Family Myths and Legends

What I have found so amusing, and a little sad, in researching my family is how many myths and legends have been proven to be just that. In some cases you wished they were true, like the existence of a unicorn.

Back in the day, before the Internet and then before there was vast quantities online, you simply had to believe, or perhaps you chose to. I was very young when I was told the stories, so I was unlikely to question my "elders and betters" and had not, at that time, developed a degree of scepticism or requirement of proof.

So now I know some of the truth, or rather what is not true (or proven by facts).

Myth 1
The father of Nelsie Rossiter was called William Rossiter who was a slightly "mad" tea planter. He tried to build a railway up a vertical mountain and designed his tea garden in one long line, so he could ride from end to the other and see everything and everyone at work.

Nelsie's father was Harry Daniel Rossiter. It would have been impossible and probably seen as anti social to plant your tea garden in one long line, due to available space.

Myth 2
The Richardsons on my mother's side are part of the (in)famous Richardson gang which was the rival to the Krays in the East End.

I have really tried on this one, but no success yet.

Myth 3
John Gordon Benson and his brother Guy William were sent to Dr Graham's Homes in Kalimpong because they were orphans.

Untrue! Their father William Benson had started the application process, but died suddenly, before he saw them safely installed. The boys' mother was still living at the time, a Ghasi woman called Mina, who asked her employer to write annually to ask for news on how her sons were doing. They died not knowing this. The truth came out when my family and I visited the Homes in 2017 and got copies of the records.

Myth 4
The Wangers on my mother's side had a connection to Walter Wanger, the American film producer, who was involved in such films as Cleopatra and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. More information on this Wanger can be found at: Walter Wanger.

I have been unable to find a link between my Wangers and Walter, though somewhere back in Germany this may exist.