One of the fascinating things of doing family history research is tracing people through the years using online searches.
We used to have to do all this by post or by hiring researchers to help us, unless of course we live where all the records are kept. Now thanks to the LDS Church, many volunteers and organizations, and services like Ancestry.com, we can do much searching online at home.
I use Ancestry.com and have found it satisfies many of my needs, but I go outside it when I can, or when I have the opportunity.
So, here's how online searches helped me piece together what I know of the life of John VERNELL #1.
How to get started in genealogy? Start with what you know.
I knew from family stories that Eleanor Ann(e) CAMPBELL had married a man named VERNELL and his half-brother, whose surname was SANDERS, and that they lived in London, England. I am still unravelling the connections between these two families.
A good place to start building the records for someone is with the marriage of their parents.
I actually did the search for this marriage by hand in the old GRO records room at St Katherine's House in London. It wasn't too hard to find the marriage entry for Eleanor Ann(e) and John. That's John VERNELL #2, the father of John VERNELL #1. Finding the marriage of his parents gave me a starting point for this family.
The marriage was on July 5, 1864 at the Parish Church in Hackney, which is part of London.
Here is a short history of Hackney, courtesy of the Hackney Council's website.
In fact, the actual marriage certificate is online now via Ancestry.com and the London Metropolitan Archives. I'm not sure which Ancestry links will actually work for people who aren't members, but here's a link to the marriage certificate.
What it tells me about the not-yet-born John VERNELL #1 is that:
- his parents were young and hadn't been married before
- his mother was from Lewisham, Kent, where her father, James CAMPBELL, was a Cooper
- his father, a Salesman, was from Albion Road (presumably in the Parish of Hackney, London), and his father, John VERNELL #2, was a Silk Manufacturer.
The stage is set for John #1's arrival!
Showing posts with label silk manufacturers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label silk manufacturers. Show all posts
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sorting out the various John VERNELLs
Ancestors who use the same name generation after generation are both a blessing and a curse.
A blessing because the repetition of the name sometimes helps you feel secure when guessing whether you have the right John SMITH (or in my case, John VERNELL). A curse because after a few generations you have so many John VERNELLs that your eyes begin to cross.
Here's where I am with my own John VERNELLs today.
Starting with the most recent.
John VERNELL #1, born about 1866 in New Cross, Surrey, England, died some time after the 1901 census. He was the first child of John VERNELL #2 and Eleanor Anne (Ann) CAMPBELL. He married a lady named Mary Ann and in 1901 he was working as a solicitor's clerk. John #1 probably lived in London and in Essex as far as I now know.
John VERNELL #2, father of John VERNELL #1, was born in 1844 in Whitechapel, a part of London most closely associated with Jack the Ripper these days. This John was only 30 when he died, but he and Eleanor Anne had seven children. John was a tea salesman.
John VERNELL #3, father of John VERNELL #2, was born in 1816 in Tower Hamlets (London). He was a Silk Manufacturer, and died in 1845 in Whitechapel. His wife, Maria SANDERS, was born SANDERS, married John VERNELL, then after his death, married William Lumley SANDERS. This tendency of SANDERS and VERNELLs to intermarry is driving me crazy but it also makes the stories a little more intriguing.
John VERNELL #4, father of John VERNELL #3, 1789 (about) to 1873. I think he and his wife, Hetty Mary TWINAM, sometimes called Hester or Esther, had about seven children. (I'm still counting.) If I understand correctly, John was a silk manufacturer who retired to Thames Ditton in the 1840s with his wife and several of the unmarried adult children. This family lived in High House, Thames Ditton, through the 19th century and probably into the 20th. If I am ever going to find a family fortune (!), this seems like the best place to start looking.
In my Ancestry.com family tree, I am still sorting out Johns #1 through #4 and at the moment I have some facts showing for the wrong individuals.
The story before this:
Family History Stories: Ancestors: The VERNELLs were silk manufacturers in Spitalfields in the early 1800s
and the story after:
Family History Stories: John VERNELL #1, of London and area, Solicitor's clerk, ~1866 to 1908
A blessing because the repetition of the name sometimes helps you feel secure when guessing whether you have the right John SMITH (or in my case, John VERNELL). A curse because after a few generations you have so many John VERNELLs that your eyes begin to cross.
Here's where I am with my own John VERNELLs today.
Starting with the most recent.
John VERNELL #1, born about 1866 in New Cross, Surrey, England, died some time after the 1901 census. He was the first child of John VERNELL #2 and Eleanor Anne (Ann) CAMPBELL. He married a lady named Mary Ann and in 1901 he was working as a solicitor's clerk. John #1 probably lived in London and in Essex as far as I now know.
John VERNELL #2, father of John VERNELL #1, was born in 1844 in Whitechapel, a part of London most closely associated with Jack the Ripper these days. This John was only 30 when he died, but he and Eleanor Anne had seven children. John was a tea salesman.
John VERNELL #3, father of John VERNELL #2, was born in 1816 in Tower Hamlets (London). He was a Silk Manufacturer, and died in 1845 in Whitechapel. His wife, Maria SANDERS, was born SANDERS, married John VERNELL, then after his death, married William Lumley SANDERS. This tendency of SANDERS and VERNELLs to intermarry is driving me crazy but it also makes the stories a little more intriguing.
John VERNELL #4, father of John VERNELL #3, 1789 (about) to 1873. I think he and his wife, Hetty Mary TWINAM, sometimes called Hester or Esther, had about seven children. (I'm still counting.) If I understand correctly, John was a silk manufacturer who retired to Thames Ditton in the 1840s with his wife and several of the unmarried adult children. This family lived in High House, Thames Ditton, through the 19th century and probably into the 20th. If I am ever going to find a family fortune (!), this seems like the best place to start looking.
In my Ancestry.com family tree, I am still sorting out Johns #1 through #4 and at the moment I have some facts showing for the wrong individuals.
The story before this:
Family History Stories: Ancestors: The VERNELLs were silk manufacturers in Spitalfields in the early 1800s
and the story after:
Family History Stories: John VERNELL #1, of London and area, Solicitor's clerk, ~1866 to 1908
Monday, June 21, 2010
Ancestors: The VERNELLs were silk manufacturers in Spitalfields in the early 1800s
One of the more distant branches of my family was named VERNELL. This is a family that has intrigued me (as most of them do) for a couple of reasons.
One of them, possibly one of the several John VERNELLs, was killed by lightning on his own front door.
One family, headed by another John VERNELL, were silk manufacturers in Spitalfields in the early 1800s. They later retired to Thames Ditton. I just found out their house was purchased by one of England's notable car manufacturers, A C Cars, makers of the Cobra.
The house was called High House, and now I know why I have never seen it when looking around Thames Ditton: it was torn down.
Much more to come about the VERNELLs. They're quite a fascinating clan.
Next: Sorting out the various John VERNELLs
One of them, possibly one of the several John VERNELLs, was killed by lightning on his own front door.
One family, headed by another John VERNELL, were silk manufacturers in Spitalfields in the early 1800s. They later retired to Thames Ditton. I just found out their house was purchased by one of England's notable car manufacturers, A C Cars, makers of the Cobra.
The house was called High House, and now I know why I have never seen it when looking around Thames Ditton: it was torn down.
Much more to come about the VERNELLs. They're quite a fascinating clan.
Next: Sorting out the various John VERNELLs
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