Genes Reunited Press Office

Below is just a small sample of the many success stories we hear from our members on a daily basis. If you would like further information on these or any others, please contact Carolynne Bull Edwards on (020) 7994 0110 or email press@genesreunited.co.uk

Sheila Anderson-Wray

Sheila was born in a town called Linlithgow, Scotland, which is also the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. In fact Sheila’s father was the Town Piper. When an older relative asked Sheila if she was interested in their family history, she jumped at the chance. One of the first things she learnt was that an ancestor, Sir Christopher Wray, was the Lord Chief Justice under Queen Elizabeth 1st and he signed Mary Queen of Scots’ death warrant.

Since then, Sheila has gone on to be an integral part of the Genes Reunited community by assisting other members with their research and uncovering her own celebrity relations including the actor Hugh Grant.

With the help of another Genes Reunited member, Kay found her Great Great Grandfather Mons Jeckles. He was deaf and dumb and abandoned at a circus as a young child. Sharm; the other Genes Reunited member; used the address on her Great Grandfather William Walton's wedding certificate (his fathers details missing), the name Lillian Walton as a witness and Sarah as his wife as the information for the Genes Reunited site. They also had the lead that he was known as Mons Jeckles on a circus poster in 1874 that is in her possession along with a gold watch inscribed 'Happy Jackles Circus.'

The 1891 census showed him as having the surname Jackles, living in Burnley, Lancashire and that his occupation was ‘Circus Groom.’

Kay also has the grave references for Mon Jeckles who is buried in the Cullen family grave in Burnley.

On Thursday, December 28, 2006, Gabi stepped on to an aeroplane and two days later, in Australia, she was in the arms of her mother. This is only noteworthy because on December 28, 1990, her mother died. Gabi was adopted in 1968 and spent many years fantasizing that she was, in fact, Ringo Starr’s secret daughter. Every so often, it occurred to her that it might be an idea to try to trace her natural mother, but never quite managed to do anything for fear of upsetting her adoptive mother. However, after her death from cancer just after Christmas in 1990, Gabi wondered if now might be the time to find out a little more. A decade passed, so she turned to the Genes Reunited site, and found a Lindsey B Jones had created a family tree. “Would you like to send Lindsey a message?” read the screen. Gabi clicked on the ‘send a message’ prompt and wrote: “This is a shot in the dark. I was born on September 2, 1968, named Cathy Jones. I think you might be my mother.” A day passed. Nothing appeared in Gabi’s inbox. Another day passed and then, on Friday, October 13 at around about 3pm, there was a reply. It was Lindsey, ecstatic, emotional, just as Gabi had always hoped; overjoyed to be found by the daughter she had handed over so many years ago. Since that incredible moment, they have exchanged emails every single day. By the following week, Gabi had booked a flight to Perth and has gone, in just 21 days, from having nobody except her children and husband, to having 26 great aunts and uncles, many cousins, two new siblings, a stepfather and a mother. “I have been given the chance to be a daughter again, almost to the day that I lost that right.” Gabi is now emigrating to Australia.

It started when Lee found his Mum’s brother on Genes Reunited. They had never met (and have yet to meet) but thanks to Genes, after 67 years they have found each other and are now in touch. But a strange twist happened in May 2007 when Lee’s family booked a holiday to Paris. They squeezed onto a fully booked Eurostar train to Disneyland but had to change at the Lille Europe station in France. With the choice of either end of the busy platform to wait, they chose one end but for some inexplicable reason, changed their minds and waited at the other end. When it was time to board, they used a lift to return to the train but as Lee got in, there was his mum’s brother standing there in front of him! He couldn’t believe it! As the lift door was shutting he shouted and called to him, at which point his uncle looked up at him with a very puzzled look on his face. Lee’s partner and children also wondered who he could possibly know in France!

Lee and his family waited down stairs until his uncle came down and explained to him who they were. He looked just as shocked as they did not believe this one-in-a-million chance had happened.

Victoria has used Genes Reunited to trace her family back to 1680. In total she has over 17,000 names in her tree and has reason to believe that she is related to Lord Tennyson’s wife, although this has not yet been confirmed.