I started tracing my family tree when my paternal grandmother died in 1956 (I was 15) and her marriage certificate was found amongst her belongings.This was the only information I had to work from - my father had no knowledge of other family members apart from three aunts.When they were asked for information, their response was "Why do you want to meddle in the past?".A family bible that had always been on display subsequently disappeared - I wonder what information it contained.There was obviously a skeleton in the cupboard.There was - my paternal grandfather!In later years they did provide details - some proved accurate, some totally misleading.
I lived in London and spent many Saturday mornings at Somerset House looking through the records of Births, Marriages & Deaths.I then got married and found raising a family & earning a living left little spare time to pursue hobbies.I moved to Northampton and no longer had easy access to records of my family who had remained in a small area of London since the early 19th C.In recent years I took early retirement from teaching and was able to pick up from where I had left off.During the intervening years, the Internet had been developed, providing a wealth of information.Unfortunately, much of the Dennis genealogy is related to American sites - although members of the family have emigrated to various countries including America (Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and the West Indies), I have yet to find a link with my direct line.
Using various Internet links, I have been able to trace branches of the family - the Swaffields of Dorset back to 1741 and the Blights of Devon back to 1579.Also, through a contact I made in New Zealand I was able to contact a living member of the family (in his 90s) and through him a cousin living only a few miles away from Northampton.We met and for the first time I was able to see photos of my relatives!
But, after all this time, I am no further back with my direct line - I have been unable to trace the Dennis family out of London.My great-great-grandfather Josiah Dennis and his wife Julia Theresa lived in Islington, London.The parish registers of St. James, Clerkenwell, recorded the baptisms of their three children and gave their addresses, but I was unable to find their marriage.They are present in the 1841 Census (my great-grandfather Walter William aged 8 was not present).The 1851 Census, which would have shown where Josiah was born, shows them still living in Islington, but Josiah is not present.It does show that Julia (now known as Theresa) came from Bristol.
The pleasures and frustrations of genealogy are the solved and unsolved questions that emerge - the search is never ending!I believe Alfred William Dennis (b. 1870) emigrated to Australia, but I have been unable to find any trace of him there.Are there any descendants living in Australia today?Nearer to home, I think Walter William Alfred Dennis (b. 1898) married and moved to Swansea in Wales.
The Dennis family tree is included on this web page.I have not included the Bowman & Blight family trees - the Blight tree is large and I haven't had the courage to attempt to merge it with the Dennis tree!
If you are a Dennis (or are connected in any way), please get in touch - we may be related.Apart from the many Dennis members in America, I have noticed there are large numbers in Cornwall and Bedfordshire, England - can we connect?
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Brian P. Dennis.
50, Station Road,
Cogenhoe,
Northampton,Northamptonshire, NN7 1LU.
United Kingdom
01604 890117/899117.
[email protected]
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