Topic: Who Do You Think You Are

[Manouche]

Whilst watching this programme the other night I thought I would start it as a new thread. I just wondered if anyone else has a story to tell.
I was about nine when I found an old photo of my mum and a soldier and as I looked at his face I could see me and from that day firmly believed he was my real dad.
Mum said when you are older I'll tell you all about him, his name was Nick and he was an American Italian and a G.I.who was stationed in Portsmouth during the war.
So to cut a long story short at age 48 I found him living in America still, unmarried and still remembering the love he had for my mother.
Just a few days before my 49th birthday I flew to Rhode Isand and met my Dad, two beautiful Aunties and two Uncles one of which was a D Day survivor. I was surrounded by these warm hearted Italians who took me to their hearts. By Deed Poll I changed my surname to my Dads as a birthday gift for him he was so proud.

My Grandfather was an Italian Immigrant who sailed to Boston from Naples from a poor farming area in Italy and got a job, sent for his Italian wife and raised his family of six children.My Grandmother died in childbirth sadly but the family remained together. Through hard work and sheer determination my Grandfather bought his own house and small plot of land next to the house to grow tomatoes and grapes and all the vegetables he could to feed his children. This was the house where my family still lived.

Although now my family have all passed away they live on in me.I have some wonderful photos of my grandparents and all my family.Some wonderful videos of my visits to America which I watch from time to time. One day I should like to visit the hilltop village in Italy where my roots are and this little story all began.

So thats my story, what about yours.

[PurpleHeather]

I certainly can not beat that for romance. Have you done the full gene check?

[Manouche]

Well had some blood stuff done and of course it was the same as Dads.
I never doubted him being my Father and he never doubted me being his daughter.
Sadly a close family friend was unsure so I did it for that reason.

[queenbee]

Been doing my tree for serveral years, My father, My Grandfather and my Greatgrandfather were all avid gardeners, in fact greatgrandad did it professionaly, earlier ancestors were agricultural workers and silk weavers in equal number. My one claim to fame was a great great uncle who helped to design the gun turret in the Lancaster Bomber. So glad you have found your roots Manouche let us know when you have found your place in Italy.

[Manouche]

Hi Queenbee so generations of family with their fingers in the soil, do you feel it in your blood.
Silk weavers sounds unusual what part of the country did they do that. Isn't it strange what you can uncover about family when you start these trees.
I would be pretty proud of anyone in my family who helped design a gun turret in a Bomber sadly a necessary evil that helped to give our country freedom.
All of these things that come to light in searches are so very interesting.

[manicscousers]

from stories told me by my Grandma and my dad, my gran's family is from Italy and so is my granddad's, Grandad's grandad changed his name to Miller on the way over to England as that was his profession, according to my mum, her family stems from the fraser clan in Scotland, luckily, my brother is doing our family tree  ;D
dad used to mess around, his favourite was to tell us we were descended from white slavers  :o
Rays claim to fame is his dad is related to the earl of anglesey, he can use the crest but his relative ran away with a maid and was a younger brother so no money, typical  ;D

[Jeannine]

I have been doing my roots for years on nd off,have had some fun and one or two surprises but nothing as smashing as yourThe one I like in my tree was a male ancestor who was apparently a bit of a lad, one we would describe as a real wrong'un He got into lots of trouble na swas basically given the choice of jail or the army,he took the army.He was taught to blow a bugle which apparently peeked his interest. Eventually he retired from the army, quite high up in rank , quite famous and was "master of the Queen's music" Just goes to show you there is good in everybody.

Oh we also found a female relative in jail for night walking on the day of a census!!

I wonder if I take after either one... mm  .. well I can whistle !!! ;D

XX Jeannine

[caroline7758]

I have been doing my roots for years on nd off,

And there was me thinking you were a natural brunette! ;D (Sorry, couldn't resist!) ;D

[Manouche]

Hi there  thought your post was very interesting. So you have Italian roots, do you have any idea of the real surname of your Italian side.
It is amazing how generations ago these people made a trip to another country to find a better life.
Bit easier now we have Ryan air but then what a huge step it was.
If you do know the surname you could list it on Italiansrus a it's a freesite or google italian surnames map. They can tell you from the surname where in Italy these names originate.
Just thought it may be of interest if your brother is still doing your family tree.
Dont know anything about the Fraser clan I'm afraid.
Great little story about Rays side sorry you didn't get to inherit but you can at least stick a crest up on your allotment.
Submitting this post has spurred me on to see if I have any other distant relatives living in that hillside village. x

[manicscousers]

Hi, Manouche, my grandma was galvani, distant relative invented the galvanic battery, other side is Rosario (one who changed his name to Miller)..I'll be seeing my brother this weekend, he's over from Canada for his 60th birthday, hopefully, he'll have the updated 'tree' with him  ;D

[Manouche]

Hi Manics Just had a look on the Italian forum and I see that there are two Rosario's and I Galvani listed.
Ricks really impressed about your relative and the battery.
So maybe distant relatives eh!   xxx

[manicscousers]

maybe so  ;D

[GrannieAnnie]

For a birthday present  to my dad when he was in his mid-90's we gave him a genome test- the one available through
National Geographic. We swabbed his mouth and sent it off. It showed that his ancestors came, of course, out of Africa then into Iran area and up through Greece into Germany. We knew of the German part, but the Greek piece was new. He also is related to
Yetzi, the frozen man dug up near Switzerland- I think I've spelled it wrong.

After that we also sent off our adopted son's cells for a genome test since all we know about his ancestry is that he is an American Indian from Guyana and we thought he might like to know something of his origins. After a very long wait for results, compared to my dad's, it came back showing: out of Africa, through southern Asia, into China, across the Bering Straits into Alaska, down Calif, into S. America to Brazil and to northern Brazil area. We were delighted because we know he was born in Guyana just over the border from Brazil!

[Manouche]

Just picked up this post which I missed before...very interesting to see the journeys made by our family lines and what a great birthday present!
Has anyone else had this test done...just wondered how much a test costs

[Tulipa]

quite high up in rank , quite famous and was "master of the Queen's music"

Jeannine, my great great grandfather was Queen Victoria's Senior State Trumpeter for Scotland - do  you think they might have worked together when she visited Scotland?  That would be quite a coincidence!

[GrannieAnnie]

Just picked up this post which I missed before...very interesting to see the journeys made by our family lines and what a great birthday present!
Has anyone else had this test done...just wondered how much a test costs

a few years ago the National Geo. genome test was $107 and I'm sure it is available around the world in local currency since they're eager to refine the migration paths which can only be done as more and more are tested. They also send a DVD of the process and how data has been collected in many remote areas which was quite interesting.

My sister and I were very eager to have Dad's genome before he died since he was the last male in his line and one cannot get the male data from a female ancestor.