*Ø* Blogmanac | Great-Grandpa
You know, it just kinda hit me tonight. My maternal great-grandfather was born in 1819. Yes, my Mum's grandpa was born just after Napoleon died. Talk about six degrees of separation! Only a few generations back to the early industrial era, to the time of Nelson's navy, when men were keelhauled, and traitors were hanged, drawn and quartered. The word 'Australia' was three years old. People in Sydneytown (almost all of them convicts), looked like this.
I'm 50 years young, and it's not as though my Mum had me when she was ancient or anything; in fact, she was pretty young, just 27 years of age. She's still young. To think of Mum, very active and brown-haired still, having a Grandpa who was born in 1819 is ... kinda weird.
Check out some things that happened in the year my Mum's grandpa was born:
Births
George Eliot, novelist.
Queen Victoria.
Herman Melville, American novelist, author of Moby Dick.
Julia Ward Howe, writer of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Walt Whitman, American poet.
Events
Simon Bolivar proclaimed the Republic of Colombia.
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded Singapore.
Thomas Blanchard patented the lathe.
The United States House of Representatives passed the Missouri Compromise.
Spain signed the Adams-Onis Treaty with the United States ceding eastern Florida.
The paddle-wheel steamship Savannah became the first steamship to successfully cross the Atlantic.
The Peterloo massacre took place in Manchester, UK
Alabama was admitted as the 22nd US state.
Published
The Bride of Lammermoor - Sir Walter Scott
Odes - John Keats
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon - Washington Irving
Source 1
Source 2
This isn't some kind of record, I know that. I've heard of cases on record in which four generations can span much more, maybe three centuries instead of nearly two -- but I can't remember where, and it's not the easiest thing to google. Maybe you know of some, or maybe even your own family can beat this.
I'm not trying to claim a gold medal or anything -- I'd really much rather hear who's earned a gold medal more. Drop me a line, OK? It's sort of fascinating.
You know, it just kinda hit me tonight. My maternal great-grandfather was born in 1819. Yes, my Mum's grandpa was born just after Napoleon died. Talk about six degrees of separation! Only a few generations back to the early industrial era, to the time of Nelson's navy, when men were keelhauled, and traitors were hanged, drawn and quartered. The word 'Australia' was three years old. People in Sydneytown (almost all of them convicts), looked like this.
I'm 50 years young, and it's not as though my Mum had me when she was ancient or anything; in fact, she was pretty young, just 27 years of age. She's still young. To think of Mum, very active and brown-haired still, having a Grandpa who was born in 1819 is ... kinda weird.
Check out some things that happened in the year my Mum's grandpa was born:
Births
George Eliot, novelist.
Queen Victoria.
Herman Melville, American novelist, author of Moby Dick.
Julia Ward Howe, writer of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Walt Whitman, American poet.
Events
Simon Bolivar proclaimed the Republic of Colombia.
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded Singapore.
Thomas Blanchard patented the lathe.
The United States House of Representatives passed the Missouri Compromise.
Spain signed the Adams-Onis Treaty with the United States ceding eastern Florida.
The paddle-wheel steamship Savannah became the first steamship to successfully cross the Atlantic.
The Peterloo massacre took place in Manchester, UK
Alabama was admitted as the 22nd US state.
Published
The Bride of Lammermoor - Sir Walter Scott
Odes - John Keats
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon - Washington Irving
Source 1
Source 2
This isn't some kind of record, I know that. I've heard of cases on record in which four generations can span much more, maybe three centuries instead of nearly two -- but I can't remember where, and it's not the easiest thing to google. Maybe you know of some, or maybe even your own family can beat this.
I'm not trying to claim a gold medal or anything -- I'd really much rather hear who's earned a gold medal more. Drop me a line, OK? It's sort of fascinating.
Pip Wilson posted item above at 2:34 AM | Permalink
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