More dives into my Ancestry
Working thru my ancestry via my DNA and on Ancestry.com feels a bit addictive. When you can find out more about those who you are your ancestors on posts and in history books. I am surprised often by I have found about them. Thus, I have had many more surprises and can now write a better history of where I came from and who I am. Therefore, more dives into my Ancestry. This means I have actively researched and explored my ancestor’s histories further. This means going beyond names and dates to uncover more details about their lives. There currently are books other historians have done on about twenty to twenty five of them.
Some crazy things you find
One of the crazy things was finding out in the history books who these people were. It has given me greater insight my family’s origins. Why many came to the new lands in America to get away from Kings and tyrants. However, some of my ancestors were the kings, tyrants and flat out not nice people. My ancestors had relationships with them. Realizing this, I decided more study on my part was needed.
Case One – Janet Kennedy
We associate the hippy movement with free love. Some thought this was a new idea in the late 1960’s. The court of King James IV of Scotland was about free love. Janet is not to be confused with a Jane Kennedy who was with Mary Queen of Scots at her death. My Janet Kennedy, was daughter of Lord Kennedy. She married young, to Alexander Gordon, a distant relative. However, Janet and Alexander seem to have separated not long after the marriage. Janet began a connection with Archibald “Bell-the-Cat” Douglas, Earl of Angus. I am not sure of his role yet he was a care taker of young James. Archibald appears to be an advisor to the Scottish Royal family at the time. Also Archibald is 14th Great Grand father also. Funny how these things work!
Janet was desirable
Janet certainly became James IV’s mistress sometime in the late 1490s. The relationship lasted for several years, and she lived with him throughout the period of his marriage negotiations with the Tutors. On the arrival of his bride, Janet was granted Darnaway Castle, near Inverness, for her life, provided that she remained “without husband or other man”. This did not happen!
James continued to visit Janet at least until 1505. She married again, although she was divorced by 1508. Janet bore two or three children to James: their son was James Stewart, 1 st Earl of Moray, and they had probably had two daughters, one of whom at least, is presumed to have died young. About James IV, he was later killed in the battle of Flodden. Many of Janet’s friends also. So James IV is my 15th Great Grand father, Janet my 15th Great Grand Mother and their son my 14th Great Grand father. These are on my father side of the family.
Case Two – Edward Teach
This was an oh my Goodness moment. I had heard this as a rumor from some cousins. Until I did the work we did not know for sure. Who was Edward Teach? Edward now know as Black Beard! He came from a naval family. He had one legitimate wife with whom he had four children. Black Beard the pirate worked the Caribbean, the coast of Mexico and Eastern North America for booty. He is just as well known today as he was during his heyday some three hundred years ago. Thank you movies and TV shows. Black Beard wins the prize arguably as the most famous pirate ever to set sail. Harga matey! He would be my 7th great grandfather on my mother’s side of her family. There are many more mysteries here to be solved!
More Ancestors to Come Stay Tuned To this blog post
Case Three – The strange case of Col. Thomas Cullamore and his daughter Cisley Collamore
When Thomas Cullamore and Cisley Collamore turned up on both sides of my family tree (Mother and father). I had to dig more. Cisley had many children. Brother and sister, John and Elizabeth are their names. John is a 8th great-granduncle my father side and Elizabeth is my 8th great grandmother. John is my 8th great-grandfather on my mothers side. This took a lot of digging to uncover as there was different paths. With a name like Cullamore, I did not get the connection for awhile.