Category Archives: Ancestors Corner

Read stories and articles about the ancestors of Annie and Harvey Barnes.

It’s Official – Grandpa Was In The Dad’s Army

Posted on 10 November 2023 by
The Home Guard Certificate which belonged to Charles George Hibbitt

I’d long been intrigued by what looked like a certificate which had been issued by the Home Guard amongst the papers belonging to my Grandpa Hibbitt (Charles George Hibbitt). However I’d never had any success in finding anything out about … Continue reading →

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Hibbitt Family Tree Updates

Posted on 26 August 2023 by
The 1787 marriage of Charles Munkton and Sarah Osler/Ostler as recorded in Pallot's Marriage Index

I’ve recently carried out another upload to my Hibbitt family tree and have added 52 more people in the process. WORGAN Amongst the new additions are my 7 x great-grandparents, John Worgan and Anne Worgan – Anne appears to have … Continue reading →

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On This Day… 1st April

Posted on 1 April 2023 by
Badge and medal ribbons on Cyril Ellen's uniform

1ST APRIL The 1st April was no fool’s day for Harvey’s grandad as it popped up several times during the course of his career. Here I list a few examples. Cyril Norman Ellen joined the Royal Naval Air Service in … Continue reading →

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In Search Of Harvey’s Huguenot Origins

Posted on 27 March 2023 by
John Harley's signature on his marriage allegation

Following on from my previous post about Harvey’s 5 x great-grandfather, Josias Harley, I travelled back in time and discovered his parents were John Harley and Magdalen Lenoir. Actually, when Josias was baptized in the Huguenot Church they were named … Continue reading →

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Harvey’s French Connection

Posted on 25 March 2023 by
Cowley Street, Westminster, where Josias Harley died (Google Street View)

It’s been quite a while since I looked at Harvey’s family tree but recently a new DNA match popped up in his results and it inspired me to do some further investigation on one of their common family lines. William … Continue reading →

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A 1921 Census Search Proves Tricky In Locating Hibbitt Relatives

Posted on 27 January 2023 by
Alice and Nell Hibbitt at Wembury Beach

Don’t want to read? Click PLAY to hear an AI-generated audio discussion on this blog post’s key topics. (The audio was produced by NotebookLM Deep Dive Conversation.) Continuing on from my previous post with my searches in the 1921 census, … Continue reading →

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Where Were My Smale Ancestors A Century Ago?

Posted on 26 January 2023 by
Grace Smale, nee Martin, with her grandaughter, Phyllis Grace Weaver, assumed to be photographed on the doorstep of 22 Ford Street, Tavistock

Having recently subscribed to the 1921 Census with FindMyPast, I’ve been looking up various branches of my family to see what they were up to back then. Today I’m concentrating on my Smale family who branch off my maternal line. … Continue reading →

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Why Might James Geake Have Been Brought Up In A Family Which Was Not His Own?

Posted on 31 October 2022 by
Descendants of Robert Geake and Mary Arscott

In a previous post I demonstrated how DNA revealed that my great-grandfather, James Geake, wasn’t the son of George Geake and Maria, née Dearing, as was previously believed to have been the case. Today I’m going to explore what might … Continue reading →

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A Dando Family Puzzle – Mystery Solved

Posted on 22 July 2022 by
AI Generated image depicting the Dando family travelling on the Monongahela

Some time ago, whilst I was trying to investigate my 3 x great-grandmother, Harriet Catherine Dando, née Williams, I came across this notice in the North American and Daily Advertiser, (Philadelphia, PA) dated Monday 26th August 1844. Harriet was the … Continue reading →

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The Career Of Air Commodore C.N. Ellen D.F.C. A.K.A. Harvey’s Grandad

Posted on 27 January 2022 by
The Service Orders, Leave Clearance Certificates, etc. file

The Service Orders, Leave Clearance Certificates, etc. file About seven years ago, I began scanning some documents in a file which had belonged to Harvey’s Grandad Ellen, labelled “Service Orders, Leave Clearance Certificates, etc.”. It was jam-packed with papers and … Continue reading →

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