Genealogy thoughts from 1842
Doing some research for an education project we looked through some 19th century journals and newspapers. While perusing ‘The Galashiels Weekly Journal’ from 1842 we came accross an article entitled ‘Genealogy’.
Its starts ‘Genealogy in our opinion is a matter of very little importance, fit only for chattering gossips over their tea…..’. Well we had to read on after that amusing opener!
The author is quite forceful in his argument about people striving to prove noble descent and goes as far as saying that many illustrious houses, if not descended from dissolute and abandonded kings ‘having been the most successful theives and robbers in the good old turbulent times; other, again, to their having been lucky timeservers, cunning sycophants, crafty intriguers and mean cringing, wheedling courtiers.’
He certainly doesn’t hold back!
Posted by Rachel
