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My Family History Journey
The lady who started it all my Grandma Margaret Staton
I’ve been fascinated by all things history for as long as I can remember so it was only natural that I eventually found my way to genealogy. I first started out researching my family in 2008 and since then I’ve become addicted. I wanted to know more about my Grandma who I never knew as she died far too young before I was born. I thought her line of my family came from Peterborough, Northamptonshire, but as I dug further back I found her father came from Worksop, Nottinghamshire and his father came from Eckington, Derbyshire. At present I’ve researched her branch of my family back to 1600 in Baslow, Derbyshire.
At heart I’m Yorkshire born and bred being born in Sheffield although I’m now Derbyshire based, but my research has taken me all over Yorkshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, County Durham, Northumbria, Renfrewshire and even Lancashire which as a proud Yorkshire lass was a shock!
I have uncovered ancestors who moved and changed their surname, ancestors in prison and family throughout the United States and Canada. I know there are some in Australia but I’ve not got round to them yet (finding a George Smith born in London in the 1880’s moving to Australia is the proverbial needle in the haystack). I am one of the many people who can trace their family back to one William Elshaw who was given the surname Elshaw at the Foundling Hospital in London. It seems that most people with a link to the Elshaw name are descended from him. I have discovered I am related to Lady Elizabeth Wardle and her husband Sir Thomas who were influential in silk dying and embroidery in Leek, Staffordshire and were friends of William Morris. Lady Elizabeth and her embroidery ladies produced a replica of the Bayeux tapestry which to this day is on display in Reading. The Morris works in London was managed by another ancestor in Lady Elizabeth’s brother George Young Wardle. He was married to the infamous Madeline Hamilton Smith. She was tried for murder in Edinburgh and has been the subject of quite an extensive book on her trial and has inspired many plays and dramas. She was found not guilty and went on to marry George and have two children before they separated and she went to the USA where she remarried even though she was still married to George.
I have so many men in my extended family who served and or gave their lives in war, both WW1 and WW2 including twin brothers who were both officers on submarines in WW2, and brothers who died in WW1.
I have ancestors who were miners, stone masons, weavers, milliners, musicians, cutlers, sickle grinders, farmers, publicans, toll keepers, saddlers, farriers and carters amongst others. I've found ancestors in prison and the workhouse and so many illegitimate children.
But none of this really matters as they are my ancestors no matter what. I am only here because of them and no matter what I am proud of them and want to know everything I can about them.
I have uncovered ancestors who moved and changed their surname, ancestors in prison and family throughout the United States and Canada. I know there are some in Australia but I’ve not got round to them yet (finding a George Smith born in London in the 1880’s moving to Australia is the proverbial needle in the haystack). I am one of the many people who can trace their family back to one William Elshaw who was given the surname Elshaw at the Foundling Hospital in London. It seems that most people with a link to the Elshaw name are descended from him. I have discovered I am related to Lady Elizabeth Wardle and her husband Sir Thomas who were influential in silk dying and embroidery in Leek, Staffordshire and were friends of William Morris. Lady Elizabeth and her embroidery ladies produced a replica of the Bayeux tapestry which to this day is on display in Reading. The Morris works in London was managed by another ancestor in Lady Elizabeth’s brother George Young Wardle. He was married to the infamous Madeline Hamilton Smith. She was tried for murder in Edinburgh and has been the subject of quite an extensive book on her trial and has inspired many plays and dramas. She was found not guilty and went on to marry George and have two children before they separated and she went to the USA where she remarried even though she was still married to George.
I have so many men in my extended family who served and or gave their lives in war, both WW1 and WW2 including twin brothers who were both officers on submarines in WW2, and brothers who died in WW1.
I have ancestors who were miners, stone masons, weavers, milliners, musicians, cutlers, sickle grinders, farmers, publicans, toll keepers, saddlers, farriers and carters amongst others. I've found ancestors in prison and the workhouse and so many illegitimate children.
But none of this really matters as they are my ancestors no matter what. I am only here because of them and no matter what I am proud of them and want to know everything I can about them.
Some of my ancestors