11 Comments
User's avatar
Elaine R. Frieman's avatar

Also, yay on Book 3. Cannot wait! 🤩🥳 And yay for the Maz Star release and entering the competition. 🤞🏻🫶🏻

Expand full comment
Emily-Jane Clark's avatar

What a great story! And love the old pics!

Expand full comment
History Harbor's avatar

You jogged my memory: I read a biography of Vivien Leigh (born in India) that made the claim that her mother said her family was part Armenian, but were in all likelihood Indian.

And there's an unclear connection between a Littleton family - no y - and the Scarburghs/Scarboroughs of 17th century Northampton County, Virginia. Edmund was quite a character (to put it mildly) and his brother Charles, who stayed in England, led quite an eventful life; I'll post about both when feeling particularly energetic.

Thanks for sharing your story!

Expand full comment
Katie Lee's avatar

Oh that’s really interesting! Obviously the Lees/Leighs have fibbing tendencies. Maybe it was a common lie. Or maybe it was true. I mean my dad was a Catholic rather than C of E and so maybe that was thanks to the Jaspers.

Will look out for the Littleton tales with interest!

Expand full comment
History Harbor's avatar

Thank you! And I saw that you've read White Mughals; as it so happens, my boss is a double descendant of General Palmer, from his first wife, about whom the family knows next to nothing.

Expand full comment
Elaine R. Frieman's avatar

Your family history is so fancy and fascinating. Love it! Also Agnes was a beauty! Poor tiger! 🤣 🐅

Expand full comment
Katie Lee's avatar

Agnes looks pretty awesome doesn't she? I would love to have met her. (And yes, the tiger photo is awful isn't it. We've got one of grandad doing the same pose too. I can't imagine being thrilled to be so close to something so beautiful and so dead.)

Expand full comment
Elaine R. Frieman's avatar

The tiger does look beautiful and massive. I don’t love hunting but I do eat meat so I suppose one can’t dictate other people’s sensibilities. 🤷🏻‍♀️ loved hearing the very interesting history behind your aristocratic name 😘

Expand full comment
Katie Lee's avatar

I think they justified it by saying it was a man-eater and once a tiger has eaten a person it will do it again. Who knows if that’s actually true though.

Expand full comment
AS's avatar

Have you seen the "Who do you think you are?" episode with Mishal Husain? Some fascinating stuff about her Anglo Indian ancestry. Also my mum is great at this stuff and has figured out quite a few family mysteries, so I could share your post and ask her to work some magic?

Expand full comment
Katie Lee's avatar

I haven't seen that! I will check it out! I am so glad my dad lived long enough to read William Dalrymple's book about the White Mughals and discover some pride in what he started to call "his people". He had always been taught to be ashamed of his brownness. Part of the reason his mother was such a mean old bag to him was because he was so much darker than his younger brother (the apple of her eye).

And would love any help at all. If your mum wants to work her magic on my tree I'd be delighted! I can't find all the original docs I had (don't tell my family who entrusted them to me) but I know I've got them somewhere...

Expand full comment