Judy's Family History

We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
T S Elliot

Welcome to my family history web site and blog. I’ve done loads of research, only some of which is on here, so this is a work in progress as I’m adding more each week.

The tabs above take you to summaries of the research I’ve done on the different lines that converged, over three centuries, to result in my birth.

Check out my blog for some old photos and bits and bobs that have caught my interest.

The aim of this web site and blog is to share information and ideas. If it also puts me in touch with anyone I might be distantly related to, or share interests with, so much the better. So please feel free to browse and leave a comment.

About me

I’ve been researching my family history, on and off, since the 1990s and uncovered an enormous amount of fascinating information, as well as hit a number of brick walls. My interest has extended well beyond the mere gathering of names and dates, as I love finding out about how my ancestors may have lived, the places they called home, the occupations they followed and the living conditions of their time.

Home for me is Leeds (Yorkshire, England), although only one of my parents was born here and none of my grandparents were. As a child I took pride in saying I was three-quarters Scottish due to having three Scottish grandparents. My maternal grandmother, born near Barnsley, was the only English one.

I’ve recently retired, which means more time to take my interest in family history further. For the last ten years I worked as an academic, so like to think I have well honed research skills. Before that I worked in advertising, mostly in London and Australia. So like my ancestors I moved about a bit, but unlike some of them I’ve ended up back where I was born. Not surprising, then, that one of my favourite quotations (see above) is from a T S Elliot poem. I think it applies to all family historians.