Thomas Arthur Fitzhardinge Kingscote was the uncle, by marriage, to the wife of my 4th cousin. My 4th cousin, Charles Thomas Bruce, married Gwendolen Mary Speir, daughter of Emily and Robert Francis Gifford, 2nd Baron Gifford. Emily Gifford was the sister of Eva Gifford, the wife of my 4th cousin, Major General Henry Trotter, 4th Baron Of Mortonhall.

So now I have two separate branches of the family, both 4th cousins, marrying into the same Gifford family. To further complicate matters, Thomas Arthur Fitzhardinge was a member of the same Fitzhardinge family that Eva's mother, Swinburne Frederica Charlotte Fitzhardinge-Berkley was from. Believe me, this one was a complicated one to figure out and involved having multiple computers showing the family tree at different branches to sort out!

Aside from being married into the same Gifford family, AND being a Fitzhardinge, Thomas Arthur Fitzharding Kingscote came from the family that held the manor of Kingscote, Gloucestershire since the 11th century. He was the son of Colonel Thomas Henry Kingscote, and his second wife, Honourable Mary Anne Bloomfield, daughter of Lieutenant-General Benjamin Bloomfield, 1st Baron of Bloomfield.

Kingscote become Gentleman of the Cellars, and Gentleman Usher to Queen Victoria and then to King Edward VII and then to King George V. In 1919 Thomas retired and was appointed an Extra Gentleman Usher. In 1901 he was also appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order. In 1920 he was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

So there we have another family member who worked for and with the British Royal Family and would have been around other family members of mine who were also working with and for, and on friendly terms with Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V.  

When I first discovered a family member with noble blood, I was surprised and a bit excited. To have been lucky enough to have found several family members, both direct and through extended family, who are not only British Nobles, but people who worked with and interacted with such famous members of the Royal Family, is beyond exciting.
 

I wonder if any of them knew that one day that would all be brought together under the umbrella of one family?  :o)