Friday, November 02, 2007

Climbing trees ... the suspense is over ...

I have today received a report from the Kendal Records Office, and although they have not had time to answer all my questions, they have confirmed the most important of my findings. So, Avus, it seems that I have not been in a mare's nest up a gum tree, as I had feared I might be.

What has been most intriguing has been to discover that a certain James Taylor, born in 1777, is not only my husband's great grandfather on his father's side, but also his great great grandfather on his mother's side. This is because James had, among many children, a daughter Elizabeth born in 1812, and a son Jones born in 1826, 14 years later. A good many years down the line, Jones's son Harry married Elizabeth's granddaughter Mary, the older sister having managed to give rise to one generation more than her younger brother had done by then. It was only a casual reference, in some inherited papers, to the two families being cousins (of different surnames of course), that gave us the clue to follow this up.


I am particularly chuffed because the researcher said that the work I have been able to do using internet sources is very impressive. That is encouraging. I am afraid there are still a lot of questions I want answering, however, and some new ones, which I think I shall have to go back to Kendal for (and pay for).



Left to right: Jones Taylor; his son Harry; his grandson Michael (my husband).

6 comments:

Lee said...

Good grief! Great detective work though!

stitchwort said...

Wow!
My great-grandparents were all born between 1846 and 1855 - to find an ancestor as far back as 1777, I have to go back a further 3 generations.
Our earliest photos are about 1880 - you are very lucky to have much earlier pictures.

Pete said...

Judith

Highly impressive work. Well done you.

Pete
X

Unknown said...

Nice job!

A few months ago, I sat down and made a chart of my x-H's family. There had been relatives where I couldn't line up how they were related. No idea why this bothered me - I won't see these people again.

Well, let's say there was a little more intermarriage than you've found in your sleuthing. I actually sent my scrawlings to my dear x and he said that while it looked right, he really didn't want to know for sure.

Judith said...

Mollyb - I think it is the sheer power of curiosity that carries one forward, and the desire to explain the unexplainable.

Stitchwort - I don't think I would have had any pictures on my husband's side if HE hadn't inherited an archive from a female cousin who was childless. It seems that women tend to be more interested in passing on family history than men do.

Beverly said...

I found you through TimeGoesBy and I love it when people are able to find their relatives from long ago. My nephew is trying to find ours with not much luck.