writted for your entertainment by
Dec 2002
(Revised March 2006)
This family tree was drawn based on the following sources:
In preparing the tree, relationships made by the characters clearly " playing a part " were ignored. For example, The Canal and Under Two Floorboards. Most use has been made of character asides, and "off topic" conversations by Eccles and Bluebottle or Minnie and Henry.
[1] Tuned pianos with a chicken ('Last Goon Show of All')
[2] In a letter in B.O.G. , DB requested funds to the Estate of of the Late Clarissa Bloodnok. We can assume it was his mother if he is to inherit.
[3] Named in letter in B.O.G. Revealed to be a wrestler in G.S.S.
[4] Pureheart branch predates much published work. However, it is well publicised (e.g Grafton & Wilmut) that MinB is Osric P.'s aunt. Therefore, we can assume that his mother was a Bannister and father a Pureheart. We are assuming this Bannister is the oldest daughter as (1) Osric P. is already a professor, and therefore appears older than others of his generation, and (2) MinB. has certain 'younger daughter' traits (e.g a wildness of character).
[5] Named in 'Fake Neddie Seagoons'. Still living in 'Whistling Spy Enigma' ("How's your old dad?")
[6] Little is directly known about Seagoon's mother. We are ignoring the clear "plays" - 'Under Two Floorboards' and 'The Canal'. However, several things point to an early death, in NS's childhood - or even at childbirth. (1) He is brought up by his MinB and HenryC in 'The Childe Harolde Rewarde'. It is not inconceivable that a widowed Fred Seagoon would rely heavily on his late wife's sister for support and assistance with a baby ('The Man Who tried to Destroy London's Monuments' has Seagoon wishing to speak with his "Auntie Minnie"). (2) Neddie shows considerable signs of a childhood spent away from home, such as in boarding schools. Compare his patrotism with that of Adair in Mike and Psmith (PG Wodehouse, A&C Black, London 1909).
[7] 'The Silent Bugler' sets the date. The year is less fixed. 'Death in the Desert' (1954) gives his age as 62. Elsewhere the year of birth is given variously as 1887 and 1890 as well (G.S.S).
[8] G.S.S. DB. is unm. at time of 'The Red Fort'.
[9] We know that there was a connection between DB and MinB.
during the late 1890s and again in the 1920s. At this stage we will attempt to investigate the
nature of this connection. In early works, she is referred to be
Bluebottle as his 'Auntie Min'. This is a fairly generic term and we
cannot assume that she is his mother's sister. She could be a
great-aunt, or indeed a woman who is merely a family friend. However,
things become more interesting when fairly late in G.S. history (series
9), she becomes "Grannie Min from Eastbourne". ('£1000000 Penny'). This
is a very explicit declaration of lineage. Although "grannie" may be
used by a boy to refer to any older woman it is unlikely that he would
attach such as specificity as "from Eastbourne" unless he was indeed
his own grandmother, and the "from Eastbourne" used in the family to
distinguish the two sets (maternal and paternal) of grandparents. It is
corroborative also that "Auntie" may specifically be used to refer to a
grandfather's second wife. However, as MinB. is clearly unm. (she refers to herself clearly as Miss
Minnie Bannister) and refered to elsewhere as "Spinster of the Parish"
(G.S.S.) we are concluding that the DB-MB relationship was unmarried,
but did result in issue. There remains considerable warmness between
the two whenever they meet, and we could surmise that the association
was broken off by parents, and not voluntarily by the participants.
(Possibly DB was married at the time?)
Minnie stated that she was 89 at the time of 'The Tay Bridge' and was hence born in 1870.
[10] DOB specified in 'Drums along the Mersey'
[11] Identified as "Bulgarian Meg" in 'Robins Post'
[12] He who has one of those things that wakes you up in the morning, boils the kettle and makes a cup of tea
[13] She who makes the tea ('Punch up the Conker')
[14] Mentioned in 'Fear of Wages'
[15] Mentioned several times, e.g 'Spanish Suitcase', 'Treasure in the Tower'. Wears a trilby. ('Call of West', 'The Canal')
[16] Appears briefly in 'Call of the West'.
We know that Bannister and Blodnok had an affair in 1927 in Cornpa ('The Internal Mountain') and Bannister had a daughter called Pearl ('Greatest Mountain in the World'). We are therefore inferring name and date of birth from these facts.
[17] BB is excited at seeing her bloomers on the line ('1985') so we may assume she is older sibling.
[18] In 'Fifty Pound Cure' BB says "Hello, Mum, Dad, Rene, Eileen and Dave". It seems reasonable that the last 3 listed are his siblings. It is not clear in which order they were born.
[19] Our hero. Clearest indication of name is in 'String Robberies' - "Timmy Bluebottle, Ace Private Detective"