Archived tongue-in-cheek history

I thought new blog members might like to read one of my archived tongue-in-cheek posts from early in Cousinsblog's history (last March). It appears that I had some cousins convinced. I must have had a premonition of things to come. "Granddad" is Sam Rattet.

"After months of research in planning for the Cousins Blog, here is information about the Rattet family heritage. Why the french name to begin with and the mystery surrounding exactly where Granddad's family came from?

It starts with Gilbert Duke of Rattet (yes, Rattet was a domain in France, no longer existing). He was born in 1783. Married Omelia Gerberge from Reims, Champagne. Born in 1792.

It was a Sebastian Rattet, a direct descendant of Gilbert (I can email you the whole lineage) who arrived in America in the late 1800's. It appears that he fled assassins and joined Jews in the steerage of a freighter, hence his original association with Jews. He maintained his Jewish identity to slip below the radar of assassins sent to find him in America.

Though we may still consider the Rattet's as Jewish, since Granny came from a Jewish family, half of the line was French Huguenot and Catholic! So, there it is everybody, Granddad came from some French royalty."