From: Rita Effnert <kessie3@online.de> > By sheer coincidence I came in touch with someone here in Germany > who's name is Faux (my Faukes etc connection is in Lincs) and he told me > about him belonging to a group of others who are also researching > this name here in Germany....they all went to York a few years ago and > visited the Archives there to find out about their illustrious > ancestor and they were very helpful. This man I know has a grandson who had > become interested in it as well so I got him a book from England all > about Guy and he gave a talk about it, in english, in front of his > school and he received a prize for his efforts....... (no bon-fire > night here) Rita> Believe me, I have no wish to be unkind, Rita, but how I wish I had a fiver for everyone who thinks that because they share the same surname with someone famous in history, then they must either be descended from or related to that person! Firstly, it is a matter of extreme conjecture among historians and genealogists as to whether Guy (or Guido) Fawkes ever married and/or had children. It has been claimed that he married a woman called MARIA PULLEYN at Scotton about 1590 and that they had two children. I would refer you to a very interesting website at http://web.archive.org/web/20110617064347/http://www.gunpowder-plot.org/news/1998_04/g fmp.htm This contains an article written by one David Herber for the Gunpowder Plot Society, which is well worth reading in full because it gives the pros and cons of the matter and Herber comes to the conclusion that he found little or no evidence for the claim that Fawkes married Maria Pulleyn. The IGI entries are not backed up by authentic sources. In general terms, as I said at the start, it is very often a case of wishful thinking on the part of gullible people who assume they must be related to a famous historical figure because they share the same, or a similar, surname. The number of people who think they must be descended from Admiral Horatio Nelson purely because they're called Nelson probably runs into four figures! What is the evidence of your German friends that they have any connections to the infamous Guy Fawkes at all? The chances of there being descended from him are remote in the extreme (even if the marriage story is true) and, therefore, it is quite incorrect to describe him as an "illustrious ancestor". It is possible there might be a connection with other members of the Fawkes family; however, it is by no means certain that everyone of the Fawkes name (and the many variants) are related. The name may have arisen simultaneously in various parts of the country. All we know for certain about Guy Fawkes is that he was born in 1570 and baptised at St Michael-le-Belfry in York and, of course, when he died. I suggest you check one or two surname dictionaries such as Reaney & Wilson and Hanks & Hodges. Both have full accounts of the origins of the Fawkes name and numerous variants. I am sorry if I am pricking a balloon but your German friend really ought to be more aware of how we carry out research. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Famous family trees blog: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/tag/roy-stockdill/ "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE