Welcome.  This site is a work in progress and constantly evolving as any frequent visitors will know; I'm forever tweaking it and adding stuff so don't be too concerned if a page you've seen before isn't available just now.  Before you start, I suggest you look at the site set-up to understand the colour-coding and abbreviations on family pages.  I have endeavoured to differentiate between those ancestors that we know of for a fact and those that “just may be” by colour-coding and italicising entries.

If you are my cousin, click on the Names link above to see all my family names.

This is a very personal site, created as a record for my children, and their children.  It is about their family history, not just mine.  It shows what documentation and information I have and follows the directions my research is taking.  The hope is that one day - when they're interested - they will carry on the research.

I’ve found that the more I get into this family history lark, the more I feel I’m starting to know my ancestors.  One or two I can relate to.  It’s said that likes and dislikes as well as talents can be passed down through the generations.  Mmm, I wonder...

These people are more than just names: they were real-life men and women living in times of ignorance, persecution, war, famine, discovery, innovation and great change.  That one had my colour of eye, this one my love of writing and that one way back when passed on a mutated gene.  I descend from "Ursula", one of the seven native European clan mothers - See My "clan mother".

They laughed and loved like us, worried and cried like us and made mistakes like us.  And just like us, they had to make a living and feed, clothe and care for their families, but THEY did it without any of the technology we take for granted.  Some were miners or agricultural labourers and many of them worked as weavers, spinners etc. in Manchester's textile and cotton mills.  They were for the most part hard-working, strong and hardy people and their spirit and genes live on in us.

Researching & archives
I am constantly researching and while doing this, come across sites to aid the family researcher - See the My Other Sites tab drop-down menu above.  Many links to mainly free archives, transcriptions, indexes, information etc. are to be found on my Lynda's Links site.  Some sites hold old photos; others archives.  It's just amazing what is out there on the world-wide web.  If you're new to research, have a look at my Genie On a Shoestring site, that I created to help Kiwi researchers of British descent.  Should you know of any sites that might help people in their genealogical research - in particular Kiwis researching their British Isles ancestors - please do send me a message and any researching tips.

Please note that I am not a professional historian or genealogist (see Genealogy & Me).  These pages are a labour of love and the information contained within has been obtained from a variety of sources.  Dates and names have been written in good faith and I take no responsibility for their accuracy.  This website contains no information on living people.

This site contains data only about our direct ancestors, though in some cases I have information on spouses and children of these ancestors’ siblings and will be including same as time permits on the Lynda's Lot Kin site.

Contact
I’ve made contact with several previously unknown cousins who responded to my messages on genealogy message boards and the experience has been mutually beneficial.

If you have anything to add about people or families mentioned on these sites, why not post a public message on the site forum where everyone can see it?  If you’d like to send me a private message or just send some feedback, please feel free.  Go on now, don't be scared.