The past four years have seen me working contracts in the capacity of a researcher as a small business developer, as the owner of a mystery shopping and loss prevention business, as a skip tracer and even some work for a lawfirm tracking down witnesses for court cases.
Today, research figures prominantly in my life. While no longer employed in the capacity of researcher I still do background checks for propective tenants. But mainly my research is contained to personal studies of anthropology, history, forms of myth and poetry, and the occult. I love a good mystery!
Lately, I've begun geneology research. Some highlights...
My Scottish families heraldic devices were awarded during the War of the Roses and features a falcons head and the motto "Toujours En Avant" meaning always in front (on the battle field). Personally I would prefer the motto "Sonmnus en vitrus" meaning in dreams are truth, as it is Toujours Avant sounds a little to me like "war fodder", a theme that would again be picked up on my father's side during the Vietnam war.
I'm currently looking into the war of the roses, a complicated war it will take me some time to become familiar with the fuller history of the times.
I found that a very strong artistic streak runs through my ancestral line.
There's been a writer in every generation. My Granny was the writer of her time, I would like to pick up her mantel and carry the tradition forward.
Published authors included John Edward Linnell, author of "Old Oak" The story of a forest village. His son's JW Linnell and CD Linnell edited the old oak and added a memoir of their father. I am currently trying to track down a copy.
Another famous John Linnell I found is the John Linnell artist and friend of Dante and whose work is included in the Queen's own collection. I checked out Christy's auction house and was blown away by his work, but more so on the price his work fetches, I saw one painting, the Return of Ulysses that went for $272,924.00
There's also
- Charles Lawrence Scrutin Linnell who wrote History of Gresham, whatever that is,
- Felix Linnell Author of the two V's and other stories,
- Gertrude Linnell author of The Black Ghost of the Highway,
- Harry Leofwyn (Great Name) Linnell, author of The Cave Dwellers, I actually think I've read that one. Then there's
- John Stainforth Linnell a poet who published Youth and other poems,
- Olive Linnell another poet published Gleam in Verse. Songs of faith friendship Love & Nature, of sunshine.
- And one mathematician Winnifred Linnell, and yet another
- John Linnell who was a naturalist.
It's a breath of fresh air to find that there have been interesting, intelligent, artistic and creative members of my family all the way back, maybe my family can be redeemed in my eyes? We'll see.
While tracing my biological roots, I began twin investigations into my adoptive families roots and have found a wealth of information. A little spooky, for privacy sake I won't divulge their actual name but I will say this; the name itself is a Welsh name derived from the old English word Warloch, also Warlock. Having lived with, grown up with, witnessed and helped with family births and family deaths, I found that piece of information illuminating to say the least.
Digging further I discovered that the word warloch was a combination of two root words waer (also were, as in were-wolf) which loosley translates as twisted, and logos wich means word. The term waer logos meant oath breaker or liar, later the word warlock was commonly used to describe a male witch. This interpretation, while modernly popular, is historically incorrect.
Recently, I found my (deceased) adoptive mother's brother, online. I havn't contacted him, and I'm not sure I will. He was "our" favorite uncle, and her favorite brother. He was artistic, sensitive and good with us kids. That is until I moved out at the age of twelve and filed charges of abuse against his sister's lover.
Ironically, he is also researching his roots and paid for one of those geneolgical sites to compile a family history for him. The purchased report makes no mention of the name's origins, except to say they used to have a different name, something to do with whales and whaling, a family endeavor. He mentions one of his ancestors General Edward Whalley as being one of the signers of the death warrant for beheading King Charles. He was first cousin of Oliver Cromwell, the main opponant of the king. See the kings speech as recorded during his execution. It is very touching.
I found a document sympathetic to King Charles, that described how difficult it was for Cromwell and his group of "Puritans" to gather enough parlimentary support to try and execute the king. Those whoeventually assisted in his downfall were persecuted by the many people still loyal to the crown. My biological family was one such "loyalist" family, when emigrating to the new world from the old, they first settled in upper New York, eventually emigrating to Canada in order to remain loyal to the British crown. It struck me, that the Whalley's descended from the general mentioned in various geneological documents, may have been saddled with a name such as oath breaker or liar as a mark of their anscestor's role in the downfall of a popular king.
I'm finding all this very fascinating, and informative. I'll post more later.
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