Elizabeth Rushworth (1783-1865) Her father Edward Rushworth was a churchman and MP. The family was from the Isle of Wight and descended from the great Admiral Lord Holmes. Elizabeth was the second of thirteen children! Great x3 grandmother.
Margaret French (b.1861) Painter; she was also a musician and attended the Royal College of Music. daughter of the Ven.R French, Archdeacon of Mauritius. Great-grandmother
Sir Alexander Murray, 4th Lord Elibank (1677-1735) Murray was a figure of national importance in Scotland, and made a large contribution to the development of agriculture in the country. He lost money in the South Sea Bubble; he also voted in favour of the union between England and Scotland. Great x5 grandfather
Alexander Murray (1712–1778) Leading Jacobite who was heavily involved in the final Jacobite rebellion, the "Elibank Plot". He spent time in Newgate Jail. Great x4 great-uncle
Anna Burnet Daughter of Archbishop Burnet, a hardline Episcopalian. Anna's greatgrandfather, however, was William Burnet, a notorious border raider nicknamed Hoolet o'Barns. Great x6 grandmother
Anne Clifford (born c.1490) Mother of "Gervase the Gentle" - Sir Gervase Clifton of Clifton and Hodsock. She was the daughter of Henry de Clifford, 10th Lord; the Cliffords were one of the leading families in England in the Medieval times. Great x11 grandmother
Anne Fitzgerald (d.1877) One of two daughters of William Fitzgerald, a Sheriff and JP from County Clare in Ireland. Her younger sister Mary married Sir Lucius O'Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquin. The Fitzgerald family motto is "Shanet a Boo". Great-great grandmother
Bassett Fitzgerald Wilson (1888-1972) Solicitor, soldier, artist. Exhibited with his wife Muriel Wilson after WW2 when they lived in Paris, working with the main artistic figures of the day, including Lhote and Man Ray. Bassett was also singled out personally by de Gaulle for his role in the liberation of Paris. Great-uncle.
Colonel Bertie Murray, DSO (1881-1960) Professional soldier with First Batallion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. Had distinguished military career and was mentioned in dispatches five times. Great-uncle
King Edward III (1312-1377) Great x17 grandfather
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) The wife of King Henry II and a distinguished figure in her own right, probably the most powerful woman in Europe. She had also been married to the French King Louis VII and was mother to Richard the Lionheart. Great x22 grandmother
James Dundas, 1st Lord Arniston (d.1628) Governor of Berwick. Member of Parliament for Edinburgh. He was knighted by King James I/VI. His family was one of the most influential in Scotland, and the family estates were extensive. Great x9 grandfather.
Emily Hurlock (1836-c.1925) It is not known what work Emily did, but her family were traders in the Walworth Road and it is likely that she worked for them at various times. Her first husband Chas was variously a "Plumber's Turner" and "Licensed Victualler" and her 2nd husband a clothier/draper. The Hurlocks were descended from the notorious Michael "Cutaway" Hurlock of Billingsgate Market, where his job was to cut loose any boat which moored without payment. Other Hurlock descendants include the Hurlock Brothers, William and Charles, founders of AC Motors and builders of the "Cobra". Great-great grandmother
Emily Mabel Waller (1888-1941) Known as "Girlie". Both Emily's mother and grandmother were also named Emily. She came from a working-class family and had six or seven siblings. Grandmother.
Ezekiel Hopkins (1634-1689) Bishop of Raphoe and Derry; writer. Whilst in the post, he took part, somewhat controversially, in the famous siege of Derry where he advocated non-resistance. The background was the struggle between Protestantism and Catholicism in Britain at the end of the Stuart period. Ezekiel Hopkins' books are still widely read, and reprints of his complete works are regularly published. Great x9 grandfather.
Florence May Badnall (1858-1941) Known for not doing very much, Florence met her future husband Maurice Wilson in South Africa, where her father was a prominent clergyman and Archdeacon of the Cape. Great-grandmother
Frances Clifford (Clifton) Her marriage to Sir Gervase Clifton brought two of the foremost families in the north of England together. History records her as being "a most noble, wise and pious lady". Great x8 grandmother
George Murray, 6th Lord Elibank (1706-1785) George had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy serving under Admiral Anson, whom he accompanied in part of his famous voyage around the world, although some controversy surrounded the fact of Murray's separation from Anson's fleet in very difficult and dangerous circumstances in waters around Cape Horn. After he was exonerated, he later succeeded his brother Patrick, the well-known man of letters and friend of Dr. Johnson, to become the 6th Earl of Elibank. Great x4 great-uncle.
Sir Gideon Murray (1559-1621) Comptroller-Depute of Scotland; effectively the equivalent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer for Scotland under James 1 (James VI of Scotland), and thus amongst the most powerful men in the land, also being in the Privy Council and a "New Octavian", as well as occupying many other influential posts. He was also the father of Agnes Murray "Muckle Mou'd Meg", the legend of which is well-known to any Scot! Great x9 grandfather.
Hezekiah Frith (1763-1848) A well-known privateer out of Bermuda. His exploits have been written about in a book by Sister Jean de Chantal Kennedy. He hoarded booty from two stolen ships, kidnapped a young French woman, hid her from his wife - and stashed his wealth for his family to start a liquor store. The house in which he lived was later occupied by Eugene O'Neill and later Sir Noel Coward. Great x5 great-uncle.
The Venerable Hopkins Badnall (1821-1892) He was a distinguished though conservative clergyman who spent most of his career in South Africa, becoming archdeacon of the Cape and Vicar-General of Cape Town. He was also a pivotal figure in the founding of the well-known Bishops School, where he was the first vice-prinicipal, although by report he was not popular with the pupils; later he was also vice-chancellor of what is now the University of South Africa. He had nine children. Great x2 grandfather.
Iris Wilson (1920 - 2001) Iris was a woman of indefatigable energy and enthusiasm, and with a passion for travel and adventure. As a young married woman she lived in Iraq, Malta and Nigeria. With her husband Peter she motored from Nigeria to South Africa (in around 1951) on unmade-up roads; they also motored from Britain to Iraq in 1955. Iris continued travelling into old age, including trips to Antarctica and the Galapagos, and on a small ketch to the Shetlands in very rough weather. Iris' other passion was wildlife. Mother.
General James Murray (1721-1794) 1st British Governor of Canada; governor of Quebec; Murray is one of the key figures in the development of Canada as a nation; governor of Minorca. Murray was court-martialled when the island was lost to the French, as a result of the accusations of a junior officer, but was found to have performed his duty and exonerated, with the King personally intervening to ensure an apology for the wrong incurred. Great x4 grandfather
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquhair (c.1600-1659) John Stewart's family was ruined due to his support for King Charles (from whom he had received his earldom). In 1648 he was captured at the Civil War Battle of Preston while trying to rescue the king from the Parliamentarians. After 4 years imprisonment in Warwick Castle he was released. "John Stuart was a man of extraordinary natural parts, which were greatly improved by a liberal education, of remarkable steadiness and integrity, of great learning, a consummate statesman, and invariably attached to the interest of the royal family, on which account he afterwards suffered great and many hardships" Great x8 grandfather.
John Wilson at Seacroft Hall (1808-1891) John Wilson was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Cambridge and went on to become a JP for the West Riding of Yorkshire and a Captain in the 2nd West Yorkshire Militia. Great x2 great-uncle
Margaret French (b.1861) Painter; she was also a musician and attended the Royal College of Music. daughter of the Ven.R French, Archdeacon of Mauritius. Great-grandmother
Maurice Fiennes Fitzgerald Wilson, DSO, RN (1886-1975) A modest and quiet man, he became one of the foremost navigators in the navy, rising to the rank of captain. Loved by all his family for his warmth, humour and originality, he suffered disppointment when he had almost been accepted to be part of Scott's fated Antarctic expedition, but in the end was left out because a decision was taken to use someone not in the navy; a family memory has it that he was to replace Oates, who had been ill, but the latter recovered unexpectedly quickly and went after all. Grandfather.
Maurice Fitzgerald Wilson (1858-1945) Maurice was a leading civil engineer amongst whose achievements were Dover, St. Ives and Fishguard harbours, the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway & many other projects in Britain and around the world. He became the vice-president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and was subsequently offered the top job but had to decline on account of his wife's ill-health. His career was with Coode and Partners. In 1919 he presented a Paper on the Admiralty Harbour, Dover, for which he was awarded the George Stephenson Gold Medal and a Telford premium. For many years he took a leading part in the work of the British Standards Institution, of which he was Chairman from 1922 to 1933. Great-grandfather.
Emily Charlotte Williams (1863-1949) Known as "The Belle of Camberwell", Emily was an outfitter's manager in South London. Although her husband worked as a humble clothier and boot warehouseman, by 1921 the couple were known as "esteemed residents of Brondesbury". Great-grandmother.
Muriel Wilson (nee Samuelson) (d. 1977) Muriel is not to be confused with the American artist Muriel Wilson. Muriel had a distinguished career as an artist in Paris, together with her husband Bassett. They were friends with many of the well-known figures of the day, including Andre Lhote and Man Ray, and were pretty much the only British artists who exhibited with contemporary Paris-based artists. Muriel never quite got over her own mother's horrific death when she accidentally caught fire at the hairdresser's whilst having a "petroleum wash". Great-aunt.
Patrick Murray 5th Earl Elibank (1703-1778) Sir Patrick was a wit, raconteur and friend of Dr. Johnson. He succeeded to the title as 5th Lord, and was also Lieutenant-Colonel in Wynyards Marines. Paper Money, Banking, etc. (1755) Thoughts on Money, Circulation, and Paper Currency (1758), Inquiry into the Origin and Consequence of the Public Debts (1758/9), Queries Relating to the Proposed Plan for Altering Entails in Scotland (1765), Letter to Lord Hailes on his Remarks on the History of Scotland (1773) and Considerations on the Present State of the Peerage of Scotland (1774). Elibank has been described as one of the most learned and ingenious noblemen of his time. Great x5 uncle.
Paul Bassett-Wilson (1921-1945) A successful soldier who served with the Commandos in World War 2. Tragically he was killed in action days before the war ended. Paul was awarded the Military Cross. 1st cousin once-removed.
Peter Fiennes Wilson (1920-1995) Consultant Civil Engineer - Senior Partner of Coode and Partners. Winner of award for his work on the Indus River Basin Project. Worked on projects all over the world, including Iraq, Nigeria, Malta and Pakistan. Father
Phil May (1864-1903) The famous Victorian cartoonist. His father died when he was just nine, and the family were destitute. Phil did various jobs from the age of 12, including a stint as a jockey and another on the stage. When he was about seventeen he went to London with a sovereign in his pocket. He had always liked drawing; after a long struggle success came: he became a regular member of the staff of Punch in 1896, and in his later years his services were retained exclusively for Punch and The Graphic. He was a founder member in 1898 of the London Sketch Club. Great x3 aunt's brother-in-law.
Richard Badnall (1797-1839) Poet, musician, inventor, silk manfacturer, but most famous for his invention the "Undulating Railway". He got several debates in the Houses of Parliament, wrote extensive articles in the leading journals of the day, and even borrowed Stephenson's "Rocket" for an experiment, but all to no avail, except that many years later, in building the new Central Line of the London Underground, his ideas were used. His short but colourful life had its tragic side also - he spent time in a debtor's prison, and suffered very badly from gout in his later years. Great x3 grandfather.
Richard Badnall (1770-1838) Richard Badnall Senior, a silk dealer, banker and magistrate, prospered in the first quarter of the 19th century and became increasingly involved in the affairs of his home town, Leek, Staffordshire - amongst other things through his appointment as a Commissioner under the Town Improvement Act of 1825. Great x4 grandfather
Colonel Richard Bassett Wilson (1846-1901) Soldier. He took his battalion to South Africa in January 1900 and was Mentioned in Despatches in February 1901. He died of enteric fever and pnuemonia at Kroonstad, on 21 March 1901. He was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George for his service in the Boer War. Great-great-uncle.
Richard Bassett Wilson of Cliffe Hall (1806-1867) According to the census he was... "Magistrate and Landed Proprietor occupying 60 acres of land employing 12 outdoor labourers and their wives. In the house at the time was a French governess aged 43 and ten servants". He also acted as a magistrate and was fully involved in the local community, being the local landowner. The Wilsons' status and money had come from many generations in the wool trade. Great x2 grandfather
Samuel Saltus Ingham (1816-1900) Owner of a Shipping Company in Bermuda. Speaker of the House of Assembly, Bermuda, for about 20 years (effectively, Governor). In both his trading and political careers he pursued the same line as his eponymous father. The Inghams were a prominent family in the island. Great x2 grandfather.
Admiral Sir Robert Holmes (c.1622-1692) English Admiral of the Restoration Navy and friend of King Charles II. MP for Winchester. He took part in the second and third Anglo-Dutch wars. He was made governor of the Isle of Wight, where he is buried in Yarmouth parish church. Holmes is chiefly remembered for his exploits on the cruise to Guinea (1664) for the Royal African Company, and for the so-called Holmes's Bonfire of 1666. He is regarded as an archetypal figure both of the quarrelsome restoration officer and of the coming into being of the British professional naval officer. Great x8 grandfather.
Thomas Charles Martin (born c.1859) Printer, bookbinder and stationer in his father's business. He married Margaret French, an artist and the daughter of a clergyman who was the archdeacon of Mauritius and a former missionary. Greatgrandfather
Thomas Robins Bolitho (1840 - 1925) Chairman of the Consolidated Bank of Cornwall, forerunner of Barclays Bank, and then a director of Barclays. The Bolithos were a leading Cornish family from Penzance. He was a well-known local figure and a Justice of the Peace. Great-great uncle.
William Herbert 1st earl of Pembroke (c.1423-1469) William Herbert, first earl of Pembroke (C.1423-1469), soldier and administrator, was from Raglan in the marcher lordship of Usk; his attachment to Richard, duke of York, and Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker, enabled him to become Edward IV's Welsh "master-lock" and to be the first full-blooded Welshman to enter the English peerage. Great x16 grandfather
William The Conqueror Great x25 grandfather
James II of Scotland (1430-1460) Great x15 grandfather