Dear Folk, As a new subscriber, may I inquire if any of you trace your ancestry as I do back to a humble family of Birches who lived in Chester in the mid-19thC. The farthest I have traced back so far is to my ggg-grandparents Henry & Sarah Birch, who were married in Chester ca 1828 and raised a family there. Henry was, successively, a servant, glass dealer, and licencee. One of their children, Ann Birch, was born in 1832, and in 1852 married a young local carpenter/joiner, one Robert Wilkinson. The young couple lived initially in Davies Court off Newgate St, where their first child Sarah Ann was born in 1852. This area has since been demolished as slums, in favour of a carparking building. Just the Newgate St pub remains. Sarah Ann, who was my great-grandmother was baptised at the local church of St John the Evangelist. As an adult she moved away from Chester and my branch of the family has thus lost connection with the town of our origins. In my home I have, framed and hanging in a low light, a Birch family sampler dated 1836 & jointly embroidered by Sarah Birch (age10) and Mary Birch (8). I gaze at it daily and never cease to muse over who shares this common ancestry and would no doubt love to see this heirloom! Warm wishes, Michael Jones Auckland NZ