Your Ancestry

Great grandmas uncle went to work at a bank in Turkey. He was an Armenian with only a high school education. He discovered some serious corruption and put an end to it. The guy running the bank had been stealing from the Ottoman Empire, and the penalty was death. He was able to pay a steep fine and avoid death.

When the Sultan ( Hamid 2nd ) heard what my great great uncle did, he put him in charge of his own personal finances. The next year, he made him Minister of Finance for the entire Ottoman Empire, and they became best friends as well.

Great Great uncle was not Catholic , but the Pope caught wind of what he had done, and summoned him to give him some type of award. I think it was a Saint Gregory's award or something, whatever that is.

Great Great uncle did all kinds of cost savings cuts, and sold Ottoman land, complete with titles, in order to get the Empire back on its feet, after a dust up with Russia. He also unknowingly set in motion the old testament prophecy of Israel getting their land back and becoming a nation once again. Jews were not allowed to own land, but he sold it to them anyway, and gave them titles right in Israel!

I think the Sultan caught a lot of heat over that, and almost stepped down. He stood with my great great Uncle against the system.

The Sultan often gave Unc lavish gifts, and one of those was a beautiful stallion. Unfortunately, he was killed in a riding accident on that same horse

a reply to: JAGStorm

My dads birthfather's family all came over from Milan.

originally posted by: Katatonik
My dads birthfather's family all came over from Milan.

Interesting, it's not usually the northerners who emigrate, especially from a place like Milan. I was actually supposed to be there next month but that trip got s***canned when Italy went into lockdown again.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I was actually supposed to be there next month but that trip got s***canned when Italy went into lockdown again.

Don't even get me started... I can't wait to get to Europe and it appears they are going to stay locked down a lot longer than us.. My friends in Germany are almost at the point of insanity.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
My friends in Germany are almost at the point of insanity.

Yup, that always ends well for everyone involved.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: JAGStorm
My friends in Germany are almost at the point of insanity.

Yup, that always ends well for everyone involved.

I think we're going to see the reopening of mental asylums!

originally posted by: Encia22
I think we're going to see the reopening of mental asylums!

If the Germans go insane again I think it might be a bit worse than that...

a reply to: JAGStorm

Loved all the history in here of people's ancestry!

On My Father's side, we traced back to King Charlemagne. There were ancestors from Ireland and Wales as well. There was also an interesting story about one of our relatives marrying a Native American Princess, actually a Chief's Daughter. They were married by a church, but he chose to go off and live with her and her tribe.
Mom's side was mostly French with a Native American Grandmother 7 generations back, first from Canada then moved to the U.S. I forget all the stories. I remember one guy died in a mine searching for gold. I'll have to go back and read up on all the history.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

LOL! I think Germans have been doped with too many kebabs. When they get the chance, all they're going to invade are our Italian beaches and steal all our sunshine!

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: JAGStorm

Loved all the history in here of people's ancestry!

On My Father's side, we traced back to King Charlemagne. There were ancestors from Ireland and Wales as well. There was also an interesting story about one of our relatives marrying a Native American Princess, actually a Chief's Daughter. They were married by a church, but he chose to go off and live with her and her tribe.
Mom's side was mostly French with a Native American Grandmother 7 generations back, first from Canada then moved to the U.S. I forget all the stories. I remember one guy died in a mine searching for gold. I'll have to go back and read up on all the history.

That's almost like a beautiful fairytale...

This thread needs to be sent to the major film networks! There's enough original material here for a dozen movies and spin-off TV series... Better than anything they mishmash nowadays!

originally posted by: Encia22
LOL! I think Germans have been doped with too many kebabs. When they get the chance, all they're going to invade are our Italian beaches and steal all our sunshine!

Their pasty white asses wouldn't last 5 minutes on a Calabrian beach.

a reply to: Night Star

There was also an interesting story about one of our relatives marrying a Native American Princess, actually a Chief's Daughter. They were married by a church, but he chose to go off and live with her and her tribe.

Now that's a cool story to pass down!

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Encia22
LOL! I think Germans have been doped with too many kebabs. When they get the chance, all they're going to invade are our Italian beaches and steal all our sunshine!

Their pasty white asses wouldn't last 5 minutes on a Calabrian beach.

Ha ha, little did you know they found a way to beat the system!

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: IAMTAT

My grandfather was a coal miner

uhmmm
and so was mine......but not from Uniontown..
I'm guessing a lot of folks in Penna worked the mines back then.
My Gpa had something to do with the building/materials for the Golden Gate Bridge.

Stone masons and coal miners lived all over and travelled throughout the coal mine states.
Grandad was a big Union guy when the miners and their families were basically indentured servants.

I remember, as a little boy, how he always had a pack of Lucky Strikes rolled up in the sleeve of his shirt.
The guy, even in middle, age had arms Schwarzenegger would envy.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Once they get some Calabrian peperoncino 🌶 inside them, their insides won't be looking too great, either!



Sorry JAGStorm, I promise to stop derailing your topic... it's all Augustus's fault!

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Sorry to hear about your trip, I bet it would've been amazing! I definitely would like to go visit someday. I really wish I knew why they came over. My dad only met his birthfather once (my dad was adopted) and it wasn't brought up why they came over during their meeting, just that that is where his family is from. His birthfather unfortunately passed away before they were able to set up a second meeting.

originally posted by: Katatonik
Sorry to hear about your trip, I bet it would've been amazing!

Thanks, it always is, this was for work though but I had some fun stuff planned too.

I definitely would like to go visit someday.

You should. While Milan is nice you must go to Venice, Florence and Rome. Those three are not optional.

originally posted by: Encia22
Once they get some Calabrian peperoncino 🌶 inside them, their insides won't be looking too great, either!

I just had some of those on my pizza for lunch.

a reply to: JAGStorm
I have a pirate in my family. He was a slave trader based out of Madagascar. Ran out of the Bahamas wanted for murder, took over a ship and became a pirate.

a reply to: Katatonik

I think that after the war, Italy was devastated. There wasn't much work and many left to go to countries where their skills were appreciated (most treated slavishly just to have a job). Our skills as engineers, stone masons, ship builders, cooks, tailors, etc., etc. were highly sought after.

By the way, your post reminded me that I forgot to add to my ancestry post.

My grandad, on my mother's side, was a prisoner of war for three years after being captured by the British.

Because he was a tailor and could make a complete three-piece suit in two days, he was treated exceptionally well by the British Officers. He was tasked with making or refitting all their dress uniforms. They had the smartest parade uniforms in the British Army. For that he had his own quarters and double rations of baked beans. Till his dying days, my grandad always had a great respect for the British, and a liking for baked beans.