This page of the website is the jumping off point into my (and that of many other people of course!) research into my UK family roots (although earlier forks have ended up in the USA and Australasia). Feel free to jump in, connect it to your own family genealogy, tell me about any mistakes or false conclusions, improve my data and ask for further info!
My tree is based on my grandparents, both maternal and paternal. It is deliberately very ‘light’ on generations beneath them as I cannot tell who will and won’t expect to have their privacy respected. I have more information on these people in my own research notes and, if you can make a case, I’ll consider passing on some of this privately.
I only knew my grandmothers – both my grandfathers had died long before my birth (1961). But various family members have contributed source materials and information over the years and I thank them all for giving me the framework to delve deeper. I have endeavoured to use a high standard of ‘proof’ in order to draw conclusions but my tree doesn’t always (to say the least!) give sources as I still have to reconcile my paper research with my electronic. Likewise I have many photographs, but very few online yet. Hopefully this will all soon improve.
So, to introduce my grandparents…
George Charles Perry (1900-1937, my paternal grandfather) was born in South London, plied his trade as a tobacconist’s window dresser and died tragically young. His Perry family roots lie in Laleham, Middlesex though, and his earliest known Perry ancestor is William Perry (c1753-1830). The Perry family goes much further back in Laleham than this, but relevant records haven’t been found to bridge the yawning gaps between what we can prove and what we can only tentatively guess at. Travelling down maternal lines into Surrey we can get back another generation or two – Maurice Beauchamp (born c1830 in Thorpe) and George Fenn (from Horsley – who seems, being born around 1700, to be my very earliest known ancestor of all!). Another maternal line reaches back into the Suffolk/Norfolk border country to Richard Grice (1747-1825, born in Ilketshall St Lawrence).
Frederica May Sheward (1903-1969, my paternal grandmother) was also born in South London and married George Charles Perry in 1928. Her Sheward antecedents go back to West London though, where the family was intensively involved in high-class horsedealing around Hyde Park – our earliest known ancestor is Samuel Sheward (c1760-1808). Her mother’s Bird family from Bath, Somerset is also extensively researched in this tree and we can trace that back to Edward Bird probably born c1770 in Somerset.
Frank Ernest Finch (1895-1951, my maternal grandfather) was born in East London and ran a corner shop in Bethnal Green. Like many Cockney families, the Finch roots lie in the City of London where John Finch (c1784-1822) was a butcher in Newgate Market (now Paternoster Square). Again, travelling back along maternal lines gets us back a tad – James Hurd was born in Frome, around 1740.
Louisa Ann Johnson (1898-1972, my maternal grandmother) was another East End girl. She married Frank Ernest Finch in 1924 and carried on running the shop after his death. With a common surname and a family aversion to authority, unfortunately we don’t get far on the Johnson roots – we know no more of her paternal grandfather than his name – Thomas Johnson.
This site will improve over time, but I hope you can enjoy and learn from it even now! Happy researching!
Colin Perry, December 2012.
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