Introduction

This is where I'll be recording my genealogical findings and research, as well as jotting down things that puzzle me or odd things I discover along the way. There's so much that doesn't fit into a tree context, and the great joy of working on one's family history is discovering that people are, and have always been, exactly the same, all throughout history.

There are two trees I am tracing: mine, and my husband's. Mine is the dull one. With the exception of a French line they all seem to have been English, all clustered in a few counties, and all unremarkable (ag labs, shoemakers and the like). Even my DNA, according to the racial profile on 23andme.com, is 99% British and Irish. Booo! There have been a few fabulous stories I've discovered, though.

Rohan's is the interesting line. His ancestors include illiterate Irish immigrants, English and Scottish royalty, convicts, Italian fencers, Cornish miners, Quakers, and the first Jewish settler in Tasmania. Some of his lines (the noble ones, obviously) I've traced back centuries; others are brick walls because of the lack of records.

And the name of this blog? My greatest triumph so far, finding where my great-grandfather, Frederick Edwards, came from. It's the breaking down of a brick wall through serendipity, research and the kindness of others. I'm still in the middle of finding out what seems to be a juicy Victorian story - illegitimacy! multiple marriages! family feuds! and dollmaking! - and I'll share it along the way.