When I was in high school and college I always seem to attract the weirdos. If there was a guy that freaked folks out, he always seemed to glom onto me. Maybe it’s a ‘kindred spirit’ sort of deal, but it still seems to work a bit with genealogy connections. While everyone seems to like finding famous famous relatives, how do you feel abut having infamous ones?

It’s not quite fair that my husband, who has little to no interest in his family tree, gets to have a bonafide connection to Edward III, while I have to make do with the likes of Mary Todd Lincoln and at least one guy that was hanged for being a rgcicide judge. My latest connection is Prissy Robinson, the infamous owner of the Blue Ball Inn in Chester county, whose wealthier guests never seemed to make it back home again. I guess I should be happy that she’s no closer than being a half-cousin seven times removed.