Do you know Loraine's 24th grandmother has her own Wikipedia page?
One of the interesting things about Loraine and I both getting our DNA tested by Ancestry a couple of years ago is that we've been able to do a little digging into our pasts. She's been into it more than I have, perhaps because she has found more interesting results—especially her 24th grandmother, Margaret of Hungary.
That's right; Loraine's descended from royalty. It hasn't affected her too much, other than her demand that I refer to her at least once a day as “Your Majesty”. But it has led her down this whole genealogical rabbit-hole. On one side of family she does seem to be descended from Central European Royalty, while on the other side she has forebearers who helped William the Conqueror conquer England.
Those forebearers, by the way, came from right outside the French city of Bayeux, our headquarters whenever we're in Normandy. So if we ever get to go back, she can look over “her” lands and see from where a small part of her past sprung forth.
IF we ever get to back over there. But that's another story for another day.
Unlike Her Majesty, my background is much more plebeian, at least from what I've found so far. I do have a relative who came over to the US within a year or two of the Mayflower, but otherwise I seem to come from Prussian farming stock and Swedish farming stock. Oh, and the Irish part of my family may—just may—have come from a guy who was given a choice to either leave Ireland or go to jail for almost weekly drunken and disorderly arrests.
I'm still looking into that part of it.
So the next time you see Loraine, a little curtsy might be in order. After all, if things had turned out differently, she might indeed still be royalty. And me? Well, I might still be in Ireland, making sure my 4th or 5th great-grandfather has his bail money for the week.
Family trees. What a wacky and wonderful thing. Have a great weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment