A fascinating family tale, Margaret. We often wonder about how our parents of fairly elementary education have given rise to so many graduates and other high-achievers in all the succeeding generations. Ray Hennessy www.whatsinaname.net On 31 July 2013 23:50, <[email protected]> wrote: > From a genealogical standpoint, yes, you could say it was sad. However, > the legally-fatherless baby was raised (along with a cousin who was > the illegitimate daughter of his mother's sister) by his maternal > grandparents who were affectionate "parents" to the children. They were > particularly proud of the boy, who earned an engineering degree at > university, inherited a prosperous horse-breeding farm from a childless > uncle, and became a civic politician in later life. This was, by the way, > in Canada, although the boy's grandparents and mother were Scots-born. Not > the same detail available in rural southern Ontario records in the 19th > century as in Scottish kirk session records. > > His carefree mother was a performer in the music halls, and many of her > descendants are active in the theatre and music worlds today, while > others are engineers, lawyers, or politicians. We will never know which > influences came from the unknown father, but the talents are there as > personal evidence which can be followed even if the names and dates are > lost. > > Margaret Gibbs > >