h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

just found out that a relative of mine (hence the thread in Ask) has been able to trace our family line (for me it is through my mother) right back to some bloke on the Isle of Wight in the 16th Century. Apparently we've got quite a long history on the Isle of Wight - not somewhere I ever thought I had links to!
There's rumours of a copy of a letter or diary entry covering that persons journey to settle there from london. Took 3 days I understand.

Just emailed to see if i can get hold of a copy of the info, would be cool

3 days? That's almost as quick as the trains these days

I was thinking that myself And I bet he didn't have to stand all the way either!

He (presumably) must have been well to do to both travel to another place to live and also to have written a journal - even been able to write - in the 16th century.
Wonder if it was to escape plague or somesuch thing.

I doubt my ancestry could be traced back anywhere near that far - although my mother is keen to do this apparently (so she says anyway).

It's all scottish in my family so I imagine they all were settled near Glasgow for hundreds of years doing humdrum stuff like farming for the local landlord...

yeah, he was a 'yeoman farmer' which is pretty much bang on middle class for the 16th Century - they actually owned their own land and either farmed it themselves or got others to depending on how they were doing.

Maybe just moved there having made a bit of cash? An early example of the escape to the countryside I wonder.

Main problem googling this stuff is that any query with 'Isle of Wight' in it comes back with tons of holiday and hotel sites!

We've gone quite a way back on mother's side, although mainly on her father's side so far. 'tis interesting stuff - especially as everyone likes highlighting the ones who did well! So far the nearest I have found to a black sheep was the bastard son of a lord of the manner (brought up by the groundsman I think) who seems to have been a bit of a Tom Jones (no, not the welsh one!) getting into various scrapes and then becoming a firebrand preacher reverred by the likes of Ian Paisley! Started his own church too, who are of the extremely proscriptive protestant sort. I'm sure they'd like me to drop in one day and say hi

Cool, can you send my any links or stuff you find if you get time?

will do

Thanks So how are you going to get into the history books then?