In the family way.

Hmmm... s'been a while hasn't it!

Well the intervening break was caused as much by lack of inspiration as anything else, but also the nights began to draw in, got busy (well busiER) at work, other things came up, yada yada yada... you know the routine.

I heard something on the radio recently suggesting that there are [insert number here] billion dormant blogs cluttering up the old tinterweb thingy, and figured I ought to spring mine back into life.

So, what's been a-happenin'?

First of all, well, in fact most of all, I caught genealogy.

It's something I've fancied doing for a while (I mean for years and years) but never really knew how and where to start, nor managed to get into gear.

The first series of "Who Do You Think You Are?" got me thinking again... but not acting. However the second series was the spur.

Actually, that's not strictly correct. It is true that directly after watching episode one (Barbara Windsor) I just upped myself off the sofa and hit the old cybervault, but that was just the initial kick up the backside.

After forking out for some credits (the main thing that stopped me in the past) the first thing I did was to check the "Who lived at your address 100 years ago?" list.

Oh... OK, no-one did as our house has only been around for 5 years or so, but I racked my brains for previous addresses that were good candidates. That drew a blank also, but my thoughts turned to my maternal grandparents.

A little insight here... family tree research is a little tricky for me, as there is something of a lack of rellies upon whom I can rely for snippets of information.

Both my parents died some time ago (although my mother during here life was helpful in a typically backhanded sort of a way... she was great - mums just are - but she was a funny woman!) all my grandparents are likewise departed, and although both my parents had a supply of siblings, they are either similarly unavailable for comment, or else difficult to speak to.

I admit that last barrier is somewhat self-inflicted as I am naturally shy with people I don't know well (some of you will understand not knowing family well!) and also... well, it would be too strong to say I am the black-sheep, but there was a particular time when I didn't tow the family-line, shall we say.

OK... I changed my name.

Didn't go down well in some quarters!

So... what do I have to go on.

First of all, the family myth that I am descended from Oliver Cromwell.

As a member of a large internet forum, I was finally in a position to put that to the test by the simple expedient of asking.

Turns out my mum's maiden name was Ireson, and that was somehow Cromwell's name.

Well, the myth was not immediately shattered, but a fairly sizable blow was struck, though some light was cast.

Cromwell's sister married Henry Ireton (not Ireson) - well did mum say Ireson or Ireton?

Sure enough, my maternal grandmother's death is registered under the name Ireton, so the myth has legs?

Well, no... it seems that a) that was the only time the name Ireton was used, she was born Ireson, and b) Mr. and Ms. Cromwell were "without issue".

Hey ho, there you go.

Who's up for reporting "a)" to the family?

Anyway, back to who lived where 100 years ago. Well as I type "100" years ago is actually 105 and a half years ago - that is to say, the 1901 census.

Neither of my maternal grandparents were born then, but maybe my ggps lived there???

Er, no...

But up the street, lived someone I was able to form a link to... that's what really got me hooked!

When we used to visit my gps, we very occasionally would visit someone unknown to me (I was about 6) "up the street".

Well according to the 1901 census, there was a household up the street with the same surname as my grandfather (not unusual) but with a couple of lodgers, one of whom was the brother-in-law of the grandfather-like-named "head" of the household, with the same two forenames as mum's dad (VERY unusual!).

I have no documentary evidence (yet) as definitive proof, but I will hang every hat I have on that being the ggps.

Oh... one other nugget of information provided by my mother. My middle name is "Christopher", and I was so named after "Uncle Jack, who everyone called John, but whose real name was Percy". I kid you not.

Yep... Percy was alive and kicking in that household in 1901.

And from there, I've been able to go back about 5 generations. Pretty cool!

On my dad's side, I had almost zero information, other than his mum's name was "Annie" and where she came from.

Even so... back about 8 gens there to the late 1700s.

Not discovered any potential inheritance yet, though!

Anyway, while we're at it, I might as well regale you with the latest piece of emabarrassing behaviour that's causing amusement amongst various family members with whom I am still on speaking terms.

I was showing my daughter what I'd done, and she asked if we could search for her mum (my ex).

I said OK...

Right you have to get in my head a bit here, but go with it.

Ah... but mum wasn't born in the UK, so she won't be on... OK marriage to new hubby... ah, no, they got married in the US, so they won't be on... oh, but was that just a celebration and the legal wedding happened in Britain?

Let's have a look...

Ah... there she is look, marriage registration!

Hang on... that says 1987? Daughter born in 1990...

"Who in earth was your mum married to before you were born??? Oh... that'll be me!"

!!!

That last bit I actually said out loud, and as I recall, my daughter actually held here head in her hands.

She's proud of me.