For my first fourteen years, we lived close to the Thames: Benfleet, Canvey Island, Leigh-on-sea; and then we moved inland to Norfolk. I spent many days on the beaches in Leigh, Chalkwell and Southend, playing in the sand, and, at low tide, wading the silty creeks that provide waterways for some of the smaller craft. My father was a captain in the merchant navy, so there is more than a little salt in my blood.
The family tree I have in mind, concentrates mostly on parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and back, basically a kind of pedigree chart. In addition, I would like to add the siblings at each generation. Occasionally, I might trace some of these lines closer to the present. The pedigree chart is already a large project, since at each generation the number of great-grandparents doubles. The generation born in the late 18th century appears to be that of my 5th great-grandparents of which I have one-hundred-and-twenty-eight.
The UK research breaks down into three periods: recent oral family history; the census era; and the pre-census era. Systematic household censuses in the UK began in 1841, and were enumerated every ten years thereafter. However, UK censuses are not published until 100 years have passed, so the most recent census data are from 1911. Before the Census and central indexing of birth, marriage and death records, there are parish records.
The gap between 1911 and now can often be completed through asking family elders about their siblings, uncles and aunts. Failing that, I have found the free BMD indexes helpful (www.freebmd.org.uk). For example, for the Stroud-Parks line I can easily find the marriage of Henry Stroud and Edith V Parks (Dec1916 Romford 4a 975), my great-grandparents. If I wanted, I could use this information to order their marriage certificate, but for now it gives me the registration district and quarter in which they were married. I can also search for children of last name Stroud and mother's maiden name Parks, and this search shows me:
Unity G Sep1917 Romford 4a 7?9
(my grandmother "Nan Stuart" - her mother, Edith was known as "Nan Mum")
Olive V Sep1920 Romford 4a 1109
Audrey P Jun1922 Romford 4a 966
Myrtle S Dec1924 Romford 4a 838
Ian RH Jun1927 Romford 4a 830
Particia J Sep1932 Romford 4a 825
Henry J Mar1935 West Ham 4a 463
I can likewise easily find Edith V Parks birth registration in the BMD Birth Index; in fact she is Edith Violet Parks born (at least registered) Sep1893 Gravesend 2a 625. Searching on the ancestry database, her 1901 and 1911 England Census records show up. In 1911, the household unit is at 52 Eastwood Road, Goodmayes, Essex:
George William Parks Head 40 Waterman and lighterman born Stepney, Middx
Edith Simmonds Parks Wife 35 born Gravesend, Kent
George William Parks Son 16 Lighterman apprentice born Limehouse, Mddx
Edith Violet Parks Daughter 17 Clerk - Solicitor's born Gravesend, Kent
Sidney John Parks Son 14 Clerk - Engineer's born Limehouse, Mddx
Harold Bertram Parks Son 12 School born Limehouse, Mddx
Gladys Irene Parks Daughter 9 School born Limehouse, Mddx
Thomas Charles Cooper Boarder 44 Clerk - Steamship Company born Rio de Janeiro
Watermen in London ferried people across the Thames, and lightermen used tide, current and human might to unload ships out in the river - a cheaper option for the owners who could avoid costly wharf fees.
In 1901, they are at 69 St Albans Road, ten years younger, minus Gladys Irene. Even the same boarder lived with them. Knowing the names of father and mother, searching the Free BMD Marriage Index finds the marriage of George William Parks and Edith Simmonds Hardman Mar1893 Gravesend 2a 600 - my 2nd great-grandparents. Further searching on the ancestry database show her 1881 and 1891 England Census records, and her family of origin.
Her father, John is from Worcestershire, and her mother, Amelia from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - my 3rd great-grandparents. In 1881 at 2 Elliot Street, Milton in Gravesend, Kent they are:
John Hardman Head 49 Pensioner (He had previously been a Coast Guard)
Amelia Wife 38
John Son 14
Amelia M Daughter 13
John A Son 12 (or, given the other census returns, Jonas A)
Emily Daughter 9
Edith S Daughter 5
Joseph O Son 4
(and in addition Matilda F and Emma E in 1891)
In 1861 a thirty-year-old John Hardman from Worcestershire was "Captin Miz Top" on board HMS Encounter (14-gun corvette) in Yokohama, Japan, which, in its tour of duty, had been engaged in the Second Opium War against Imperial China.
The only recorded marriage between John Hardman and Amelia (any name) between 1860 and 1870 is
with Amelia Hatt Sep1865 Orsett 4a 160 - my 4th great-grandparents. Searching once more in the census record finds the Hatt family unit in Kessingland, Suffolk, 1861 and Lowestoft,1851:
Cyprian Hatt b1818 in Harwich, Essex Coast Guard R.N.
Emma b1816 in Filby, Norfolk
Emma b1838 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Thomas b1840 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Amelia b1842 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Jonah b1846 in Lowestoft, Suffolk
Eliza b1850 in Lowestoft, Suffolk
Joseph b1852 in Lowestoft, Suffolk
Emily b1853 in Kessingland, Suffolk
Alma b1855 in Kessingland, Suffolk
Cyprian was also a coast guard; the salt was in their blood. No record of Cyprian Hatt's marriage is in the BMD database, indicating a marriage before 1837, which will force me to rely on parish records - Filby or Great Yarmouth, Norfolk would be good places to start looking for a marriage record of Cyprian Hatt and Emma. From the BMD Death Index Cyprian Hatt died in 1883. A member tree in ancestry notes an unconfirmed newspaper obituary for him, and an item concerning his entry of a model life-boat to the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Previous research has demonstrated generations of lawyers; and here are three generations of river- and seamen. Moving from Norfolk to Essex and London - somewhat akin to my move in the other direction. I remain, however, a convinced landlubber!
Taking stock, so far I have all direct ancestors (and for the most part their siblings) back to my 2nd great-grandparents (there are 16 of them), and 28/32 names for the next generation. Thereafter, I have 14/64 4th great-grandparents, 6/128 5th great, and even a couple of 6th great-grandparents (out of 256). For many family lines the census era is plain sailing.
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