Climbing The Family Tree

In the eyes of the church and the community at large, children born out of wedlock were considered illigitimate. Their parents were often listed as 'unknown' to protect family members from the stigma and shame of being identified as having such a child in their family. Where there was a single parent looking after such children and the other parent had absconded, the latter parent was also recorded as 'unknown'. This makes it very hard for those trying to piece together a family's history, and often one has to fill in the gaps with a little bit of calculated guesswork. Such was the case with this family history.

The ability to do the research 'on location' rather than just on the internet often produces more accurate results and most detail, and as and when this is done, it will be added to this record to make it as accurate and comprehensive as possible.

Producing and publishing a family history like this can often lead family members to come forward with research they or other people have done, or bring to their recollection stories and anecdotes told by family members who have passed on. We would love to hear from you if you have anything you would like to contribute that will add to and enhance the story told here, as it is very much a work in progress.