[Misc] Interesting or Famous Ancestors

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origigull

Well-known member
Jun 29, 2009
1,250
On my mother's side of the family in the 1600s was Captain Nicholas Tettersell who helped the future king Charles II escape to France from Shoreham in the coal ship 'The Surprise'. When Charles was crowned King a few years later Captain Tettersell changed the boat's name to 'The Royal Escape'. In later years Captain Tettersell became High Constable of Brighton and bought The Old Ship Inn on Brighton seafront. In the 80s I actually went into the the now named Hotel to have a look at his portrait handing up in one of the bars. Here is the inscription on his tomb:
The inscription reads: "Captain Nicholas Tettersell, through whose prudence, valour and loyalty Charles the Second King of England and after he had escaped the sword of his merciless rebels and his fforces received a fatall overthrow at Worcester Sept 3 1651 was ffaithfully preserved and conveyed into Ffrance, departed this life the 26th. day of July 1674. Approved ffaith honour and loyalty, In this cold clay he hath now tane up his station, At once preserved ye church the Crowne and nation, When Charles ye Greate was nothing but a breath, This valiant soule slept between him and death, Usurpers threats nor tyrant rebells froune, Could not affraight his duty to the Crowne, Which glorious Act of his for Church and State, Eight Princes in one day doth Gratulate, Professing all to him in debt to bee, As all the World are to his Memory, Since each could not reward his worth have given, Hee now receivest from the King of Heaven, In the same chest one jewell more you have, The partener of his vertues bed and grave. Susanna his wife, who decesed ye 1th. day of May 1679, To whose pioiis memory and his owne honour Nicholas, theire only Son and heir, inheriter of his Ffathers virtues, hath payd his last duty in this monument 1676. Here also lyeth interred the body of Captain Nicholas Tettersell, his son, who departed this life the fourth of the calends of October 1701 in the 57th. year of his age."
 




bhafc99

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2003
7,456
Dubai
On my maternal side I have a smuggler called Thomas "Boathook" Shoesmith, who was high up in the Little Common gang

Awesome, thanks for that. I grew up in Little Common (between 8-18), and I never knew there was a Little Common Gang until your post. Now I’ve just googled it - great stories.
 


Knocky's Nose

Mon nez est retiré.
May 7, 2017
4,190
Eastbourne
Hi, my great grand father x quite a lot, probably knew yours then, for the battle and stayed, this in turn probably makes you of Scandinavian decent before that then, when the Vikings settled in France.
my fellow northman.

maybe we should start a club, and take back what was ours.

Correct - my furthest roots go back to Scandinavia! There's also some Irish king a lot of us '100%'ers' descend from.

I'm a bit old to do any serious raping, and the laws have moved on a bit since then - but I'm all up for some pillaging. :drink:
 




raymondo

Well-known member
Apr 26, 2017
7,385
Wiltshire
Using the information my grandfather left me and ancestry I have managed to trace some interesting folk, my grandmothers grandad came over from the Frankfurt region in around 1850 and setlled in London, he had the usual 8 kids and they all ended up running pubs in Camden, Kentish Town, The Blue Bells in Soho and various others in the mainly North London, one of my ancestors died literally 100 yards away from our old flat in a pub called the "Roman Ciizen" it had been converted into flats by the time we lived there, but spooky.

The furtherst back my grandad traced and has an old book with all the family members etc printed in 1890 something and he says we are related to Ralph de Pomeroy who came over with William the Conqueror in the cavalry which for his services he was rewarded 58 manors in Devon and 2 manors in Somerset, Berry Pomery has a castle that we visited several times.

The furthest back I have got with direct lineage on my grandmothers side, no uncles or aunties counted, just parents is Harold I ‘the White’ King of Bornholm Bjornsson born the 5th June 1170 (king did not mean king, i think it means local chieftain"

Then down too Erik I King Frondhølm, King of Rügen Bjornsson born5 Sep 1251 Arhus, Denmark

Then one of his decedents Augustinia Frondhølm Princess born July 19 1452 Isle of Rügen, Germany married Cosimo Severucci King of Elba who died Aug 3rd 1507 Severucci Palace, Porto Azzurro, Elba, Italy, their daughter married Owain ap Rhydderch Gruffydd from a famous family in Welsh history.

Several generations later Sir Thomas Robinson Of rokeby died at Leeds castle 1643 after a battle.

There are several other Sirs and Earls, but I have check and verify if really connected, through time the family has fought in wars, been diluted, wealth lost and gained, I take it all with a big pinch of salt, but one thing I do get out of this is we all come from a foreign land so far I predominately, Scandinavian, Norman (French) German, Swiss, Welsh, Russian, and various Baltic States, and a smidge of Italian.

It is very very interesting though

A fascinating read, amazing at the depth you've been able to trace.
Mine gets lost very quickly: Welsh father, whose mother and grandmother lied about their ages to get married, and all the men were called Evan Evans or thereabouts... so it would all have become guesswork before great grandparents. My mum's side includes her dad (50,% Czech) and her mum (50 %Italian,) so that side became hard to track back rather quickly.
My wife is Ukrainian (with a Russian dad) so our son is a mix of 1/4 Ukrainian, 1/4 Russian, 1/4 Welsh, 1/8 English, 1/16 Czech, 1/16 Italian give or take. Probably somebody famous sonewhere along the line, but maybe only Adam and Eve.
 












rudolf hucker

Active member
Jul 26, 2009
140
Hove
Gt gt +++ Uncle was one of the crew cast away on the lifeboat from the famous mutiny on the bounty story and later fought alongside Lord Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen.
 




Gazwag

5 millionth post poster
Mar 4, 2004
30,739
Bexhill-on-Sea
Awesome, thanks for that. I grew up in Little Common (between 8-18), and I never knew there was a Little Common Gang until your post. Now I’ve just googled it - great stories.
You probably played in Gillham Wood then bet that place holds some stories from smuggler times
 


portlock seagull

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
17,779
On my mother's side of the family in the 1600s was Captain Nicholas Tettersell who helped the future king Charles II escape to France from Shoreham in the coal ship 'The Surprise'. When Charles was crowned King a few years later Captain Tettersell changed the boat's name to 'The Royal Escape'. In later years Captain Tettersell became High Constable of Brighton and bought The Old Ship Inn on Brighton seafront. In the 80s I actually went into the the now named Hotel to have a look at his portrait handing up in one of the bars. Here is the inscription on his tomb:
The inscription reads: "Captain Nicholas Tettersell, through whose prudence, valour and loyalty Charles the Second King of England and after he had escaped the sword of his merciless rebels and his fforces received a fatall overthrow at Worcester Sept 3 1651 was ffaithfully preserved and conveyed into Ffrance, departed this life the 26th. day of July 1674. Approved ffaith honour and loyalty, In this cold clay he hath now tane up his station, At once preserved ye church the Crowne and nation, When Charles ye Greate was nothing but a breath, This valiant soule slept between him and death, Usurpers threats nor tyrant rebells froune, Could not affraight his duty to the Crowne, Which glorious Act of his for Church and State, Eight Princes in one day doth Gratulate, Professing all to him in debt to bee, As all the World are to his Memory, Since each could not reward his worth have given, Hee now receivest from the King of Heaven, In the same chest one jewell more you have, The partener of his vertues bed and grave. Susanna his wife, who decesed ye 1th. day of May 1679, To whose pioiis memory and his owne honour Nicholas, theire only Son and heir, inheriter of his Ffathers virtues, hath payd his last duty in this monument 1676. Here also lyeth interred the body of Captain Nicholas Tettersell, his son, who departed this life the fourth of the calends of October 1701 in the 57th. year of his age."

That is an awesome ancestor to have!
 


Baldseagull

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2012
11,839
Crawley
Had an Uncle that fought in the Battle of Traffalgar, not the naval engagement, the pub on Guildford Road in Brighton.
 




topbanana36

Well-known member
Dec 29, 2007
1,758
New Zealand
Anyone discovered someone in the family:

Fought at Waterloo?
Abolished Slavery?
Swam the channel in a “first” capacity?
Been into space?
Invented something famous?
Wrote the Bible?!
Executed?!!!!

Etc, etc.

Great great great Grandmother was a freed slave. Paul Bogle was a distant relative as well as famous slave trader Robert bogle.

Justine Lord is my 3rd Cousin.
 






Wardy's twin

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2014
8,872
My great uncle played for Linfield in Belfast in early 1920s before moving to Forest. The interesting bit was he was a catholic playing for a club which epitomised unionism. In the 1950's he went back there as a trainer and had the same role for Northern Ireland. In 2010 a play was written about him and Elisha Scott the protestant manager of Belfast Celtic about 'crossing the divide'. Ironically Belfast Celtic folded due to attacks on players by Linfield fans when Scott was manager there.
 








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