Genealogy

I began researching my Family Tree as a lark two years ago. My interest having been revived after watching the second of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies with my then seven year old son. You see, my maternal grandmother's maiden name is Hornegold, and somwhere back through the centuries rumor has it we are related to Benjamin Hornigold, the pirate. Apparently he was Blackbeard's mentor. (A fact we used to keep secret until Johnny Depp came on the scene. HA!) It's been a fascinating name to research, and with a lot of help from family and friends we've managed to trace the tree back to the fifteenth century. Among the branches reside many Fisherman, the pirate of course, a ship's captain employed by Queen Anne, an artist, and even a pseudo spy. (The spy story I will have to tell you about later ... perhaps.) For now, the pirate connection remains elusive, and so does the family's rumored connection to Thomas Masterman Hardy, Lord Nelson's right-hand man. Maybe you can help me solve some of these mysteries. I look forward to hearing from you, and to sharing some of this fascinating research.