When that question came through from Goodreads I thought, “Nothing at all.” And then I remembered my great great grandfather, who was born in 1848 (we go back a long way very quickly on the maternal line of my family.) Who his father was, we’re not sure. It might have been the man his mother eventually married, who appeared to be a lodger in the house, but I have some wild theories – none of which I have any evidence for, naturally.
GGF’s name was Robert Osmond (possibly Osment) Bowstead Gaff, which is an unusually elaborate name, and while Robert crops up all over the place on the family tree, the other two elements don’t. I have a theory that Osmond Bowstead is the clue to my GGGF’s identity. (I think Robert’s mother may have been in service at some point. Did an indiscretion happen with one of the guests?)
Mystery indeed.
I still want to know why one set of great, great grandparents moved from Norfolk to Sheffield. We know how they did it, but not the inspiration for it.
Oh, how odd. Said GGF moved from Norfolk to Tyneside. It was either to do with finding work or removing embarrassment in our case.
My great grandfather was disowned by the rest of the family. The story was that he remarried only 3 weeks after the death of his wife. However we have since found the marriage cert. and it was years later that he remarried. So what was the row about? There is no one left alive who knows.
Ah, those family stories that get lost! We have another mystery – we were always told we were related to Grace Darling but can’t find the connection.