Archibald Falconer (1810 - 1889)

Today's the day ...................... for relations

The time has come to tell you about some very exciting news about my family history, that Will has discovered recently.  Now I know that if you start talking about family history - unless it's theirs as well - most people's eyes will glaze over and they'll be hoping you don't go on too long.  But honestly, you'll want to hear this. 

Because, believe it or not, I am related to Rabbie Burns, the very famous Scottish Poet. Yes - really?!.  Or to put it another way - his Grandfather was my 8 x Great-Grandfather - and that bit of my family tree can be found on an official 'Robert Burns: Ancestors and Descendants' website.  So who's to say that we don't have the odd creative gene in common?

But actually, more incredible to me is the fact that only a few generations ago, my Great, Great, Great-Grandfather, Archibald Falconer, who lived in Aberdeenshire, made the journey down to South Wales with his wife, two of his sons and five of his daughters.  He stayed long enough to set the two sons up as tenant farmers in their own farms before returning to Scotland.  The sons farmed the land, eventually met and married local Welsh girls and went on to have their own families.

The amazing thing is that these farms were very close to where Will grew up, also on a Welsh farm.  He knows them well and he has been able to track down more recent members of the Falconer family who are still in the same area.  One of them was in the same year at school as Will.  The above portrait of Archibald, our mutual Great, Great, Great-Grandfather was kindly provided by him.  

The actual painting hangs on the wall in his house ......................     

 .