Hi Everyone, This morning I received a snail mail request from Patricia Courtney in France for copies of 'Woodchurch Then & Now' and 'A Stroll Around the Green'. In her accompanying letter she asks, "My Grandfather was born in Woodchurch, the illegitimate son of Catherine Ditton -- I am pretty sure I know who his natural father was, but how does one prove such a thing as the evidence is anecdotal?" Now, I appreciate that really isn't much to go on at all, but does that ring a bell for any of you researching the Ditton family? All the best Gary Samson Canterbury, Kent *Now Available* 'A Stroll Around the Green' www.goldbern.co.uk/woodchurch/stroll.htm

Hi all: It's amazing how far the Woodchurch community has spread! Though I am not in a direct Ditton line, there is at least one Ditton twig in my tree (John Ditton m. Bennet King 19 Oct 1806 Woodchurch) Probably a bit too early for Patricia's ggf but could John and Bennet be in her tree too? Regards Martin Willcocks Gary Samson wrote: >Hi Everyone, > >This morning I received a snail mail request from Patricia Courtney in >France for copies of 'Woodchurch Then & Now' and 'A Stroll Around the >Green'. In her accompanying letter she asks, "My Grandfather was born in >Woodchurch, the illegitimate son of Catherine Ditton -- I am pretty sure >I know who his natural father was, but how does one prove such a thing >as the evidence is anecdotal?" Now, I appreciate that really isn't much >to go on at all, but does that ring a bell for any of you researching >the Ditton family? > >All the best > >Gary Samson >Canterbury, Kent > >*Now Available* 'A Stroll Around the Green' >www.goldbern.co.uk/woodchurch/stroll.htm > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-KEN-WOODCHURCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >

Dear Gary, That's an interesting problem, given that you can never be really sure that the men you think are your ancestors actually are. It's always amazed me that in the early days of genealogy it was the paternal line that was considered important, and the maternal far less so, when it's usually obvious that a woman is about to give birth, but definitely not obvious who the father is. The line I, personally, am most sure about is my mother's mother's mother's etc. even though I have documentary evidence for all my other lines! (Sorry, ancestors, I'm not trying to cast aspersions!!!) Do we know when the grandfather was born, or his name? The date of his birth? Is it likely to have happened within living memory? She might try looking for the will of her supposed great-grandfather, or even his close family. But unless the grandfather is named somewhere as 'my natural son...' it seems unlikely that she will ever be able to prove it. It probably happened too late (the 18th century and before has some good examples of men being caught up with to look after putative natural offspring) for there to be parish records, but you never know. It's amazing what turns up sometimes. Josie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Samson" <gsamson@goldbern.co.uk> To: <eng-ken-woodchurch@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 2:22 PM Subject: [ENG-KEN-WOODCHURCH] Catherine DITTON > Hi Everyone, > > This morning I received a snail mail request from Patricia Courtney in > France for copies of 'Woodchurch Then & Now' and 'A Stroll Around the > Green'. In her accompanying letter she asks, "My Grandfather was born in > Woodchurch, the illegitimate son of Catherine Ditton -- I am pretty sure > I know who his natural father was, but how does one prove such a thing > as the evidence is anecdotal?" Now, I appreciate that really isn't much > to go on at all, but does that ring a bell for any of you researching > the Ditton family? > > All the best > > Gary Samson > Canterbury, Kent > > *Now Available* 'A Stroll Around the Green' > www.goldbern.co.uk/woodchurch/stroll.htm > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-KEN-WOODCHURCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message