective has been totally changed by the self knowledge I have gained, in seeking exactly who I think I am. I'm from Sholing, mush and proud of it...

But he wasn't under threat of hanging due to being a gypsy. It was for MURDER, I think we would all have been under the same threat surely?

He was let off as the offence occurred just outside Portsmouth - it was normal for down there.

My wife has traced her side back a long long way ( I am not interested enough to ask how far ) but when she

wanted to trace mine she hit a brick wall 10 feet high. I know virtually nothing so was no help whatsoever.

An eye opening journey for me, really and one that has told me so much about the opportunities this country can bring. I spent some time researching my male line back to the 16th century from a now extinct village, just outside Chilworth, from which my name derives (think Tanners Brook, Millbrook, Monks Brook). Like many of us, most of my ancestors were involved in farm labour, an industry that employed the majority of the population at the time.

 

The most interesting part of the exercise has been my recent search along my female lineage, from my grandmother. I ended up with a great, great, great-grandfather called "Blind" Solomon Stanley. He was an elder of the Stanley gypsy family that lived in caravans on Sholing Common, not 100 yards from the house I was brought up in. I used to play around the Millers Pond area when I was a kid, oblivious of the fact that his eldest daughter, my great great grandmother, did the same, while he was sitting in front of a camp fire, making baskets to sell in the area. I was also oblivious of the fact that like many in Sholing, I used the term "mush" all the time, without knowing is Romany for man.

 

Blind Solomon was tried for the murder of his first wife, whom he killed in a drunken argument at a campsite just outside Portsmouth, narrowly escaping the hangmans noose, after the judge directed the jury to find him not guilty. The Stanley tribe used to spend the summer in Wickham to collect the willow used for the construction of the tents, they then pitched in the New Forest. There's a Solomon Lane, by the common today.

 

So, here I sit, contemplating the deep roots that I have in Southampton, but also, the social mobility afforded by this great country, that allows a descendent of Romany immigrants, who once lived in England under the threat of hanging, for just for being gypsies, to reach the point I'm at today. Without this knowledge, I remember complaining bitterly about the gypsies that set up a camp on Wickham Common, as they had done for centuries, before the local council moved them on. I also remember thinking about the residents of Botany Bay Road, living in their caravans without a thought that I was related to people just like them. My perspective has been totally changed by the self knowledge I have gained, in seeking exactly who I think I am. I'm from Sholing, mush and proud of it...

I have just found out that my five times Great Grandfather is Blind Solomon Stanley 1842 so we are related! Have you managed to go back any further? His parents were Samuel and Elizabeth. Samuels parents were William Stanley 1776 and Rose 1779. Williams were William 1737 and his Peter 1710 and Jane or Jenny. They came over from India in the 1600s x

My sister started tracing our family tree a few years ago.

Ok we knew we were half Welsh, fine with that, but going further back, when you discover that there may well have been some French and Yorkshire connections, it's time to leave well alone and pretend it didn't happen

My sister started tracing our family tree a few years ago.

Ok we knew we were half Welsh, fine with that, but going further back, when you discover that there may well have been some French and Yorkshire connections, it's time to leave well alone and pretend it didn't happen

It would explain a lot

Some Americans with the same (unusual) surname got in touch with my uncle a while back asking for information about our family tree. They sent him what they had found and it seems like we were Germans back in the 17th C and eventually came here via Ireland with the Huguenots. Probably explains my unique marching style.

Some Americans with the same (unusual) surname got in touch with my uncle a while back asking for information about our family tree. They sent him what they had found and it seems like we were Germans back in the 17th C and eventually came here via Ireland with the Huguenots. Probably explains my unique marching style.

Family on my Mother's side were from Dortmund, the famous 'Hofmeisters'.

It seems that most of my family were farm labourers from deepest, darkest Dorset.

Peasants basically then.

Oh well.

Being born and brought up in Newport with 2 generations of Welsh ancestors on both sides it was disturbing and a great shock to find my paternal grandfathers mother was born in the shadow of Fratton Park.

The Family tree on my Grandmothers side (Father) dates back to Fife in 1140 but named folks start in 1348 again in Scotland and meanders along to include a few landed Scallywags who were fined substantial amounts of Scottish Marks for naughtiness.

There are branches that just run dry which coincide with the land rights and large scale emigration to the New World. My Dad picked up a trail recently which led him into the New Forest and a long established link there, being born under the British Raj in India living from the age of nine in Lancashire then work bringing him to Southampton where he met my Mum, he thought that was amazing that there was "family" not that far away.

My Mum's side would be interesting to explore as my Great Grandfather sailed regularity out of Southampton to Cape Town, where he met a South African lady of German descent who he married and brought back to Southampton. Both World wars were interesting for my Great Grandmother living down in Freemantle as she had a German accent.

All interesting stuff, it would be nice to have the time to poke about properly.

The Family tree on my Grandmothers side (Father) dates back to Fife in 1140 but named folks start in 1348 again in Scotland and meanders along to include a few landed Scallywags who were fined substantial amounts of Scottish Marks for naughtiness.

There are branches that just run dry which coincide with the land rights and large scale emigration to the New World. My Dad picked up a trail recently which led him into the New Forest and a long established link there, being born under the British Raj in India living from the age of nine in Lancashire then work bringing him to Southampton where he met my Mum, he thought that was amazing that there was "family" not that far away.

My Mum's side would be interesting to explore as my Great Grandfather sailed regularity out of Southampton to Cape Town, where he met a South African lady of German descent who he married and brought back to Southampton. Both World wars were interesting for my Great Grandmother living down in Freemantle as she had a German accent.

 

All interesting stuff, it would be nice to have the time to poke about properly.

That will throw future generations off the scent.