Genealogy, it is only history.

I am undertaking research into my family tree. This is not a new venture rather something I and my daughter have been steadily and methodically plodding away at for a couple of years now. I think I remember reading somewhere that the research of genealogy is the single largest interest group on the internet.

I have often been questioned why are we doing this to which my stock and often glib answer is why not, but the real reason I think is that it is a combination of two parts, firstly to find out who our family ancestors were, where they lived what employments did they have and secondly to record whilst recent events are still fresh in our minds who we are, where we live and what we did, for generations of our family yet to come. It is perhaps no more that an exercise in research and historical record gathering and recording events up to date for future generations.

We have during our spasmodic research so far been able to trace our maternal / maternal and the maternal / paternal line back to the mid 1700’s. In addition there have been interesting diversions and offshoots with my son in law whose family is traced back to the mid 1700’s and my daughter in law who so far has recorded her family back to the mid 1800’s. Yes it is certainly true to say that what started as ‘our family tree’ has happily extended side branches and is now forming a truly extended and in the case of my daughter in law who extends into Eastern Europe, a truly international tree.

It is human nature I expect for anyone engaged in this type of project to hope to find a direct link to a noble or regal family line, if not a close second would be to find some notorious criminal or murderer, I have to report so far we have found neither. However that is not to say that we have found nothing of interest that raised an eyebrow. There is, for example, on my maternal / paternal side, Thomas James Edwards [born 14 March 1815 died 29 January 1875] who married twice, firstly Elizabeth Banks [born 1815] of whom little is known and secondly Fanny Jefferies [born 1835 died 1898]. Thomas was by trade and profession what was called a Modeller and Plasterer; he designed, made and crafted ornate plaster ceiling and wall mouldings. Of the various obituaries to him the Southampton Times dated 6 February 1875 mentions that his talent and the purity of his taste and the excellence of all his ornamentations was much in demand. He was called to produce his work at Buckingham Palace, Osborne House, the summer residence of Queen Victoria, and some other principle residences particularly those of Lord Portman, Earl Rivers and the Earl of Portsmouth.

This genealogical adventure has also made it possible for us to reacquaint ourselves with distant relations, not the sort that you had forgotten about or those you did not know even existed but the type that you send a Christmas card to each year with the vague promise that ‘we should meet up again soon’. Next week my second cousin Heather, her Grandmother and my Grandmother are sisters, my Mother and her Mother were cousins and we share a common Great Grand Father Arthur J French, is coming to visit. We will catch up on old times we have planned a meal we will compare photograph albums and we will try and remember the last time we met more than fifty years ago.