Long lost family

[Prestwich_Blue]

Went to a family birthday party in Liverpool today and discovered I had three cousins I never knew about. Their mother and her sister were brought up from being a young girl by my great-aunt (by marriage) & my great uncle (my grandma's brother). Their mum & her sister were always part of the family and my dad considered them his real cousins. What I never knew was that one of the girls had three children, who (while not blood relations) are effectively my second cousins. Had a fantastic time getting to know them.

Another of my dad's cousins answered a knock on the door one day to find a daughter he never knew about stood on the doorstep.

Anyone else come across any long-lost family?

 

[Ban-jani]

I was pissed up outside a local kebab house when I was about 16 and a girl in the year below, who was also pissed, kept banging on about how she’s my cousin.

Needless to say I didn’t believe her but I mentioned it to my mum who admitted she has a sister who fell out with the entire family and hasn’t spoken to anyone for 30 years. This sister has two daughters who we were never told about.

I wasn’t really angry as it was understandable why we were never told.

I get on with the cousin who informed me, when I occasionally bump into her but she’s the only one I’ve ever spoken to.

 

[peoffrey]

Definitely. My dad’s dad left my nan and had five more with another woman. They came out of the woodwork through Genes Reunited some ten years ago. Half-uncles and aunts I’d never known about.

I have a suspicion my late dad had another child with another woman but that’s all it is. A hunch. Something strange went on for a while that nobody knows about. He’d disappear telling nobody where he’d been and his partner (after my mum) suddenly fucked him off.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

My dad discovered in his 70’s that the girl he thought was his auntie was, in fact, his sister. My gran had given birth at 14 and the girl had been ‘adopted’ by her mother (and his gran). It was the late 1920’s. The charade had been kept up right until my gran died in 2001. Pretty fucked up situation. My gran was a very hard woman. Proper abrasive Mancunian, although she doted on me.

Tragically, his sister died alone in a mental hospital in 1983. Heartbreaking.

When people talk of slipping social standards today, they should remember the evil that was commmited in the name of social morality from the late-Victorian era up to the 1960’s.

 

[itsnevereasy]

Waves - hi dad

 

[1.618034]

My dad discovered in his 70’s that the girl he thought was his auntie was, in fact, his sister. My gran had given birth at 14 and the girl had been ‘adopted’ by her mother (and his gran). It was the late 1920’s. The charade had been kept up right until my gran died in 2001. Pretty fucked up situation. My gran was a very hard woman. Proper abrasive Mancunian, although she doted on me.

Tragically, his sister died alone in a mental hospital in 1983. Heartbreaking.

When people talk of slipping social standards today, they should remember the evil that was commmited in the name of social morality from the late-Victorian era up to the 1960’s.

Similar situation in my Dad's family, again around the 1920s. He was the 8th, born in 1925, of what he thought were 10 kids. But his youngest sister turned out to be his eldest sister's daughter. He was a lot younger when it finally came out, but still. Seems it was very common.

Plus, his Dad, who wasn't always around, apparently had another family in Broughton!

So I must have loads of relatives that I don't know about.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Similar situation in my Dad's family, again around the 1920s. He was the 8th, born in 1925, of what he thought were 10 kids. But his youngest sister turned out to be his eldest sister's daughter. He was a lot younger when it finally came out, but still. Seems it was very common.

Plus, his Dad, who wasn't always around, apparently had another family in Broughton!

So I must have loads of relatives that I don't know about.

It was very common. You can’t extinguish human urges.


The mad thing about my gran is that after my dad was widowed with two kids at 28 in the early 60’s, her and my grandad brought both kids up. My older brother and sister. Dad saw them every day, but they lived with gran and grandad. It’s why my older brother and sister have such a different social background (and disposition) from me and my younger brother, who were both born after dad ‘improved himself’. Four siblings: two of whom are discernibly working-class; two, unequivocally middle-class.

Edit: I could never reconcile someone abandoning your own child, against bringing up someone else’s (as my gran did - guilt, maybe?).

As I’ve said, my gran was a strange woman.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Went to a family birthday party in Liverpool today and discovered I had three cousins I never knew about. Their mother and her sister were brought up from being a young girl by my great-aunt (by marriage) & my great uncle (my grandma's brother). Their mum & her sister were always part of the family and my dad considered them his real cousins. What I never knew was that one of the girls had three children, who (while not blood relations) are effectively my second cousins. Had a fantastic time getting to know them.

Another of my dad's cousins answered a knock on the door one day to find a daughter he never knew about stood on the doorstep.

Anyone else come across any long-lost family?

Did you ask if any of them were in the vicinity of Anfield, lobbing bottles at the City bus back in March?

 

[oldtimerdiscopants]

Snooty Fox in the middle 80's got into a scrape with a few lads over nothing I was invited outside but when I got outside the ringleader recognised me as his cousin. Instead of hetting a good hiding I got a new fridge because he sold fridges on Harpurhey market.

 

[RadcliffeRick]

Waves - hi dad

Here comes the claim for 16 years pocket money owed!!!