Genealogy Chat

Gravestone reads: 'Here lyeth the body of Christ.(christopher) Burraway who departed this life ye 18 day of October Anno Domini 1730 aged 59 years. And here lyes Alice who by hir life was my Sister, my Mistres. My Mother and my Wife Dyed Feb ye 12, 1729. Aged 76 years.' The tale that explains this is that Burraway was unwittingly guilty of incest. Alice had had an illegitimate son by her father. Unaware of his parentage, Christopher left home as a boy and returning in manhood found work as a steward with Alice, who did not recognise him. He took her as a mistress, married her, and only then did the story emerge when Alice identified him by some distinguishing mark on his body. The Burraway stone is still in Martham church, but it has been hidden for many years by the organ.

That's incredible - what a story! Yes I'm glad that I didn't have to work that one out, but you never know what we might find when we find more and more ancestors lol. Mandy :)

Incest. The game the whole family can play. I don't think I shall ever moan about working out cousins several times removed again. Imagine what Alice's and Christopher's children would be to each other. Hallmark would have to open up a whole new range of greetings cards.