Colin Whitney was stunned. A genealogy enthusiast, Whitney could only dream about such a find. “Maybe this is where my grandmother got her toughness,” he thought.
Whitney discovered Jemima Nicholas of Wales, his fifth–degree great-aunt on his mother’s side.
Nicholas is known in historical accounts as the Welsh Heroine. Her story begins 226 years ago and more than 5,000 miles from Valley Center, California, where Whitney, 78, lives today.
In 1797, French troops invaded Britain. During the Battle of Fishguard (known as the last invasion of Britain), Nicholas learned that a small British army unit was outnumbered by the French invaders. As Welsh lore goes, armed with only a pitchfork she single-handedly captured a dozen French soldiers.
Then, she tricked the invaders by having local women dress like soldiers and stand in formation on a distant hill. The invading troops surrendered to the small British army unit mistakenly believing they were outnumbered by British troops.
Nicholas died in 1832. The inscription on her gravestone reads: “The Welsh Heroine who boldly marched to meet the French invaders.”
Whitney’s find of Nicholas is part of his family tree consisting of 11,000 other ancestors, an extraordinary number for a hobbyist. In addition to the Welsh Heroine, Whitney discovered a bigamist, an ancestor who helped Britain crack German codes during World War II and a likely ancestor who was a key ally of William the Conqueror when he invaded England in 1066.
All 11,000 on the tree — except one — are supported by genealogy records dating back as far as the 1500s, many of which were discovered through European churches. Nearly all of his research was done on the internet.
Genealogy often requires detective work. For example, genealogy records were unavailable for his 11th century research. Nevertheless, Whitney was able to trace his Whitney surname in his ancestral region of Britain to its origin, Eustace De Whitney, a descendant of William the Conqueror’s ally, Turstin the Fleming.
Whitney began with genealogy in 2009 when he came across family records in storage. He has continued almost full time since his wife of 50 years, Carolyn, passed away in 2017. He expects to hand down to his two daughters and grandson over 8 albums documenting their family tree.
In addition to his family research, Whitney, a retired scientist, is well-known in genealogy circles. He serves on the board of the San Diego Genealogical Society and leads its education programs. His talks on DNA and genealogy research methods are carried by Zoom around the world.
He also runs the San Diego Genealogical Society’s California Pioneer program where people are asked to submit genealogy records showing ancestors who were part of California’s history dating back to statehood. Those who can show designated lineage receive a certificate and will be included on a California historical wall.
The California Pioneer program and other society programs are designed to help introduce genealogy to newcomers.
“The internet has made genealogy available to more people,” Whitney said. “It is no longer necessary to travel to find your ancestors.”
Most key records can be found online. For example, U.S. census records from the 18th century forward, as well as many church and community records in the U.S. and abroad, can be found on the internet.
Whitney suggests beginning genealogy, as he did, with family records that might be in storage or with relatives. He recommends having a DNA report to find common ancestry and using websites, such as Ancestry.com, for help with research.
He also urges those possibly interested in genealogy to join the San Diego Genealogical Society (www.casdgs.org) for its research library, education programs and advice from among the approximately 475 members. “Genealogists like to help each other. You’ll get lots of advice,” Whitney said.
Genealogy is reportedly the second-most popular hobby in the U.S., behind gardening. “It is exciting because it helps you understand your roots, how you got to be where you are,” Whitney said. “What you see is an evolution of people over generations, often from rural to urban, and how the world has changed.”
About this series
Jan Goldsmith is an Emeritus member of the U-T’s Community Advisory Board. He is an attorney and former law partner, judge, state legislator, San Diego city attorney and Poway mayor.
Someone San Diego Should Know is a column written by members and former members of the U-T’s Community Advisory Board about local people who are interesting and noteworthy because of their experiences, achievements, creativity or credentials.