This is the history of my wonderful family.

I started taking a real interest in the stories I heard from my family when I was in my late teens. I had been lucky enough to have known all four of my grandparents and one great grandmother. Like most children, I can remember lots of stories being told at family gatherings. Sometimes it was the same story told by different people but occasionally something new would be included. As I grew older I realised that these stories were significant and would soon be forgotten. I wanted to make sure this information was kept and check some of the facts. I also realised I knew very little about the generations before my grandparents.

My parents grew up in London. My Mum came from the North and my Dad from the West. I heard stories, from my Grandmothers, of gathering in the Underground during the war, of evacuations to the country when my Dad was a baby, playing on bomb sites as they both grew up and living close to extended families. Both my parents recall having cousins, aunts and uncles living close by, in some cases sharing houses with each family living on separate floors.

But were we real Londoners or did my parents families move to the capital for work? Where did my ancestors come from, where did they live and what did they do for a living? Very little was known about our history and this, to me, was the most exciting thing about discovering my family "tree". Surprisingly quickly I discovered ancestors from Ireland, Cornwall, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Shropshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Occupations included lots of honest, hard working Ag Labs along with engineers and railway labourers which may explain the move to the City.

My research is continuing and the information you will see on the following pages is very much a work in progress. If you notice any errors or omissions, feel free to contact me.