The Story:
In a previous post, Meeting Amy, I noted that my great great-grandfather (illegitimate) was the famous Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. I feel that it’s now time for me to explore those roots in some detail. Considering that I only learned of that fact a few months ago, I’m still learning about his life and how my biological family has been affected by the historical significance.
Rather than writing an article by regurgitating cited facts about his life, I’d prefer to provide some facts while focusing on his historical significance to my biological family. G.B.S. was born in Dublin, Ireland on July 26, 1856 and died on November 2, 1950. He is most notably known to the world as being a playwright, critic, and political activist. In 1925, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, an Oscar in 1938, and an Academy Award for Best Writing for his screenplay Pygmalion in 1938.
Now that I have some of the facts out of the way, it’s time to find out Shaw’s connection to my family. Based on what I currently know, my great great-grandmother, Margaret, had a very unique relationship with G.B.S. One thing led to another, and she learned that she was pregnant. According to my grandmother’s memoir, Margaret was thrown out of her home because she had gotten pregnant out of wedlock, which is a true testament to those times.
As far as the story goes, that’s all I really know for now. However, there’s a paragraph at the very end of my grandmother’s memoir that might shed some more light on the subject.
Gran’s mother’s maiden name was Shaw. When Bernard Shaw died, Gran picked up the newspaper and saw his picture and said “that’s Bernie.” Margaret Kelly (Monica’s childhood friend) was with me at the time.
Whatever the real connection was between Gran and Bernard Shaw, I’m not sure…I’ve always felt there was a more personal relationship.
I hope that I’m not the only one slightly confused here. Anyway, I believe the bigger picture looks like this: G.B.S. and my great great-grandmother were not married, but decided to get a little frisky. That’s how my great grandmother, Essie, came to be. Luckily, I enlisted the help of one of my great aunts, Maureen, to help make some sense from all of this. If I mixed up the story, I must apologize. All I can say is that family trees are quite complex.
The Emotions:
When I learned of my biological family’s connection to George Bernard Shaw, I had mixed emotions. Initially, I recognized his name, but I had no recollection of his historical significance. Once I began researching his background, I realized what all of the fuss was about. His historical claim to fame filled me with some pride, but I found it sad that our family’s connection was more than likely based on an extramarital affair.
However, I feel no significant connection to the man, myself. The entire situation seems quite distant from my life in the U.S. While I think it’s wonderful that my family’s history touts such a historical celebrity, I find it hard to feel any direct personal connection with him.
The Advice:
For all adoptees, I believe that it’s our task, and right, to learn as much as we can about our biological origins and histories. Of course, I had no idea that I would learn of my genetic connection to a Nobel Price-winning writer, but now I’m informed. Does it matter whether the stories you hear or the facts you learn are of epic proportions? Hell-to-the-no. I’m satisfied with just knowing that my biological family has been through a lot, and that I come from a strong stock.
Please, don’t allow your history to disappear along with your relatives. It may very well end up being the task of a lifetime when trying to navigate your biological history, but it’s rare when hard work doesn’t payoff. I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface of my family’s history, and it truly seems like a daunting task to figure it all out. Luckily, I began my search early enough so that I might actually have a real chance of truly understanding where I came from.
- Andrew
