Hearn

Letter D challenge

Miss W. Boyd, Colgrave, England, Hearn, Jackson, Smith, Swaine, Tedman, Watkins , ,

1558 Ainscough Origins

Boobelle via Compfight

Direct Line or Descendants

When you began your family history research, what did you start with? Did you begin with yourself and go back one generation at a time following your direct line only? Or did you also look at the descendants of those direct lines?

I know when I began I started just with names, dates and places and going back as far as I could – in fact I got back to 1604 with one line in Bedfordshire, England. I made connections with other researchers by using the Rootsweb emailing lists and also contacting others mentioned in the IGI (International Genealogical Index) and the IGRD (International Genealogical Research Directory). I exchanged information through RAOGK (Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness) where I would do some research in Tasmania for a person in another county of England and they would do research for me in their county.

But nowadays technology has really allowed me to do a lot more research with original records online. Less having to visit an actual archives, at least for the basics of BDM records. But it is fantastic to see so many Historical Societies having a presence online. This now allows me to connect with locals in the areas where my ancestors lived. My family history blog has also created connections with family members I knew nothing about.

By researching the descendants I have found out more about their life as a family and the community they lived in. Trove and other newspaper reports have put flesh on the bones of my family rather than just a list of names, dates and places.

Surnames in my direct line include:

  • WYATT – unknown where born
  • ENGLAND – Rotherham, York, ENG
  • SMITH – Recherche Bay, Tasmania AUS but originally Samoan and given surname Smith
  • DAVEY – Devon, ENG – free settler and down to 7 possible people
  • TEDMAN – London, ENG – waterman
  • CHANDLER – London, ENG – gardeners in Tasmania and at Government House in the 1860’s
  • COLGRAVE –  Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, ENG – back to 1604
  • SOMMERS – Portland, Tasmania, AUS
  • JACKSON – Donegal, Ireland
  • DIXON – London, ENG
  • BOYD – Maker, Cornwall, ENG
  • WATKINS – Hull, Yorkshire, ENG
  • HEARN – Edgeware, London, ENG
  • BRYANT – Rotherhithe, London, ENG
  • BULL – London, ENG
  • SWAIN – Maidstone, Kent, ENG

Readers: Please leave a comment about my post or something beginning with D that relates to your family history or your research.

letter D

Martha Hearn and siblings

Miss W. Hearn

Having found her marriage certificate and noticed the church was in Little Stanmore, England, I then checked out her birth. Finding one at Great Stanmore, I looked at a map to find out how close these two towns were or maybe in the 20 years between birth and marriage, the towns might have separated. As I find more siblings, I will add their information here.

Here is her baptism certificate (births were not required to be registered until the 1830’s).

Baptism of Martha Hearn 1816
Baptism of Martha Hearn 1816

Parents: Margaret and Richard HEARN

Date of baptism: 27 October 1816

Church: St John the Evangelist, Great Stanmore

Source Citation: London Metropolitan Archives, Great Stanmore St John the Evangelist, Register of Baptism, dro/014/a/01, Item 008

Martha gets married

Miss W. Hearn

In the last half hour, I have been chatting in Facebook with a relative Min who also is researching Martha. So I decided to go on Ancestry.com where I have a world membership to see what I could find out about Martha before arriving in Tasmania.

Vercoe Hearns marriagesmlFirst step was finding her marriage to William Vico or similar. With such an unusual name that could be spelled a variety of ways, it was quite easy to find.

William Vercoe bachelor and Martha Hearn Spinster both of this parish

married in the church by banns on 5th or 8th December, 1833 by Edward John Smith – Curate

In the presence of William Taylor and Mary ??

Notice only William Vercoe could write his own name. The parish was Little Stanmore in Middlesex, England.

Here is a link to information about the church they were married in.

Source Citation:  London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Lawrence, Little Stanmore, Register of marriages, DRO/109, Item 016