Fact or Fiction: The Relationship of the Scott Family of Medicine Hat to the Famous Explorer Captain James Cook

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Fact or Fiction: The Relationship of the Scott Family of Medicine Hat to the Famous Explorer Captain James Cook At the request of my good friend Gary Scott and consistent with my unabated enthusiasm for genealogical research, I began to … Continue reading

“Now Keep The Glory!”-The Story of a Fallen Soldier from WWI

The Story of a Fallen Soldier from WW1 and Why is important to remember them?

I have always being interested in the study of history and in particular the history of WWI. This keen interest in one of the darkest times in world history was no doubt inspired by my research into the family history of my wife’s family-Medlicott, when during the course of looking through some old photographs, I found pictures of her grandfather and great uncle, who were members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and who both served gallantly in the Great War. Unlike so many others, they both returned home from the war.

More recently, I had occasion to travel to travel to France and Belgium and to visit such historic WWI sites as Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Hill 60 and Ypres. Only in visiting such places does one fully appreciate the full nature and extent of the carnage and the terrible loss of life that occurred as so many young men who heeded the patriotic call and paid paid the ultimate sacrifice. This is a simple but compelling story of a fallen soldier from WW1 and a story which was far too often repeated in the towns and villages throughout the British Empire as the Great War raged on.   Read On

The Holten Canadian War Cemetery Memorial Project and a Tribute to the Fallen Soldiers from Medicine Hat

I have always had a keen interest in history and more recently genealogy and from time to time have researched and endeavoured to document my family history, for what purpose, I was not exactly sure. I have always enjoyed researching and writing, which was a natural mainstay of my chosen profession. In my retirement, I continued with this passion for writing and created my own blog, where I posted many of my articles on genealogy and other topics that I found of interest. (https://wjanhorn.ca or simply search William J Anhorn QC). Most recently, my genealogical research and interest in history intersected resulting in this fascinating article entitled, “The Holten War Cemetery Memorial Project and a Tribute to the Fallen Canadian Soldiers from Medicine Hat”.
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A Distinguished Victoria Cross Recipient and a Medlicott Family Connection

I have always enjoyed reading about history and more recently, I became fascinated with the history of WWI. This was prompted by the discovery of pictures of my wife’s grandfather and great uncle, Thomas and Edward Medlicott, who were members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and who served gallantly overseas in the Great War. Most recently, I had occasion to travel to France and Belgium and visited the Vimy Ridge Canadian War Memorial and famous WWI landmarks and cemeteries including familiar places or names like Ypres, Passchendaele and the infamous Hill 60 among many others. This evoked an even greater interest and passion in this remarkable chapter of our world history.

A recent discovery while conducting some genealogical research of a distant relative that was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery and gallantry is worth being documented and a story which you might find of interest. READ ON

The Plight Of the Genealogical Inquirer(2019)

 

I have always enjoyed history. By definition, genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and documenting their history for the benefit of future generations. So it was quite natural for me to take an interest in this subject. As a result, I have from time to time researched and documented my own family history, at first, for what purpose, I wasn’t exactly sure. I found it very interesting and often exhilarating as you made a new discovery but also frustrating, as you track down numerous dead ends. In my research, I came across an article which explains the “plight” of the genealogical inquirer and “why” we take up such an endeavour as to research our ancestry.  Read on

 

The Deadman’s Penny-A Medicine Hat Mystery Solved!

I have always enjoyed writing and storytelling, as many of my friends will attest. I have also always had a keen interest in history and more recently genealogy. I have written a number of articles lately and have posted some on my personal homepage William J Anhorn QC-  My venture into genealogy has resulted in some interesting results, not the least of which is establishing a family connection to royalty, or assisting others in the discovery of  a family pedigree, all of which I have documented on the website.

Most recently, my genealogical research and interest in history intersected resulting in this article entitled “The Deadman’s Penny-A Medicine Hat Mystery Solved! ”. Someone, who had come into possession of a rare artifact from WW I, reached out and requested assistance. This resulted in an unusual challenge, which required all of my investigative skills as an amateur genealogist. The challenge- to identify and explain this interesting relic from the Great War, unique to Medicine Hat and to find the existence of a living family member. The request resulted in uncovering an interesting part of history from WWI that has a distinctive Medicine Hat connection. Let me explain.

Isaac? Of Pulverbatch, Salop-Another Genealogical Mystery Solved!

The amateur genealogist searching the Medlicott family tree will find a treasure trove of information on the website created by Phil Medlicott found at www.fam.medlicott.uk.com

One of the most interesting and useful tools on any enquiry is the “ARMS” pedigree found on the website, which was one of the earliest recorded efforts to document the Medlicott family.(see below)

I have referenced this family tree on many occasions, as I have endeavored to catalogue the ancestors of my wife, Joan Elaine Medlicott. I have written several articles which I have posted on my own personal website wjanhorn.ca and as a result have had several enquiries from overseas regarding their own connection to our branch of the Medlicott family. It is of some interest to note in reviewing the “ARMS” pedigree that standing out almost alone in the third line is reference to “Isaac? Of Pulverbatch Salop”. In response to a recent enquiry regarding the ancestors of a current Shropshire resident (John David William Chilton) and his relationship to this branch of the Medlicott family, I have had occasion to research this incongruity, which has taken me on another genealogical adventure.

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Who’s in Your Family Tree?

Establishing a Family Relationship between Two Family Members and a Common Ancestor-Who is in Your Family Tree?

Part of the fascination with genealogy and creating a family tree is discovering various family relationships, which you didn’t know you had. Even more fascinating is discovering a distant relationship with a famous person or perhaps, if you are lucky even royalty! Establishing and identifying these relationships can be confusing, especially when it comes to cousins and more distant relations. People typically have confused ideas about what constitutes a second or third cousin, and when somebody throws in the phrase, “times removed,” the task becomes even more overwhelming leading to much frustration.

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“A Dream Come True”-Joan Elaine Medlicott and her relationship with Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales

Lady Diana is the daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl of Spencer and Frances Ruth Roche and the mother of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry of Wales. She was born July 1st, 1961 in Park House Sandringham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to as “Lady Di”, “Princess Di” or simply “Diana” her popularity has given rise to intense scrutiny of her life and her ancestry has become subject matter of close examination by genealogists around the world. The Internet has numerous sites endeavouring to document her royal heritage and great effort has been made in documenting her distant relationship with famous people.

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