Early in 2002 I read an article about family history that captured my imagination and as a result resolved to research my family history and that of Lillian. On thinking about where to start I was stunned to realise how little I knew of my family history further back than my parents and was surprised to find that this was also the situation with Lillian and her family.

With both of us being in our 70’s we had few living relatives who might be able to help in our search. To compound the problem we were living in Australia and all family members had, as far as we knew, been born in England.

From this point I began to learn about the art of family history researching using birth, marriage and death certificates, census returns and parish records. Also I needed to find out where I could access these documents, as little was available on the internet at that time. Holders of some of the information near to us in Australia were the Latter Day Saints Family History Centres in Gympie and Hervey Bay, Local Family History Centres in Gympie and Hervey Bay also Queensland Family History Society in Brisbane. At all the centres we received a very friendly reception and professional assistance.

From here began a wonderful journey of discovery, a journey I know will never end if someone else in the family can carry on when I finally have to admit I can go no further.

The family names being researched are as follows:
Smith, Battrum, Bartrum, Battram, Breakall, Coates, Creasy, Eckroyd, Grant, Halton, Hartley, Hodgson, Hudson, Hunter, Jackson, Longton, Mayor, Moss, Park, Ridehalgh, Riley, Shackleton, Sheppard, Shepperd, Thermott, Till, Watkinson and Webster.
Howson, Burgess, Byrnes, Cooper, Hiscock, Lee, Leigh, Marshall, Matthews, Rennox, Rennocks, Scott, Shannon, Stephenson, Stevenson and Weston.
Counties involved are Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Liecestershire, Wiltshire and Yorkshire.

Lillian (christened Lily) and I were married on the 7th Aug 1954 at St Matthews Parish Church, Blackburn. Our children, daughter Catherine (now Robinson) born the 26th Oct 1956 and son Michael born the 15th Feb 1960. Lillian and I started our married life in a bed sitter in Brimsdown, Middlesex,from there we moved many times as a result of promotions in my job. First to Halton, Cheshire, on to Carleton, Lancashire, next to Norley, Cheshire from here it became a change of country, first to Germany then Australia. Now happily retired in South-East Queensland.