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Your Most Exotic Ancestor

MWS

MWS

from Bham
Not strictly Birmingham related I suppose but...

Where did your most 'exotic' ancestor come from and why did they (if you know) or their descendants come to Birmingham?

I would say mine would be a 3 x great grandfather from Holme-next-the-sea in Norfolk (not very exotic) and was probably a victim of farming improvements in the mid 18th century.
 
Dr John Clendinning from Westport County Mayo and Wimpole Street London. He was the first member of the Royal College of Physicians to report and record as to the beneficial effects from the consumption of cannabis, or as he called it: Indian Hemp. He died 1848 in a blissful nirvana...apparently!

Cannabis shops in certain States of the USA where marijuana has been legalised for 'medical reasons', regard Dr John Clendinning as their spiritual guru in the afterlife: they are off-their-heads most of the time so we should not take too much notice of what they say or do.


John Clendinning - Copy.jpg

Portrait of the good doctor who is my GGG Grandfather...
 
This is an account of my ? X Gt Grandfather - not sure exotic fits but he is an ancestor of mine and pretty important in his day I assume:

"Thomas Gill, (born 1744 died 1801), Leading sword cutler from Birmingham, UK.
The first evidence we have of the Gill family in Birmingham, England is an advertisement in the Aris Gazette dated 28 November 1748. This advertisement refers to one Thomas Gill who had recently arrived from Liverpool and set up shop near the Golden Ball at the upper end of Moor Street. His trade was the manufacture of files for use in the clock and watch trade. Mr Gill died soon after arriving in Birmingham and his business was carried on under the name of his son born around 1744 who was also named Thomas and is the subject of this article.
Thomas Gill was involved in producing a very wide range of products and many entries appear in the Board of Ordnance records listing the provision of miscellaneous ironmongery. It appears that Thomas ( became very successful and employed many workers in his Birmingham premises.
As well as making many steel tools, files, saws and ironmongery, around 1778 he also started the manufacture of sword blades that was to dominate the family business. In the year 1779 a petition was presented to the Board of Ordnance to supply them with German swords because English ones were inferior. Mr. Gill’s swords were presented and shown ‘to the entire satisfaction and conviction of the Hon. Board that Mr Gill’s were equal in goodness to any foreign swords’.
In about 1783 Thomas Gill (II) embarked on a campaign that was to occupy him for the remainder of his life. This being to improve the reputation of sword blades produced in Britain and Birmingham in particular.
To encourage the production of sword blades in England, in 1685 in the reign of James II, an act of parliament had been passed to prevent the importation of foreign blades. Although the founding of a successful internal manufacturing base had not met with any great success, the duty imposed by the act nevertheless remained. By the 1780’s the treasury was receiving requests to import swords duty free due to the inferior quality of English swords. In 1783 Thomas Gill became aware of these requests and, no doubt fearful to the threat to his business, sent a letter to the Treasury informing them that his swords were as good as those from Germany and praying that a test could be performed comparing his blades to those of foreign manufacture. No action was undertaken by the Royal Ordnance. Thomas , however, was not content to idly sit back and wait and pressed on with his campaign to have tests undertaken. In 1786 the East India Company placed an order with various suppliers for a total of 10,000 horsemen’s swords. Thomas Gill was vocal in calling for comparative tests being performed. In October 1786 the first tests were performed".

Acknowledgement to 'Mark Cloke' of 'Old Swords Forum' for the information.
 
Very interesting DPL and Bernard. How fortunate you both are to have such information about your ancestors.

I assume Thomas was successful in getting his tests performed.
 
I have been told by my mother that we are related to Abraham Lincoln. I have inherited a family tree and first hand written accounts from relatives who have passed on. However, as they did not have the benefit of the internet and easy travel I didn't have anything in the way of evidence. I am working through the records and am close to proving a direct link to Samuel Lincoln who left Hingham in Norfolk in the 1600s to sail to America and was the ancestor of the first president of USA. I have a trip to the Norwich archives planned for March to confirm the final links via the parish records. So wish me luck!
 
My paternal G Grandfather when a young boy left England with his family for South Africa. His family settled south of Cape Town and years later one of his daughters married my Grandfather who was in the Scots Guards stationed out there. Needless to say my grandfather brought her home to England ......
I have photographs and notes of the area which I have found very interesting but although I have notes on the South African connection I am, at present, unable to contact any of them.
 
Good luck Chris. Family legends seem to have a habit of turning out to be tall stories. I hope you confirm your connection.
 
That's a great story to have in your family tree bishopsmate. I hope you've been able to find your grandfather's army records. My grandfather's brother was in South Africa and his were interesting to look at.
 
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