I was the first in my family to take an interest in our ancestry and wrote it all up in my memories. I mainly used family documents and the internet but didn’t want to pay anything for information. I managed to get as far back as the mid-19th century. My oldest ancestors were weavers, pub-owners, carriage drivers, locksmiths. I was kind of moved when I actually saw the names of my grandfather’s brother’s family on the passenger-list of a ship leaving for America and then again on a census for Illinois with their names already anglicised. Sadly, I couldn’t show that to my mother nor what I had found out about her brother.
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I have a vague interest in family history but its difficult as I don’t have anyone to ask. I managed to track back to WW1 on the paternal side, but that’s as far as I have got really. I do wish I had kept a Pandemic Diary though, I did start one but it tailed off after a few weeks.
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I am on forced rest at the moment, so digging into stationary hobbies…Ancestry is fascinating to me, so that is one thing I shall get into again…Family Search is the Mormon Church Freebie site worth spending time entering your Family details on there…
…Just was looking at one Print out of ‘our’ family tree, kindly sent to me from New Zealand.
The top of the page was always faded but I can read a just a little of it…
Born 1680 cant see anymore of that line but the next line says…
John B.1704 or 9 because it is crossed over…App. to Jacob Holford June 1716.
Admin. Freeman Barbers& Surgeons Guild August 1725 Guildhall Records.
Thomas B.1727 Bap 1728 Parish St.John Wapping…App. to John Bray March 1741.
Admin. Freeman Barbers & Surgeons Guild 1749. Guildhall Records.
Thomas B.1755 Baptised 1756 st.James Picadilly. Bur. St.James Picadilly December 1793. Lived 22 Polard Street.
App. to Thomas WoollamsSenr. April 1770 Citizen & Barbers & Peruke Maker, The Minories
William Born. 1783 Died 1840. Int Kensal Green- Ind to John Sheringham, Great Malborough April 1796
Married Marie Anne Aumonier B.1785 St.James Paddington.
The last couple William and Marie are Husbands 3rd Great Grand Parents… William being on his Dad’s side of he Family.
Dont understand all of the short forms but now see Baptist dates that I did not before now…
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So Barbers I discovered did Operations as they had trained in such.
last Thomas was also a Wig Maker…Wigs were a part of life back then.
Husbands 3rd Great Grandfather set up the Woollams & Co. Wallpaper Company.
manufacturing company founded in London c. 1835 by William Woollams ( 1782–1840 ). He was apprenticed to John Sherringham ( fl 1780s), a master paper-stainer, and by 1837 had a factory in Marylebone, London, where he printed papers for J. G. Crace and other clients. Two of his three sons, William Woollams ( d 1859 ) and Henry Woollams ( d 1876 ), carried on the business, which in 1876 passed to their cousin Frederic Aumonier , who had worked as Henry ’s assistant since 1853 . The firm specialized in…
it then will not let me see any more unless I pay!
In 1900 the well-known paper-staining firm, William Woollams, of High Street, Marylebone, went out of business; Sandersons acquired the blocks and designs, as they did in the case of the business of Charles Knowles & Co., purchased thirteen years later.
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Tracing family history can be very interesting and very frustating. I spent 35 years tracing my fathers ancestry. I got back to 1565. Luckily they have all lived within 5o miles of where I live now, were all farmers and large land owners. I have visited the ancestral home which is a huge house just outside of Tisbury, Wiltshire. A picture of this house can be seen on the Internet. This stand on the site of a much earlier building.
History tells me that during the English Civil war they were Royalists and Oliver Cromwell took their land away from them and gave it to one of his loyal followers.
Almost anyone tracing their tree can find someone along the line of fame.I have in 1617 an Att; of all Ireland. A female daughter of the Marc; of Hastings. in 1669 am MP for Shaftesbury, Dorset. In 1676 a secretary to Prince Rupert of the Rhine. in 1766 the daughter of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Wake. In 1820 a female married Charles Spencer Churchill, second son of the Duke of Marlborough.
So no matter how far back you go everyone will find someone of note in their tree.
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One of my sisters has been doing ours for several years, it’s become quite a hobby for her. We are Western Isles Highlanders, going back to the 16th century so far.
As far as we can see my parents are the first generation to come and live on the mainland, but I still remember living on Mull when I was small.
Our family were deeply involved with the Jacobite Rebellion. My dad drummed it into us that we were daughters of the Jacobites.
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Interesting finds you all have …
Have any of you had your DNA done and if so did that lead to new family or long lost relatives ?
No to the DNA as my Husband has little interest in his Ancestry…Real shame as it is hard to find any of his Family members have any interest at all.
His Ancestral Family is very intriguing to me, and I cannot understand why they are like …ok that sounds interesting and change the subject with me, left high and dry rattler ling on…
A new found close relative in New Zealand has had it done and was rather disappointed with the results…Really I am not sure they are the answer people think they are.
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The first Relative that travelled to New Zealand from London was a Frederick Woollams B1824, one of the Children of My Husband 3rd Great Grandfather William Woollams B.1783, the wallpaper man.
He set up a town called Coromandel for the gold rush. He down very well for the community and they names an Avenue after his good work…Woollams Avenue. his house got neglected though and eventually suffered fire damage.
this file contains some old photos related to F Woollams amongst others…Coromandel as the Main Subject
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