Family History Revisited Part 1 - How It All Began

 

I haven't recently thought about my family history until now, when I realised that there were things I had done and not recorded before I started this blog. So, what I want to do now is to summarise the highlights of my searches in chronological order. There will be little about the family members themselves and more about the process of their discovery. 

First Thoughts

First of all, I found it difficult to remember how this all started. What I do know is that I had certain documents about my father's ancestors, so it was this side of the family upon which I first concentrated. I also found this post on my blog dated 2nd February 2007, only eight weeks after my very first post.

Mum and Dad

In April 1999, I was sorting through papers from files left by my stepmother, Margaret. It was then that I started thinking more about Mum and Dad and their life together. How they came from very different backgrounds and became the first generation from both families to move away from Yorkshire. I have already made a few notes from talking to various aunts, but there is a lot stored in the memory banks that I need to set down. I then thought I would like to know more about their ancestors.

Family History

So in the September of 1999, I found an evening class in genealogy. This gave some good advice on tracing family history. I spent the next two years doing all the basic research, meeting relatives etc and I came to the point when it would mean a lot of travel to local archives throughout the country and time on the computer to write up my findings. I decided to put everything on hold until I retired. When my new computer arrives, I want to purchase "Family Historian 3" which seems to be the best bit of software recording details of all my ancestors and creating charts.

Genealogy of the Family of Roberts of Sheffield 1937

I was already in possession of some important documents that set me on my way. The first is the "Genealogy of the Family of Roberts of Sheffield 1937" (see photo at the top), recorded in my post on December 1st 2008: "The 1937 Family Tree". It was one of a few drafted by Charles Augustus Roberts, and this version ended up with my great-grandfather Vincent Littlewood Roberts. This was for him to enter his descendants in the blank spaces under his name. But this never happened.

I believe this document came into the possession of my grandmother and then on to my father. It provided extremely useful information for the start of my searches, although not always completely accurate. 

My Evening Class

Dragging down all my files from the loft (four lever arch files and some loose paperwork) what I didn't expect to find were my notes from that very first meeting of the family history evening class of 23rd September 1999.

If I remember correctly, one of the documents we were given at the first meeting was a birth brief for recording family information. Below is an extract from mine. 

Some Memorials of the Family of Roberts

There are five editions of the book "Some Memorials of the Family of Roberts of Queens Tower, Sheffield". The first published by Sir Samuel Roberts of Queens Tower, Sheffield is dated 1862. On the distribution was my great grandfather Vincent Littlewood Roberts. It came into my possession through my grandfather and father. It was a loose leaf copy that I had made into a book. It contains various handwritten amendments made by Vincent.  

I also found a copy of the the third edition dated 1924 that also came into the possession of my father. It confirms the second edition was published by Samuel Roberts of Park Grange in May 1887, and then this third edition by Samuel Roberts of Eaton Place, London. 

I then met his descendent Sir Samuel Roberts just before Christmas 1999 at the London office of Henry Boot on Conduit Street. He gave me a copy of the latest book published by his father Peter Roberts in August 1971.

Like the earlier edition, the book contains a family tree. It includes one Jacob Roberts (from whom I am descended), the elder brother of Samuel Roberts, who is the ancestor of Sir Samuel Roberts above. 

In the "Introduction Extended", Peter Roberts says, "In 1970 a special study of the area of Holmfirth was carried out." This led to discovering more ancestors, including one Oliver Roberts, born 1496? as the document below. 

Finally, I found that the present Sir Samuel Roberts updated the Memorials book with his large volume, "Follow the Master". I found a copy that contains only a couple of pages relating to our side of the family.

The Seventeen Generations of the Roberts Family

I did in fact list all Roberts descendents in my post of 6th March 2023. If we now add my brother Paul's grandson, this makes eighteen. 

Therefore, all the research had been done for everything before our common ancestor Jacob Roberts born 1697. My post of 6th March 2023 details all the male descendents from Jacob Roberts below.

Sheffield Family History Society

I became a member of the Sheffield Family History Society in the spring of 1999. Their journals and publications provided useful information. Their publications included that vital Sheffield Burials Index and the link to the Church of All Saints, Ecclesall, which I visited on 15th June 2009. See post 22nd June 2009.

Visit to Sheffield 29th December 1999

This visit should not be confused with that later visit in 2009, as noted above. My notes from that first visit are as follows: 

Below is the Roberts Memorial in Dore Churchyard. The inscriptions are for David Littlewood Boyd Roberts, an uncle who died in infancy; my grandfather, Stanley Boyd Roberts; and my grandmother, Edith Haywood Roberts. See notes above.

As this takes us to the end of 1999, it feels the right way to end Part 1. I have not yet started my searches for records of my family, but this comes next at the Family Record Centre in Islington. 

Family History Revisited Part 2 - The Early Searches

 

The Family Record Centre

I first visited the Family Record Centre in Islington in early 2000. Situated in Taylor House, 1 Myddelton Street, Clerkenwell, it opened in 1997 and provided a vast amount of free information well before it all became available on the internet. Long rows of tall shelves housed huge volumes that one could study to record births, marriages, and deaths. It was then possible to take your results to the desk and order certificates. Over the next few years I found records for seventeen of my father's family and nineteen of my mother's, starting in February of 2000. 

George and Jane Askew

The 1841 to 1901 census returns were also available at the Family Record Centre on microfiche. My post of 11th January 2011 details one of my big breakthroughs when, on 5th July 2000, I found the 1891 census records for George and Jane Askew, my mother's grandparents. These included records for their children, my mother's aunts of whom there was never any mention. These were "The Five Eldest Askew Sisters" in that post of 11th January 2011. See also my post of 7th January 2011. 

The Family Record Centre was closed in 2008, and the huge volumes are no longer accessible. 

Correspondents

I have two lever-arch files of correspondence. In no particular order they include Chris Rathbone, Nigel Buchanan, Liz Smith, Patricia Anning, Dawn Crofts, Kath Swarbrick, John Thomson, Gillian Leather, and Sally Stamford. Also, Ruth at Lincolnshire Family History Society. In addition, there is a lengthy letter from W G Hunt, the Windsor Herald of Arms. 

Then the relatives of my family: Peter Clifford, Aunt Molly, Aunt Joy, Aunt Iris, and cousins Caroline and Stephen. 

Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths

I conducted searches at various locations such as the Family Record Centre, Aylesbury Library, and finally online.

Census Records

The following census records have proved invaluable: 1841, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1901. I started off with those records on microfiche at the Family Record Centre, then those at the Aylesbury Library, and finally online. 

Ancestry and the International Genealogical Index

Both Ancestry and the IGI have been of little use in my searches. 

Search Notes

My notes and records are pretty much haphazard but are all in my files. 

Family History Revisited Part 3 - Publication of Records

 

Family Historian

My post of 15th October 2008 has the title "Family Historian 3.1.2". This is the programme I used to enter all the data of my family records. There are also references on my posts of  15th October 2008, 1st December 2008, 29th December 2008, 21st October 2009, 26th September 2011 and 16th November 2012. 

Freepages

I then found that I could transfer all my data to the web using Family Historian. The link to my father's family "The Ancestors of Peter Roberts" is:

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~davidbbroberts/family

Ignore the link to "sites.google.com" and click on Index.

Then to my mother's family:

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~davidbbroberts/genealogy

Again, ignore the link to "sites.google.com" and click on Index.

There may be some problems finding the above link on the internet. However, a search for Hannah Elizabeth Boler normally brings up her parents' "Family of Samuel Leather and Mary Ann Lindop". Again, click on Index and all my mother's ancestors should be there.

Family Tree Print

Some time ago I took a CD of the Roberts family tree to be printed. This is now an enormous sheet of paper that was in a roll and is now folded into a manageable size. 

SanDisk Memory Stick

The following documents are on the blue memory stick. 

Askew Word Documents

Family History

Family Photos

George Askew 

George Robert Leather

Helen Shearwood

Mum and Dad

Roberts Family History

The Story of the Ascoughs

These used to be on my old computer that I then transferred to an external hard drive. The information they contain is pretty much all over the place, but there are some important files that were the basis of many of my blog posts. For example, in the first file below (Askew Word Documents), there is a file with the title "Ascough Burials at Toynton St Peter and Toynton All Saints". On my visit to these villages in Lincolnshire, I discovered the church records of our Askew ancestors.

ASCOUGH BURIALS AT TOYNTON ST PETER AND TOYNTON ALL SAINT

John Ayscough (1758-1844)       Buried at Toynton All Saints 1844 (Age 85)

Son of Thomas Ascough born approx 1735

 John Ayscough (1781-1846)       Buried at Toynton All Saints 1846 (Age 64)

Son of John Ayscough above

 James Ascough (1806-1878)      Buried at Toynton St Peter 1878 (Age 69)

Son of John Ayscough above, father of George Askew

 William Ascough (1808-1880)     Buried at Toynton All Saints 1880 (Age 72)

Son of John Ayscough born 1781 and brother of James

 Lucy Ascough (1815-1854)         Buried at Toynton St Peter 1854 (Age 39)

Possibly wife of James Ascough and mother of George Askew, born Sharpe

 Elizabeth Askew (1761-1826)       Buried at Toynton All Saints 1826 (Age 65)

Possibly daughter of Thomas if unmarried, or wife of an Ascough male

John Askew (1834-1895)              Buried at Toynton St Peter 1895 (Age 61)

Unknown relation

 Samuel Ascough (1848-1848)      Buried at Toynton St Peter 1848 (Infant)

Possibly brother of George and son of James

 Thomas Askew (1859-1864)         Buried at Toynton All Saints 1864 (Age 5?)

Possibly brother of George

 

Family History Revisited Part 4 - Visits to Sheffield, Rotherham and Lincoln

 

Visits to Sheffield

My first visit to Sheffield was on the 29th of December 1999, now described in Part 1. 

However, my main visit to Sheffield, described in my post of 22nd June 2009 (nearly ten years later), was extremely valuable. Particularly for finding the burial of all those ancestors in the Roberts tomb in that prominent position outside the Church of All Saints, Ecclesall, as the photo above.

Visit to Rotherham

In my post of 22nd June 2022, I described Rotherham Parish Church, where my father and mother were married and where I was baptised by my uncle. The font is still there. I also saw the house where my grandmother lived and the Herringthorpe Playing Fields where we used to play as boys.

Visit to Lincolnshire

On the 4th September 2017, I set out to explore where my mother's Askew ancestors lived. My post of 11th September 2017 described visiting the fens, Toynton St Peter and Toynton All Saints. See Part 3 for the Ascough Burial Records. Then the next day in Lincoln itself, and the searches at the city library.

Family History Revisited Part 5 - Interesting Stories

 

The last part of my Family History Revisited collects some stories about my ancestors. There are many posts on this blog about family members and places where they lived. Hopefully these are the final few.

Stanley Boyd Roberts

Let's start with my grandfather, whom I never met. He died in 1937 at home. His is the photo above. See my post dated 6th November 2009.

Vincent Littlewood Roberts.

There are two or three photos of my great-grandfather on this blog. The above is just one of them. See everything about Vincent on my post of 1st February 2023.

John Shearwood Roberts

Vincent's father John Shearwood Roberts is described on my post of 17th November 2010. His father Sidney Roberts and his father, the last of the Jacob Roberts, are both described in that post.

Ellen Roberts

My great-great-grandmother's grave was found at Highgate Cemetery. See posts of the 13th and 14th of September 2015.

Charles Hoyland, Jonathon Hoyland and Charles Haywood Hoyland ("Twig")

The ancestors of my grandmother, Edith Hoyland, are featured in my post from 22nd June 2009, "Visit to Sheffield," as well as in the posts from 22nd March 2013 and 19th September 2025.

Kate and Isobell Hoyand

My great-aunts are described in my post of 19th October 2011.

Edith Haywood Hoyland

My father's mother. See post 6th May 2012.

Edith Agnes Leather

My other grandmother with her husband on the right and my mother on the left in the photo above. See my post of 4th February 2011.

George Robert Leather

Our star footballer ancestor and Edith's father. See post 11th July 2022.

Isabella Askew

This post came as a result of my searches for George and Jane Askew (my great grandparents). See post 18th February 2022. 

Askew, Ascough or Ayscough

My post of the 5th December mentions Ruth at the Lincolnshire Family History Society, who solved the problem of the spelling of my ancestor's names. This was followed by my post of 7th December 2011, where it all came together in one of my most important finds.

The Ascoughs of East Fen

My post of 6th January 2022 is the record of how I found my Askew ancestors.

The records followed these posts:

The George Askew Story Part 1 - Five Generations of Agricultural Laboureres

See post 26th December 2015.

The George Askew Story Part 2 - Their Lives 

See post 15th August 2016.

The Story of George Askew and Jane Cuthbertson

See post 7th January 2011.

The Five Eldest Askew Sisters

See post 11th January 2011

The Ascoughs of East Fen

See the post of 6th January 2022.

The Ascoughs – Life on the Border – The Sources

See post of 23rd November 2017.

The Commoners of East Fen – The Petition of 1784

See post of 5th November 2016.

https://the ascoughsofeastfen.weebly.com

See the post from 3rd April 2018.

Publications

The books I acquired on this part of the Lincolnshire Fens:

Maps of the Witham Fens – edited by R C Wheeler

Old and New Landscapes in the Horncastle Area by Eleanor and Rex C Russell

Postings on my Family History

On 5th September 2011, I listed all my posts on my ancestors up to that date. They are:

2/7/2008     Jacob Roberts

27/8/2008   Three Generations of Cutlers

1/12/2008   The 1937 Family Tree - Charles Augustus Roberts

27/1/2009    Louisa Maria Brooks

23/2/2009    Three Generations of Brush Manufacturers

24/3/2009     Eric S Roberts

22/6/2009     A Visit to Sheffield

10/8/2009     Hannah Mayor

11/8/2009     Edith Wynne Mathison

14/8/2009     Vincent Littlewood Roberts MA MD

25/8/2009     The Shearwood Sisters

25/1/2010     Roberts Family Tree

1/2/2010       Derek Finch Roberts

3/2/2010       Charles Hoyland and Hannah Selina Wynne

3/2/2010       William James Gibson Boyd and Ellen Cundy

11/7/2010     William Boyd of Berwickshire and Hull

16/8/2010     George Boyd of Stichill

17/11/2010    John Shearwood Roberts

22/11/2010    Newfield Hall (residence of JSR)

19/10/2011    Kate and Isabel Hoyland

I should have added "Sheffield Silversmiths" on 2nd July 2008.

The End

So what is next? Maybe a last read through of these five posts and then buy a couple of storage boxes to keep all my files. And then those can go in the loft. Maybe I will look at them again some time in the future.

Wallflowers

 

I've found that the wallflowers in the narrow bed around the conservatory have done better than those in pots. Only these two out of ten have flowers. A hint for next year.

Shrubs under the leylandii

 

Now that the tall leylandii has been trimmed, the bushes underneath look far better. I could not remember that I had planted so many and how they have survived and grown in hardly any soil under the trees. Here they all are. I counted ten.

(Just to say, now the leylandii have been trimmed, the grass cut, and the silver birch is coming into leaf; I could not be more pleased.)