Welcome If you have any comments, suggestions or questions (or better still, some new information!) please send me an email Many thanks, John Squier. To jump to an explanation of the codes used for people and sources of information, click here     For a snapshot of a generation - where eight families were on the 30th March 1851, click here     Direct Ancestors family trees (in eight parts) with links to the detailed family trees for each branch Part 1 - Squier, Richardson, Durrant, Biggs, Westwood and others of Essex What's new (since the last version) ...      Additional detail in the person pages from censuses, BMDs and other online sources      More details of the properties they occupied from manorial court books      New ancestor Thomas Richardson in Essex      Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages. Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations (names without a link are included with the name above) Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Squier Office - 'the esquire', an attendant upon a knight, a shield-bearer Essex 1700-1940 Hummerston Local - from Humberstone, Lincolnshire or Leicestershire Essex 1700s Richardson Baptismal - the son of Richard Essex 1700s Philips Baptismal - the son of Philip Essex 1703-1723 Durrant Baptismal - the son of Durrant or Durrand Essex 1700s Biggs Nickname - big or bulky Essex 1700s Ross Local - in Hereford, Scotland, Yorks. Also early Saxon from German Rossunga Essex 1676-1737 Stoakes Local, from common placename Stoke Essex 1676 Westwood Local - of west wood Essex 1711-1885 Spencer Office - 'house steward', in charge of the buttery or spence Essex 1717-1759 Brown Descriptive (6th most common surname of England and Wales) Essex 1728-1788 Mayor Status name meaning 'great' or 'headman' Essex 1731-1757 Part 2 - Carter, Warner, Crouch and Bragg of London, Westminster and Essex What's new (since the last version) ...      New ancestors the Crouch family of Westminster      The Bragg family extended from the City of London back to Essex      Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages, for some ancestors back to the late 1600s Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Carter Occupational - the carter Hitchin, London 1597-1700, 1700-1864 Warner From the OG given name Werner or occupational - the warrener Hertfordshire 1597 Heard Occupational - the herdsman Hertfordshire 1677 Wilson Baptismal - son of William London 1726-1752 Crouch Local, someone who lived by a cross or crossroads Westminster 1700s Bragg Nickname - boaster, brisk, full of spirit Essex, London 1740-1786, 1780-1820 Simpson Baptismal - son of Simme (variant of Simon) or Sigmund Essex 1742 Part 3 - Boorman, Hayward, Peen(d)e, Danes, Chapman, Mockett, Dence and Lewis of Kent What's new (since the last version) ...       Back 15 generations to the very early 1500s in the Boorman branch in Kent       Additional detail in the person pages from censuses, BMDs and other online sources       More details of the properties they occupied from manorial court books       Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages, for some ancestors back to the late 1600s. Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Boorman Office - 'the bowerman', the servant of the bower, an indoor servitor, a chamberlain Kent, Essex 1570-1874, 1851-1906 Hayward Keeper of cattle, literally 'hedge-watcher' Kent 1604-1684 Peter Baptismal - son of Peter Kent 1615 Peen(d)e Possibly a local name deriving from the river Peene in north Germany Kent 1500s Danes Local - 'by the valley' (dene) (but see also Dence) Kent 1560-1612 Roberts Baptismal - son of Robert Kent 1591 Chapman Occupational - the chapman or pedlar Kent 1654-1718 Winder Occupational - winding wool or plaiting baskets Kent 1676 Mockett Diminutive of OE personal name 'Mocca' Kent 1715-1754 Sharpe Nickname for a quick, smart person Kent 1681 Wood Local or occupational - lived in or worked in a forest Kent 1716-1726 Dence Ethnic name for someone from Denmark (but see also Danes) Kent 1683-1812 Austen From given name Austin, medieval contraction of Augustine Kent 1683, 1762 Lewis From given name Lewis Kent 1682-1709 Taylor Occupational - the tailor Kent 1737 Part 4 - Gorham, Euridge, Fletcher, Gilder, Beckett and Whiting What's new (since the last version) ...       Additional detail in the person pages from censuses, BMDs and other online sources       More details of the properties they occupied from manorial court books       More information from 18th century deeds on six generations of the Whiting family of Kent       Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages, for some ancestors back to the late 1600s Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Gorham Local (triangular piece of land + homestead) Kent 1754-1829 Euridge Local 'of Eweridge', an East Sussex name Kent 1754 Fletcher Occupational - the maker of arrows Kent 1685-1803 Gilder Occupational - the worker in gold Kent 1652-1770 Beckett Local (places) or local (a stream) or nickname 'Beake' Kent 1621-1652 Stiles Local - near a steep ascent (OE Stigol) or a stile Kent 1597-1621 Haggar either: Woodcutter (ME haggen, to chop), or: Wild, untamed (OF hagard) Kent 1670-1690 Whiting Nickname - the white one Kent 1621-1715 Green Descriptive - wore green or lived near the green Kent 1627-1666 Wray Local from Lancs or Cumberland: ON Vra, a remote valley Kent 1686 Part 5 - Moss, Cock, Denny and Stock of Essex What's new (since the last version) ...       Additional detail in the person pages from censuses, BMDs and other online sources       More details of the properties they occupied from manorial court books       Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages, for some ancestors back to the late 1600s Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Moss 1. Local - at the moss (from residence thereby), or 2. Baptismal - the son of Moses Essex 1695-1878 Wright Occupational - worker or craftsman, usually in wood Essex 1671-1695 Cranmer Local from Shropshire or Somerset Essex 1664-1730 Harvey Baptismal, son of Harvey Essex 1684 Thomson Baptismal, son of Thomas Essex 1687-1708 Cock Nickname (from pertness or swagger) Essex 1728-1821 Denny 1. Diminutive of Dennis, or 2. Locality in Cambs or Stirlingshire, or 3. A swineherd, one who works in the woodland or swine pasture (OE denu) Essex 1695-1825 Crump Nickname, deformed person Essex 1727 Stock Local - 'at the stock' - tree stump or trunks Essex 1736-1848 Clarke Occupational - member of a minor religious order; cleric, clergyman, scribe or secretary Essex 1773 Pitt Locality in Kent/Hants or 'dweller by the hollows' Essex 1777-1798 Part 6 - Blore and Entwistle of London, and Lister, Horn and Dutchman of West Yorkshire What's new (since the last version) ...       Additional detail in the person pages from censuses, BMDs and other online sources       More detail on the Listers of Yorkshire from deeds and land tax at Wakefield       Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Blore 1. Local, of Blore parish in Staffordshire, or 2. Occupational - the blower London 1786-1916 Entwhistle Local, of Entwisle parish of Bolton, Lancs London 1772-1847 Lister Occupational - the textile dyer W. Yorkshire 1733-1883 Dutchman Presumably meaning from Holland W. Yorkshire 1703-1759 Hazelwood Local or topographical - near the hazel wood W. Yorkshire 1703 West Topographical - lived in or came from the west W. Yorkshire 1729 Horn Occupational - makes things from horn, or local W. Yorkshire 1766-1786 Hutchinson Baptismal - son of Hugh plus 'kin' i.e. relative W. Yorkshire 1729-1766 Wriglesworth Local, from Wigglesworth, North Yorkshire W. Yorkshire 1729 Part 7 - Thorpe of London and Lincolnshire, Lehair and others of Cambridgeshire and Calais France, and Garrett and Mackrell of London docklands What's new (since the last version) ...       Lots more information on the Huguenots in the Lehair and Watté branches       Additional detail in the person pages from censuses, BMDs and other online sources       Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Thorpe 1. Local, 'at the thorpe', ie. the village, or 2. Local, 'of Thorpe', many parishes and hamlets Lincolnahire, London 1768-1838, 1823-1899 Lehair Several different possible origins: 1. Leherre (Normandie), var de Lehère - misereux [dict des noms de France, Larousse] - the wretch, poverty-stricken. 2. Le Hir from the Breton 'tall'. 3. Haire, a hair-shirt, a misery shirt. 4. The heir to a title. Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire 1659-1806 LeRoy Norman - one who behaves in a regal fashion Cambridgeshire 1659 Pinchon Either nickname for bright, cheerful person from the french for 'finch', or occupational for someone who made pincers Cambridgeshire 1671-1675 Sigé Unknown, apparently of french origin Cambridgeshire 1675-1683 Casselle Topographical, at or by the castle Cambridgeshire 1674-1683 Watté, Wattey Unknown, apparently of french origin Calais, Cambridgeshire 1624-1684, 1704-1718 de Berthe Nickname, from Bartholomew Calais 1640s Burbure Unknown, apparently of french origin Calais 1651-1675 de Rouin Unknown, apparently of french origin Calais 1650s Winkeley Possibly local from Devon or Lancashire Cambridgeshire 1704 Wilson Baptismal, son of William Lincolnshire 1768 Garrett Baptismal, son of Gerard London 1763-1854 Mackrell Nickname 'the mackerel' ME and OF London 1702-1766 Inyoun Baptismal, son of Einion, a Welsh personal name London 1681-1726 Chapman Occupational, the chapman or pedlar London 1675-1702 Blyth Local, from Scotland, or descriptive - merry, cheerful London 1675 Part 8 - Brock, Burgess and Woollterton of Norfolk, and Harvey of Suffolk What's new (since the last version) ...       Back 13 generations to the 1500s in the Burgess branch in Norfolk       Additional detail in the person pages from censuses, BMDs and other online sources       More details of the properties they occupied from manorial court books       Making their mark - copies of signatures in the person pages Direct ancestors family tree Family names, with links to the detailed family tree pages, and likely name derivations Name, with link to detailed tree Likely derivation Places Dates Brock 1. Nickname 'the brock', ie. badger, or 2. Local, at the brook Norfolk 1716-1852 Burgess A freeman of a borough Norfolk 1622-1716 Rix Local, from Old English 'near the rushes' Norfolk 1600 Kent Local, from Kent Norfolk 1651 Woolterton Local 'of Wolterton', Norfolk (just north of Blickling) Norfolk 1732-1757 Smith Occupational, a metal worker Essex? 1791-1810 Harvey Baptismal, son of Harvey Suffolk 1700s Jones Baptismal, son of John Suffolk 1728 Simmons Baptismal, son of Simon Suffolk 1724-1759 (94 family names) Note: In England and Wales, 90% of people share just 83 different surnames, the remaining 10% share 147,000 different surnames! (Source - 1991 census). Explanation of Codes People Because so many people in a family tree have the same name, it is useful to give each of them a unique number. Direct Ancestors Direct ancestors are coded with a number like this - 3/5 - the first part is a generation number (number of generations back from myself) - the second part is a person number within that generation. So 3/2 is my father’s father’s mother - a great-grandmother. 3/5 is my mother’s father’s father, a great-grandfather. And so on. See the Ancestors family trees above. Obviously there are more people in each generation back - eight great-grandparents, 16 great-great-grandparents .... etc. Note that my other two grandparents, 2/3 and 2/4 and their ancestors, are on my Marsh family tree, to see it click here     Other relatives Other relatives are coded according to their nearest direct ancestor. Each direct ancestor's children are coded with a suffix of A, B, C, etc. Then each of their children are coded with a further suffix of A, B, C, etc. So for example, - if a great-grandfather John Smith had three children, Mary, John and James, and the son John Smith had three children, John, Mary and Frederick - during their lifetimes the various John Smiths would have been called ‘John the younger’ and ‘John the elder’, but now that would be confusing, especially over three, four or five generations - so if John Smith was ancestor 3/5, his children would be Mary 3/5A, John 3/5B and James 3/5C - the son John Smith’s children would be John 3/5BA, Mary 3/5BB and Frederick 3/5BC, and so on. Sources of Information It is useful to record where you found each piece of information on the family tree, in case you need to see it again, and also to avoid looking at it again by mistake if you don’t need to. My sources of information are coded with a letter and a number: - the letter or letters indicate the place where the information is, such as a record office or library - the number indicates the type of document, such as a parish register, will or tax return. The exception is letter ‘A’ which means information from relatives or other individuals, and then the number indicates which relative. To see the full list of sources I have used, click here         (use your browser 'Back' button to return) and there is also a link to it from the top of each of the Person Detail pages. Back to top of page