It's time to call any strayed, lost or errant ancestors home for Christmas, they don't have to be local to the list. There's space at our table for everyone and food aplenty - despite a whole 5 inches of snow here which is 5 inches more than we'd normally get :)) Ancestors can be called home from now until Boxing Day (26 Dec). Someone long missing and who I'd love to have home for Christmas is James PONSFORD allegedly born Tiverton around 1828. He was also known at various times as James William and William James. Also John PARKER of Newhall Derbys who was born around 1800 so I can ask him about his parents, siblings and grandparents and also when he married Catherine CHEATLE, if he actually did. I'd also like to know if he is the same John PARKER who married Catherine SWAN in 1819 in Loughborough. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk http://www.savethegurkhas.co.uk/

Hi Charani, I noticed that your posting included references to Tiverton (Devon) and Loughborough (Leicestershire). These two places always make me sit up and take notice, as an ancestor of mine was also connected with both. It's an example of where family historians need to research local history to understand what happened to their ancestors. My great x4 grandfather, John QUAIL, was born in Leicestershire but married in Tiverton. He was an Engineer and Framesmith, working on lacemaking frames. The reason for his move was as follows: In 1816, there was a lot of unrest across the country. Luddism was rife, and although this is often portrayed as an opposition to new technology, it was as much about the problems caused by cheap imports from overseas. And so it came about that a group of Luddites attacked John Heathcoat's lace factory in Loughborough. They smashed up the lace making frames and burnt the lace. Heathcoat was incensed. The Leicestershire County Council offered him compensation for his losses, but only on condition that he re-built a factory in Leicestershire. But Heathcoat was having none of it. He had recently purchased a new factory in Tiverton and resolved to set up his base there. He offered work to his Leicestershire workforce, and so it came about that hundreds of people - many whole families - made the exodus from Loughborough to Tiverton. They could not afford transport and walked the whole way - mostly down the old Fosse Way. So it was, I'm sure, that my Leicestershire ancestor came to marry a lass from Tiverton, Ann GOVIER, in 1821. He would only have been 14 in 1816, so may have completed his apprenticeship before making the journey. I have yet to find any records that tell me about his apprenticeship or when he moved down to Tiverton. Perhaps one day ... To make sure that this is relevant to the List, John died in Bristol ! Best wishes & merry Christmas to all, Mike Gould Leicestershire (having been born in Bristol and made the reverse trip to ancestor John !) -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Charani Sent: 20 December 2010 11:06 To: B+D List Subject: [B&D] Home for Christmas: PONSFORD and PARKER It's time to call any strayed, lost or errant ancestors home for Christmas, they don't have to be local to the list. There's space at our table for everyone and food aplenty - despite a whole 5 inches of snow here which is 5 inches more than we'd normally get :)) Ancestors can be called home from now until Boxing Day (26 Dec). Someone long missing and who I'd love to have home for Christmas is James PONSFORD allegedly born Tiverton around 1828. He was also known at various times as James William and William James. Also John PARKER of Newhall Derbys who was born around 1800 so I can ask him about his parents, siblings and grandparents and also when he married Catherine CHEATLE, if he actually did. I'd also like to know if he is the same John PARKER who married Catherine SWAN in 1819 in Loughborough. -- Charani (UK)