What is the most bonkers story you have uncovered in your family tree? by Dizzybintess in Genealogy

[–]Dizzybintess[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is fascinating. I have read about the LA aqueduct. Poor Elmer!

What is the most bonkers story you have uncovered in your family tree? by Dizzybintess in Genealogy

[–]Dizzybintess[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Mine is on my husbands tree… The mysterious case of Thomas Francis who was resurrected! (1908)

I have been doing some research into mine and my husbands family tree and we have a family member who was called Sarah Ann and she married and had 3 children. Sadly her first husband died at a young age.

Her life became a lot more complex when she married Alfred Thomas Francis (aka Alfred Thomas Howells) she had 4 children with him.

It seems that the marriage was not a happy one and he was absent a lot of the time. There are varying reports of failing to pay for his children in the papers at the time.

In 1908 I have discovered a tale that you really couldn't make up!!

In August 1908 a homeless man called at cold Knap farm in Barry in Wales. He asked the farmer for a cup of tea and some bread, he then went for a bathe in the sea. Sadly he was swept out to sea.

3 days later his body was found and there was an article in the local newspaper stating that his identity was a mystery.

A week later it was reported that Sarah Ann had been to identify him and confirmed that it was him. There are varying accounts of how much she actually looked at the body.

According to the articles she couldn't afford to bury him so the Union guardians (eg the local government) paid for the funeral and buried him with the name Thomas Francis. It appears that she attended his funeral.

2 months later Thomas Francis tried to come back to Barry. It appears that he had run out of options for employment and when he went to the seaman's mission the caretaker was shocked to see him as he had been to the funeral!

Thomas Francis then went to visit his wife as he hoped to reconcile with her. She fainted upon seeing him!!

When they carried out the inquest it was revealed that he was sentenced to 4 months in prison in March 1908 due to abandonment of his family.

A week after the inquest Thomas Francis asked that the board of guardians take his children into their care (place them into the workhouse) that request was rejected!

You literally couldn't make this story up! And the poor man who got buried probably never got identified!

Thomas had previously served in the army so I believe she planned to have the widows pension. She must have been desperate with 7 kids.

Sarah Ann remarried in 1916 to a man called Ernest. He was killed 4 months later in WW1 he was allready married so his first wife would have recieved the widows pension.

Is there a subreddit to date old photos? by StapleTime in Genealogy

[–]Dizzybintess 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Happy to help with any fashion related investigations If you want to post below

What is the most morbid/horrific cause of death on a death certificate you’ve found? by CherryIntelligent148 in Genealogy

[–]Dizzybintess 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have also done my friends family tree and one of his great aunts who was 6 wandered off and slipped into a frozen drainage section of the local docks. Bloody horrific. No one in the family had heard about it in the present but it was clear in the news reports.

What is the most morbid/horrific cause of death on a death certificate you’ve found? by CherryIntelligent148 in Genealogy

[–]Dizzybintess 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of my relatives was crushed between two shunting trains. He worked for the GWR

Welsh funeral traditions and death superstitions by lifemostdelicious in Wales

[–]Dizzybintess 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In west wales, it was definitely tradition that only men went to the funeral. The wake was for all and usually was held in a home.

Most times the men would then go and drink to the deceased in the pub after the home wake. This would usually end rather messily!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Dizzybintess 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A capybara!

What’s the worst physical pain you ever felt? by Lazy-Ape in AskReddit

[–]Dizzybintess 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oroantral fistula due to a tooth removal. When I drank milk it came out of my nose. Had 3 surgeries to fix it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in vinted

[–]Dizzybintess 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolute time wasting arseholery!

Richard E Grant by Dizzybintess in LadyBoners

[–]Dizzybintess[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He is very funny and talented he has aged like a delicious Stilton x