Our Family's Journey Through Time

<h1>Finding our ancestors is exciting!</h1><p>We hope we help you find your place in our family</p>
<p><a class='btn-small' href='histories/place1.php'>Histories</a></p>

<h1>Sharing information is what we do.</h1><p>If you find something we don't have, please share with us.</p>
<p><a class='btn-small' href='histories/story1.php'>Stories</a></p>

<h1>We love to search through old records and photos!</h1><p>It's what we do for fun!</p>
<p><a class='btn-small' href='histories/story1.php'>Family</a></p>

Welcome to our family forest, full of branches and twigs

In the early 1980s, Linda and Tim both began exploring their respective family histories and it wasn't long before we made contact with each other, discovered we were 4th cousins and were climbing the same Berrett tree. Since then, we have become firm friends and collaborators - and Dutton, Berrett and Hungerford Twigs represents our joint families and all of the many, many branches, twigs and saplings that make up our family spinny!

We have loved digging up roots, solving mysteries and giving more than a few skeletons a good rattle. Some family secrets taken to the grave are secrets no more! But getting to know these incredible people, without whom we would not be here, has been endlessly fascinating. They have so many stories to share...

Our Histories

One big family

We're so pleased that you are visiting our site and hope you will enjoy exploring. This truly is a labour of love in order to tell the story of ourselves, our ancestors and their in-laws. We've really enjoyed having contact with so many extended family members from around the world and we are grateful for all the stories and photos that have already been shared with us. If you have something to add, we would love to hear from you. Meanwhile, do check out the various resources this website has to offer, especially the histories, stories and media pages.

Images and information about living members of our family will only be accessible by logging in - and passwords will only be given to those who can prove their place in the tree! Please contact us with details of your branch. And please do share details of the website with other family members who may be interested.

Gone... but definitely not forgotten

When I (Linda) first started asking questions about my family history, I started with a very blank page! I never knew any of my grandparents and I assumed that my roots were very much firmly planted in London and Kent. I was an only child but had aunts, uncles and cousins, albeit quite a few years older than me. So, what a delight to discover that I had deeply planted family roots in Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Northamptonshire, Devon and Warwickshire!

Tim was interested in his Dad’s side of the family but was also searching for information about his mother’s family, much of which had remained a mystery for too long. Researching these families again took us to Wiltshire and Suffolk but also to Ireland.

We’ve found stories of grinding poverty and great riches; war heroes and knights of the realm; agricultural labourers and shoemakers; policemen and brewers; clergymen and doctors; bricklayers and grocers; coal miners and actors. Even a few criminals! Some lived long lives, other just a few hours. They are gone, but as we bring their stories back to life, none are forgotten.

Meet Our Family

Honor Berrett

Our Pages

You can use this area to add links to your history pages, people pages or your favorite resources.

Meet the Family

James Dutton

A paper maker from Kent, born in 1879.

Chief Inspector Berrett

James Berrett, born in Wiltshire in 1871 but destined to become Chief Inspector Berrett of Scotland Yard

Sir Thomas Hungerford

1st Speaker of the House of Commons, Thomas was born at Farleigh Hungerford Castle in Somerset and died in 1398

Ann Vorley

Born in Northampton in 1857 to a family that experienced many tragedies, she married a Salvation Army officer.

Genealogy Myths & Legends

Climbing your family tree is always educational! It is much more than simply collecting the names and dates of births, marriages and deaths… even though there is often nothing simple about doing even that. It can take years to locate ‘that’ vital piece of information! Unlike in the TV programme Who Do You Think You Are, in reality it is rare for someone to magically appear by your side with an envelope full of certificates! It is a time-consuming, expensive and addictive hobby – but very satisfying, heartbreaking and amusing in equal measures!

You learn that previous generations were a lot more mobile than you ever imagined. Whilst some were born and died in the same village, others gravitated to towns and cities, often far away, to seek work or raise their families. Even when they stayed in the same area, they moved house frequently.

You learn that WW1 and WW2 affected every person and every family in one way or another, both those who went to war and those left at home, from the smallest children to the very oldest adults. No family was left untouched. And their experiences stayed with them for a lifetime.

You learn that life was unpredictable and precariously unfair when mortality rates were high, there was no NHS and very little welfare provision for the unemployed, the sick or disabled, the widowed or orphaned.

You learn that sometimes your family members were the movers and shakers within their community.

You learn that even the most prim and proper great aunts were perhaps not quite as prim and proper as you believed.

You learn that families were very, very good at keeping secrets!

You learn that however tough and depressing life may seem in today’s world, physically, economically and politically, few of us have to cope with the challenges that faced our ancestors daily. You learn to be grateful for all that you have, and you become very proud of those who went before us.

Our Family Name Cloud

Click on your family name or use the search option of less common names

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We make every effort to document our research and sources. If you have something you would like to add, please contact us.