Greetings from KwaZulu/Natal South Africa. Firstly I would like to thank you for your warm welcome. My maternal LAMBLE and paternal BENNETT families come from Hampshire. Although I am born and bred in Kwa Zulu/Natal, South Africa, I am deeply proud to have such strong Hampshire roots. For the time being I will focus on my paternal family BENNETT from Moortown, Ringwood. I have been fortunate to discover a fair amount about them through the kindness of people who have responded to my requests for help via the internet. Although I have received excellent clues from internet friends, FreeBMD and 1881/1901 Census records, I have still not found an answer to the riddle, the link between the BENNETT and RIGGS families of Moortown, Ringwood. Although the families I am seeking information on moved freely around the Hampshire/Dorset/Wiltshire region throughout the 1800's and beyond, with my grandfather finally ending up in Portsmouth by 1901, the women in the family in many instances returned to Ringwood to give birth to their children. From this I assume that a patriarch or matriarch of either or both RIGGS and BENNETT family had a home there that Moortown/Ringwood was the heartbeat of the family. Although the place of birth, marriage and death for Ringwood BENNETT people is always stated as Ringwood, my grandfather's birth certificate says Moorto! wn, Ringwood. I have never been to this beautiful area but I understand that Ringwood used be in two parts, Hightown and Moortown. Moortown, being a hamlet on the edge of the moor, while Hightown was the village. I believe that these days both Moortown and Hightown fall under Ringwood proper. I am longing to know more about Moortown/Ringwood and it's origins, especially during the 1900's. I hope someone can help me with this. My knowledge of the BENNETT family begins with John Wiltshire BENNETT, b. 1817 Fontmell, Dorset, last known address 1881, The Street, Whiteparish, Wiltshire, a butcher/farmer/innkeeper m. Ringwood, Sep 1838, to Anne RIGGS, b. 1813 Ringwood, Hampshire. Anne's father was Jonas RIGGS, d. Dec 1844 Ringwood, her mother was Jenny RIGGS. I have also found a Henry Thomas RIGGS b. 1838 Ringwood, m. 1874 S. Stoneham to Mary MAIDMENT b. 1850 Eling Hampshire. They had 2 children Richard Maidment RIGGS b. 1875 Freemantle Hampshire, and Catherine RIGGS b. 1877 Freemantle Hampshire. Their last known address in 1881 was Queens Road Millbrook Hampshire. I am not sure how he is related to Anne or Jonas RIGGS, so any information about the Ringwood RIGGS family would be greatly appreciated. John and Anne BENNETT nee RIGGS had 9 children (I think), nearly all of them born in Ringwood, except for Edith BENNETT b. 1859 and Kate Isabel BENNETT b. 1858 Boldre, Hampshire. Those born in Ringwood were William Henry BENNETT b. 1852, Francis Edward BENNETT b. 1851, Emily Ann BENNETT b. 1849, James BENNETT b. 1847, Charles Henry BENNETT b. 1846, Edwin Jonah BENNETT b. 1845, d. 1845, Mary Jane BENNETT b. 1840. Mary Jane BENNETT married James ORAM 1867 Mere, Hampshire. They had 4 children, Edward J. b. 1869, Walter E. b. 1874, Henry P.G. b. 1876, Kate R. b. 1880. Last known address 1881 Barns Farm, Milford, Hampshire. James ORAM d. 1895. James ORAM appears on William Henry BENNETT's marriage certificate as a witness. Sidney Cottage in Milford is given as the newly weds address at the time. I am certain that Mary Jane is William Henry BENNETT's older sister. Kate Isabel BENNETT is also a witness on William's marriage certificate. William Henry (Harry) BENNETT, a wine merchant/drayman, m. Sarah Elizabeth (Bessie) ATKINS b. 1855 Salisbury, Wiltshire, at St Martin, Salisbury, Wiltshire 6 December 1876. Her father was John Sidney ATKINS, a wine merchant. William and Sarah had 4 children. Reginald BENNETT b. 1878 Salisbury, Wiltshire, Walter BENNETT b.1879 Salisbury, Wiltshire, Sydney William Atkins BENNETT, b. 1880 Ringwood, Hampshire and Mabel BENNETT b. 1889 Salisbury, Wiltshire. The family lived at 45 Tracy Street, Lambeth, Surrey in 1881 but by 1901, they had moved to Portsmouth, where William was a cab proprietor, Mabel a scholar, Reginald a sheet music seller and Walter, a cab driver groom. Sydney William Atkins BENNETT had by then emigrated to South Africa, met my grandmother, and oddly (I think), began replicating his Hampshire family in South Africa; Reginald (my father), Walter, Mabel and Sydney BENNETT. He never returned to England or saw his Hampshire family again. He died in Durban in 1945.! I have a post card from Hampshire Mabel (with a marvellous photo of her on the back) circa 1907 written to her dear 'Sydie' where she describes the launch in Portsmouth of the biggest battleship afloat (I think she was referring to the Bellaphora) and she writes, "my word she is a size, the length of her is 600 feet" (small by today's standards). Of my remaining Portsmouth family I know nothing further. Only that Mabel also mentions a letter from "Regie" in which he informs her that "they are all in good health", so Í expect he too had moved away from Portsmouth. Of the BENNETT family that remained in Ringwood (most probably they moved to bigger cities or even emigrated) I know even less but I'm hoping that I will be lucky to find out more through Hampshire Life. I have a charming family portrait taken circa 1900 of Walter, Mabel, Sarah and William Henry BENNETT taken in by the Truth & Light Studios (Est 1887) 38 St James Road Southsea that may be of use with identification, as well as the photo I mentioned previously of Mabel BENNETT circa 1907. The following BENNETT links were either born, married or died in Ringwood. As yet I have no proof that they are related to John Wiltshire BENNETT although my instincts tell me they are. John (Joseph?) BENNETT b. 1865 Milford, Hampshire, is recorded as a nephew to James ORAM in the 1881 Census, and must be the son of either Francis, Edward, James or Charles BENNETT but to date I have found no evidence of this. A John Joslih_ (unable to transcribe the whole name) BENNETT m. Sep 1890 Ringwood recorded (without a spouse) in FreeBMD. The dates tie in with James ORAM's nephew John (Joseph?) BENNETT. William James BENNETT b. 1839 Woodland, Dorset, last known address 1881 Holt Lodge Farm Wimborne, Dorset Violet Dinah BENNETT born 1864 Ringwood, Hampshire Ada Light BENNETT b. 1865 Burley, Hampshire Tom Light BENNETT b. 1867 Burley, Hampshire Elizabeth Light BENNETT b. 1869 Burley, Hampshire Charles BENNETT b. 1872 Burley, Hampshire Kate Minnie BENNETT b. 1877 Burley, Hampshire Elizabeth S. BENNETT b. 1835 Shaftesbury, Dorset, last known address Bimport Street Shaftesbury Holy Trinity Dorset, appears as head of household in 1881 Census. Louisa H. F. BENNETT b. 1862 Shaftesbury, Dorset Sidney A. B. BENNETT b. 1868 Shaftesbury, Dorset Reginald C. BENNETT b. 1869 Shaftesbury, Dorset Elizabeth Ann BENNETT b. 1882 Ringwood Charles BENNETT b. 1872 Ringwood James BENNETT b. 1810 d.1873 Ringwood Elizabeth Clara BENNETT b.1837 d. 1878 Ringwood James BENNETT b. 1822 d. 1902 Ringwood Whew! My debut with Hampshire Life has turned into rather a mouthful I'm afraid. I hope it doesn't put everyone off! I look forward to hearing from any Hamphire Life subscribers who may have information about my family. Best regards Mrs. Cheryl Johnson nee Bennett Kwa Zulu/Natal South Africa