Huge coincidence!

[ElizabethHerts]

My daughter today received a message from someone researching his ancestor, George Rose, born c. 1823 Lower Winchendon, Buckinghamshire.

We have Rose ancestors from this village but there was another Rose family there, to which I haven't found any connection so far (probably a lot further back).

This chap mentioned George Rose settled in Burslem, Staffordshire, and worked as a draper. I thought I'd search for him on the census. Sure enough, I found him in 1851:

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8860/images/STSHO107_2003_2003-0463?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=c50e86415e3aec411ee18285ca53fe7b&usePUB=true&_phsrc=VnZ1616&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=8317258

Imagine my surprise when I looked at the image.
On the line below, a colleague's name appears, that of my 2x-great-grandfather John Quintrell, 22, born at Portsea!

John became a draper and worked for a while in Staffordshire. He returned to Portsea and married in 1857. Fanny Ada Wood's family members were also drapers. He became a Relieving Officer for the Poor and subsequently Master of Portsea Island Workhouse.

So we have no link to George Rose but the huge coincidence is that he would have known John Quintrell very well.

[Merry]

lol That's lovely!!

[Phoenix]

I have ancestors from opposite sides of the family, both living on the same road near Salisbury in 1851.
Mum's branch moved across country to Wonersh near Guildford, Dad's to Stubbington and then to Portsmouth.

I think it is coincidence that seventy years later, Dad's father's cousin married Mum's aunt, but another thirty years later, there was no coincidence in Dad meeting Mum.

[Anstey Nomad]

I was recently looking at the descendants of my great grandfather's sister, who lived in Stockport. Looking down the 1939 Register (always look at the neighbours), I spotted a familiar name, that of my London flatmate's mother who I knew very well back in the 70s.

[Olde Crone]

Not quite the same thing I know, but in the 60s I worked in a huge open plan office in London. Desks were pushed together in twos, facing each other. My desk buddy turned out to have lived three doors up from me in our Manchester childhood. About 30 years later I met his brother at a party in Cornwall, lol.

OC

[JessBow]

I lived 3 doors or so away from Sue, as a child, in Hertfordshire
I now live in the Midlands
When our Joan ( Muggins) passed away, I discovered Sue shared and office with Joan
Joan lived in Sussex, Sue still lives in Herts.

[Janet]

What a great story, Elizabeth!

Love all these stories.

Hi, Jess! :):):)