Every Family has a story to tell……….Welcome to mine
From the Banks of the Thames to the Mud of Passchendaele: The Life and Loss of Harry Joseph Keyes Before the mud, the gunfire, and the chaos of the Western Front, before the thunder of artillery at Ypres silenced his young life, Harry Joseph Keyes was a boy growing up in the heart of working-class … Continue reading In the Shadow of Passchendaele: Remembering Private Keyes
A Journey Through Victorian Essex and Beyond In the spring of 1866, in the quiet rural village of South Ockendon, Essex, a young boy named William Chiddicks was born into a world poised on the brink of immense change. He was born on 18 March 18661, the first of seven children born to Matthew and Elizabeth Chiddicks (née Lake), at a … Continue reading In the Footsteps of William Chiddicks
The Oak Tree Remembers: A Chiddicks Family Story Through the Eyes of the Village Oak Tree I have been standing here longer. than you can remember. My roots run deeper than the graves in the churchyard, and my limbs have reached higher with every passing century. I am the old oak on the village green, … Continue reading The Tree On The Green
About Forgotten AncestorsEvery family tree holds stories lost to time — distant relatives whose lives passed quietly, leaving barely a mark, but whose experiences shaped the generations that followed. In this series, I explore the lives of those forgotten ancestors, bringing their names, stories, and voices back into the light. “History remembers only the celebrated, genealogy … Continue reading Forgotten Ancestors: Remembering Henry William Chiddicks
Make the most of this folks this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity as you catch a rare glimpse of me stepping outside of my comfort zone. You can watch my first ever video blog where I explain why I started researching my family tree by clicking on the link below:Stepping Into the … Continue reading Stepping Into the Spotlight: My First Ever Vlog!
Sometimes, we discover a story, and sometimes, the story discovers us. This is one of the most remarkable examples of serendipity I’ve encountered in over thirty years of family history research. So sit back, relax, and let me tell you a story..... Being recognised amongst friends and family as the keeper of all things “old,” … Continue reading Unearthing the Past: How an Old Ledger Revealed Hidden Family Secrets
Killed in the Line of Duty Sapper Harold Walter Thompson Service Number 2001843........... Harold Walter Thompson was born on 19 February 1920, in Romford in Essex, the third oldest of six children born to parents Harry Walter Thompson and Charlotte May Wheal. Baby Harold was baptised just two months later on 29 April 1920 at … Continue reading Sapper Harold Walter Thompson
William Chiddicks is my 1st Cousin 4 x removed and for whatever reason, he was not one of those ancestors that I was immediately drawn to. I had his Baptism record, he was baptised on 8th March 1835 in South Fambridge, Essex, I had his marriage record, he married Mary Ann Waite Watson on 18th … Continue reading The Great Fire of Baddow
You might recall recently that I told you the story of my 2 x great-grandfather Henry Barnes, who was a Dock Worker all his life, a man who worked hard to provide for his family. Henry had a tough life, it was a difficult time living in the poorer quarters of London during the Victorian … Continue reading Forever Missed, But Never Forgotten
Every once in a while you stumble across a story, almost by accident and you wonder how on earth have I missed that! Well recently I did just that, whilst doing some random searches on the newspaper archives section of the FindMyPast website. It was while I was revisiting some old searches, that I found … Continue reading Was She Pushed? Did She Jump? Or Did She Fall?
The Chiddicks Family Tree 