The research into my English lines was started by my late mother many years ago, in the mid 1960s, before the days of computers and the Internet. She had some family information about her Broom[e] ancestors originating from near Rendham in Suffolk and her Abel family originating in Bungay, Suffolk but she had not managed to trace the families. I managed to pick up from her notes and take the research much further. She had not delved into her other family lines though and these proved to be as interesting and the research is continuing on these.

THE HARCUS FAMILY—originating in Westray, Orkney

I have traced my Harcus family back to a George Harcus & Margaret Harcus residing in Westray, Orkney who had a son John [born 1767 in Westray]. John married Rebecca Scott [born 1780 in Eday - daughter of William Scott & Jane Laughton] & they had 5 daughters & 4 sons and I have most of the lines from each of these children. One was William [born 1812 in Sanday while his parents were temporarily staying in Sanday]. They lived at Vinequoy, Eday. Their son William married in 1836 in Eday to Isabella Rendall [daughter of Robert Rendall & Barbara Liddle of Runtha, Eday] and they also lived in the north end of Eday. Their 9 children were as follows:-

1. James Fraser [born 1838 - died a child]

2. Barbara Rendall [born 1840 - died a child]

3. John [born 1842] married Christina Stevenson [her parents were James Stevenson & Barbara Craigie of Clayholes, Eday]. They moved to Edinburgh & had several children and further descendants.

4. Robert [born 1844] married Isabella Dunnet [born in Harray - her parents were William Dunnet of St Andrews then Eday & Isabella Gullion of Eday]. They had 3 children as follows:- [1] Annie married firstly Thomas McClachan in Canada & secondly James Heddle Taylor of South Ronaldsay. [2] Mary married George Wishart who was a watchmaker in Stromness [brother of James who married her cousin Anne Harcus—see the Harcus family] and they emigrated to Canada. When George died Mary and her daughter, Anna, returned to Orkney & Anna later married David Dearness Marwick of Kirkwall. [3] William Dunnet emigrated to Seattle where he married and had 3 sons. I have details of all these descendants.

5. William [born 1846] married 1873 in Westray to Margaret Paterson [her parents were Robert Paterson of Pow, Westray & Ann Groat of Feuld, Westray—see the Paterson family] They lived at Maltbarn in the south end of Eday and had 2 children as follows:- [1] William John married Elizabeth Helen Thomson and they had 2 sons, William who married Netta Gunn & Stanley who married and emigrated to South Africa. [2] Anne married James Wishart [master tailor in Kirkwall and brother of George who married her cousin Mary Harcus—see the Harcus family] and they had 1 daughter & 5 sons [one of whom is my father, Ernest George Wishart].

6. Jane [Jeannie] [born 1849] She had a son James who emigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada where he married Bella Rousay [from Coperha, Eday & who had emigrated previously with her family] and they had 3 sons, 2 daughters and many descendants.

7. Isabella [born 1852] married Benji Harcus [his parents were Andrew Harcus & Margaret Reid of Dogtua, Westray]. They had children Isabella, David & William and moved to Hamilton, Scotland.

8. Thomas [born 1855 died a child]

9. Mary [born 1858 died a child]

The Harcus family has spread through the UK and to Canada and South Africa.

THE PATERSON FAMILY—originating in Westray, Orkney

My Paterson line is descended from Charles Paterson [born 1742 in Westray] and Janet Schollay of Pow, Westray. Their 4 children were:-

[1] Ursilla; [2] Isabella; [3] Thomas* married Marion Paterson [see below]; [4] George married Isabella Rendall [from Ring, Westray] & has a long line of descendants.

*[3] Thomas and Marion Paterson [above] had 9 children:- 1. Barbara married Jerome Bews & has a long line of descendants; 2. Charlie married Isabella Seatter & has a long line of descendants in Canada; 3. Janet; 4. Marion; 5. Peter married firstly Betsy Peace & secondly Robina Seatter & lived at Kirk Brae, Westray; 6. Robert Paterson** married firstly Ann Groat [of Feuld, Westray] & secondly Isabella Drever [of Taphland] [see below]; 7. Thomas married Jessie Drever & has a long line of descendants; 8. Andrew married firstly Ann Hourie & secondly May Leslie, lived at North Taphland, then Sandend, Westray & has long line of descendants; 9. Catherine married Peter Seatter, lived at East Kirbest, Westray & has long line of descendants

**Robert Paterson [above] and his 1st wife Ann Groat [of Feuld, Westray] had 8 children:- 1. Margaret married William Harcus [see Harcus family story - my great grandparents]; 2. Mary Ann; 3. Betsy married George Harcus [of Dogtua, Westray] and has long line of descendants; 4. Robina married David Harcus [of Dogtua, Westray and brother to George in line above] has line of descendants; 5. Jemima; 6. Thomima; 7. Thomas married Marion Drever, lived at Pow, Westray and has long line of descendants; 8. Mary Ann married James Halliday, went to Canada and has line of descendants

**Robert Paterson [above] and his 2nd wife Isabella Drever had 2 children:- 1. Ann married Sandy Bowes [of Lanark] and went to Canada and has long line of descendants; 2. Robert went to Hamilton and married and had children.

This Paterson family has spread worldwide with many in Canada.

THE WISHART FAMILY—originating in Orphir, Orkney

My research into the Wishart families in Orkney has resulted in a large Wishart tree covering all the Orphir and Sandwick Wishart families. I have found nearly all the descendants from each child of Nicol Wishart and Helen Aitkine which makes this a very large tree. I also accumulated information on the Wisharts in South Ronaldsay, Orkney. If anyone with Orcadian Wishart blood in their family wishes to check that their Wishart background is included or they want to include further details please email me.

My own Wishart line goes back to a Nicol Wishart who's son Nicol married in 1707 to Helen Aitkine and they had 11 children including Edward of Westquoy, Orphir who married a widow, Elizabeth Smith. Their 10 children were:- 1, Nicol married Peggy Leslie; 2. George married Jennet Louttit; 3. Margaret; 4. Edward* married Catharine Heddle [see below]; 5. Thomas; 6. John; 7. Robert; 8. Elizabeth; 9. Thomas; 10. Cecilia

*Edward [above] and Catharine's 9 children were:- 1. Jennet Cecilia; 2. Peggy Traill married William Sclater [their daughter Mary married John Wishart of Westquoy]; 3. Catharine; 4. James** married Janet Sinclair [see below]; 5. Edward; 6. Cecilia; 7. John Rae married Jane Tait and lived in Stromness; 8. Elizabeth married Malcolm Ross; 9. Jennet Rae married William Mackay

**James [above] and Janet Sinclair lived at South Parks, Clestrain, Orphir and had 2 children:- 1. John married Betsy Smith [daughter of John Smith and Betsy Redland] was a teacher in various schools in Orkney. They had children Elizabeth, James, Elizabeth, John William, George [who married Mary Harcus], David, Margaret Smith, Jessie Ann and James who married Anne Harcus [my grandparents – see the Harcus family]. 2. Nelly who married Edward Clouston [son of Andrew Clouston & Jane Groundwater]

**James died young and Janet remarried to James Tait [son of James Tait of Newhouse, Houton, Orphir] and they had 8 children:- 1. James was a draper in Glasgow; 2. Mary married David Budge of South Ronaldsay; 3. Jessie married John Clouston of Clowally, Orphir; 4. William married Isabella Tait; 5. Margaret; 6. Peter was a tailor; 7. Robert married in America and had sons James and William; 8. Henry

This Wishart family has spread worldwide with a large section in the USA.

THE SMITH FAMILY—originating in St Andrews, Orkney

The genealogy of the Smith family of St Andrews in Orkney covers 11 generations & spreads across Orkney & right around the world. If anyone has Smith of St Andrews/Tankerness blood in their family they can email to check whether I have details or to include their details on this very large tree.

My own Smith ancestry goes back to John Smith [born 1681 in St Andrews, Orkney] and Margaret Redland. They had 6 children as follows:- [1] James married Isabel Peace and has a long line of descendants; [2] John married Margaret Spence and has a long line of descendants; [3] Robert; [4] Thomas married Isabella Fraser and has a long line of descendants; [5] Margaret married ? Mowat and has a line of descendants; [6] Hugh* married Sibella Flett and has a long line of descendants [see below].

*Hugh [above] and Sibella Flett’s 6 children:- 1. John married to Margaret Craigie and has a long line of descendants; 2. James married to Margaret Eunson and has a long line of descendants; 3. Margaret; 4. Sibella married Edward Groundwater and has a long line of descendants; 5. Jane married ? Brunswick; 6. Peter** married firstly to Janet Spence [of Redbanks] and secondly to Catherine Matches.

**Peter [above] and Catherine's 5 children were:- 1. Charles married Janet Finlayson and has a long line of descendants; 2. Margaret married Robert Spence and has a long line of descendants; 3. Barbara married David Spence and has a long line of descendants; 4. John*** married Betsy Redland [see below]; 5. James married Margaret Craigie and has a long line of descendants

***John Smith [above] and Betsy Redland [see below for her family] had 8 children:- 1. Betsy Smith married John Wishart [see his details under the Wishart family notes]; 2. John; 3. Margaret; 4. Ann; 5. Margaret; 6. James; 7. Lizzie; 8. un-named child who died a baby

This Smith family has spread worldwide.

I am also doubly descended from the Redland family as both my great great grandparents [Betsy Redland and John Smith] were of Redland descent. Betsy was the great grand-daughter of John Redland and Marjory Isbister of Stenness, Orkney and John Smith was the great great grandson of Thomas Redland and Barbara Laughton of St Andrews, Orkney. The Redlands in Skeld, Scarvister and Silwick in Shetland are descended from Thomas Redland and Barbara Laughton’s son Edward. I have most of the descendants for both sections of the Redland families including a large line from Edward Redland’s brother, Magnus, who emigrated to Maine where their surname is Ridland. See the full Orkney tree at my Family Tree Maker Home website.

Matthias Abel [1][1730 - 1807] who married Elizabeth Horth [daughter of Thomas Horth & Mary Pightling of Norwich] in Norwich & his son Matthias [2] [1761 - 1827] were Bankers in Bungay. They had only one child.

Matthias [2] [1761—1827], m. Elizabeth Paul in Bungay & their 5 children were [a] Matthias [3], [b] William, [c] Clarke, [d] Sarah & [e] Elizabeth. He was in partnership with his father & they were also Grocers & Drapers in Bungay, trading as Matthias Abel & Son, Grocers, Drapers & Bankers [Norfolk & Suffolk Bank]. Matthias [2] then traded with his son, Matthias [3] until he was made bankrupt in 1815. Matthias [2] had a cousin named Thomas Abel & had a farm at Holton, Suffolk that was occupied by a James Ball. Matthias [2] was Town Reeve of Bungay for some years.

[a] Matthias [3] [1785 - 1815] m. Mary Ann King [daughter of Samuel King & Sarah Botwright] in Bungay, had a Wine & Liquor business in Bungay & was in partnership with his brother, William, as Bankers. He appears to have also been a part-time actor [using the name Matthias King] & led a rather frivolous life which caused his own bankruptcy & that of the Bank & all the family businesses. He died, aged 30 in 1815, in London within days of his business & household goods being auctioned in Bungay & there are family rumours of suicide. His Masonic funeral in Bungay was a very large affair. His wife’s will makes mention of a settlement between her husband, herself, a George Smith Thomas Rideout & Matthias Abel [presumably her father-in-law Matthias [2]]. They had 5 children Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Matthias [4], Richard William & Sarah.

[b] William was also in partnership with a John Pearce as William Abel & John Pearce, Grocers & Tallow Chandlers until William’s death, at the age of 27, in 1813. William’s death left his young widow with a child around age 3. They are later found in London where the daughter, Eleanor, married Henry Crouch.

[c] Clarke [1789 - 1826] was a Surgeon of Norwich & later Halesworth, also declared bankrupt in 1815. He was Physician on Lord Macartney’s mission to China in 1816 & nominated naturalist by Sir Joseph Banks. He wrote an account of his journey "Narrative of a Journey in the Interior of China 1816-7". Dr Abel was then appointed physician to Lord Amherst, Governor-General of India and died in India aged 37. Robert Brown dedicated a genus to him - Abelia - founded on one of the plants he had previously discovered in China. Clarke married Martha Poole, daughter of John Poole, Draper, of the Old House, Harleston. Martha’s sister, Jane, married into the Cavell family [Corry Cavell & Mary Strutt] of Bawdsey. Martha & Jane’s brother Zachariah accompanied Clarke to China as his assistant.

[e] Elizabeth [born 1790] married Matthew Rackham, Solicitor, Thorpe, Norwich [the Abel family Solicitors] & they had a son Matthew who was Rector of St Augustine, Norwich. When Elizabeth died her husband remarried to Eliza Reeve and they went on to have a daughter & son [Robert Reeve Rackham, Rector of Bintry].

[a] Matthias [4] [1811 - 1871], Schoolmaster, Postmaster & draperyshop owner in Bungay married, firstly in 1833, Fanny Maria Cotman [niece of John Sell Cotman the landscape artist] & all his 5 children are from this marriage. Widowed, Matthias [4] remarried to Anne Eliza Ruddack 1854 in Norwich & after she died in 1860 he remarried again 1863 to Anna Maria Neep, a widow in Bungay. The Abel graveyard section at Bungay St Marys Church has a large table monument for the earlier Abel family and several headstones for Matthias Abel [4] and his 3 wives and one of his children who died young.

[b] Mary Ann [born about 1807] married in Norwich to William Rackham, Solicitor of Norwich. The 1851 Census shows her head of house & widow at Sussex Street, St Augustine, Norwich. The Rackham family had previously married into the Abel line and were also their Solicitors.

[c] Mary Ann [born 1807] married William Rackham, Solicitor [brother of Matthew who married her aunt Mary Ann Abel]

[d] Elizabeth [nothing found on her other than being mentioned in her mother’s Will in 1828]

[e] Richard [nothing has been found other than him dying as a baby]

[f] Sarah [born 1814] married Matthew John Rackham [the same Rackham family that others in this Abel line married into] of Norwich and they lived in Norwich. They had a daughter & son.

Matthias [4] & Fanny Cotman’s 5 children were:- [a] Mary Ann [Polly] m. Major Alexander Drury who served with the Madras Pioneers in India; [b] Sarah Ann m. Richard Carley [watchmaker] of Bungay; [c] Matthias [died a child]; [d] Eliza Winifred m. Robert Hayward Broome & later moved to Battersea, London - my great grandparents; [e] Matthias Clarke [5][1846 - 1896] Postmaster in Bungay then Yarmouth & m. Emily Sanders [b. Exeter]. Emily & her children, Mary Emily, Alice, Fanny Maude, Percy Clarke, Matthew Ernest and Kathleen, moved to Wimbish, Essex to live with her remarried mother. Her daughter Mary married William Wiseman & her other daughter Alice married Edward Harrison both in Wimbish. I have not been able to trace much further on this line so would be interested to hear from anyone with any information.

There is also marriage into the Rackham family, Norwich over 2 generations and the fact that the Rackham’s were the Abel family Solicitors and family friends of the Abel’s. [Is there something else to discover still? There was family rumour of some scandal generations back]. Should anyone have any information re the Abels or Rackhams or any of the families they married into, I would be interested to hear from them.

I have researched the Broom[e] family back to Thomas Broom who married in 1739 in Clopton, Suffolk, England to Susan Banyard [both born in Clopton]. They had a total of 5 sons and 3 daughters for whom I have further details of descendants. After Thomas died Susannah remarried to Robert Upson. Thomas Broom had a brother, George, who married Susannah ? – nothing more is known of this line. Thomas Broom had another brother, Henry, who married and lived at Bredfield. Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth Broom, married Jeremiah Folkard of Saxmundham. Henry’s Will of 1780 contains numerous legacies as follows:- land & premises at Bredfield in the tenure of William Clarke & Robert Capon to Ann, wife of William Clarke; £85 to Mary Flory, Tattingsham; £90 to Hannah, wife of W Curtis, Debach, farmer; £45 to Elizabeth Swan, Bonhill, widow; £90 to Susan Cotton, Charsfield, Innholder; £49 to children of Ann Blomfield late of Dalingho; £78 to Margaret, wife of John Preston now or late of Ipswich; £100 to Sarah Broom, Monowden, spinster; £100 to Martha Broom, Clopton, widow of Thomas Broom [son of Thomas Broom]; £60 each to children of said Martha Broom; £100 to Susan [wife of John Upson, Clopton, yeoman]; £100 to Peter Broom, Clopton, yeoman; £97.18 shillings to Deborah [wife of Lewis Cottingham, Bawdsey, yeoman]; £100 to John Broom, Alderton, yeoman; £90.11 shillings children of Jeremiah Folkard late of Saxmundham, carpenter; £80 to John Folkard, Framlingham; £100 to children of Ann Whayman late of Dalingho, widow; £100 to Elizabeth wife of Edmund Cooper, Sudbourn, wheelwright; £100 to Mary wife of William Knight, Bredfield, yeoman; £5 to Henry Blomfield, Dalingho, yeoman; £5 each to Samuel Weaver [?] & Martha Weaver [?]; £21 to Edna Woods, Swilland, spinster; 4 shillings weekly to Mary wife of Robert Birken [?], Bredfield, labourer.

Thomas Broom & Susan Banyard had children as follows:- Thomas married Elizabeth Lawrence &, secondly, Martha Broom; Susannah married John Upson; Deborah married Lewis Cottingham; Henry married Susan Baker; Peter married Elizabeth Woutton; Elizabeth; George [twin of John]; John* [twin of George].

Their son John Broom* [bapt. 1758 Clopton] married 1786 Clopton to Ann Lech/Leach. John's farm at Clopton was about half a mile south of Clopton Corner, just north of Manor Farm and comprised 3 fields, orchard, cottage and yards and a road. His Will of 1833 was witnessed by James Bolton, Clopton, farmer [he was a neighbour], Mary Fulcher, Clopton, Widow and Rolla Rouse, Woodbridge & mentions the following:- to sons John Broom, Otley & Job Broom, Clopton all freehold messuages & tenament lands, etc. in Clopton. All goods, chattels, money & all other personal estate & effects to John Broom & Job Broom in order that whatsoever can be sold & made into one fund which I give & bequeath to John Boom & Job Broom to make shares of the residue equally to my children Susan [wife of William Stansley], Hannah [wife of Thomas Baker], Ann [wife of William Abbott], John Broom, Job Broom & Henry Broom & to the children of late eldest son Spencer. John & Ann had the following 10 children, for whom I also have their descendants:- 1. Spencer [b. 1787] married Margaret Cook; 2. Ann [b. 1791] married William Abbott of Otley; 3. Susan married William Stansley; 4. John [b. 1792]; 5. Job [b. 1795] married 1817 in Clopton to Elizabeth Pooley; 6. David [1797-1804]; 7. Maria [1799-1804]; 8. Henry* [b. 1800] married 1828 in Clopton to Lucy Hayward [see below]; 9. Hannah [b. 1802] married 1828 in Clopton to Thomas Baker; 10. Maria [1805-1822].

*The son, Henry [above], & his wife Lucy Hayward farmed The Grove at Rendham, Suffolk [a few miles north east of Clopton] from sometime after 1841 to about 1870. Their 7 children were:- 1. John [b. 1828]; 2. Henry [b. 1831] married Harriett Noy; 3. Lydia [b. 1834] married John Baldry [later moved to Battersea, London]; 4. Robert Hayward** [b. 1835] married Eliza Abel of Bungay, Suffolk [see below]; 5. David [b. 1838]; 6. Asa [b. 1841] married Henrietta Harvey [moved to Battersea where they had children - George, Jennie, Annie and Daisy]; 7. Samuel [1849-1870]

**Robert Hayward and Eliza Abel are my great grandparents [see the Abel family]. Robert added the letter “E” onto his name & worked in Eliza's father's drapers shop in Bungay, taking over the business when Eliza's father died. They later moved to Battersea, London where he had a drapery shop in Kensington for some years before he worked as a Railway Porter. Robert and Eliza's 7 children were:- 1. Harry Abel [b. 1864] m. Elizabeth Susanna Daniels 1887 at Clapham. [He was widowed & remarried to Marie Susannah Elsam] Their children were Winifred Elizabeth, Lily Ivy Maud and Harry Robert Arthur; 2. Willie [died a child]; 3. Fanny [died a child]; 4. Alexander [died a child]; 5. Alick [died a child]; 6. Robert Hayward [b. 1882] m. Ada Higgs 1909 at Clapham [my grandparents]; 7. Winifred [died a child]. I am trying to find Harry Robert Arthur Broome [or any of his family] who was last known of in Norbury, Surrey, it is believed some of his family were killed during a bombing raid during World War 2 but Harry is known to have been alive in the 1950s.

The early Broom family from Clopton nearly all lived either in or near Clopton. I am presently trying to find any descendants of the Broom family who originated in Clopton.

*John William Higgs, was born about 1852/53 and died 26 Feb 1910. His funeral card states he died aged 57 but I have not been able to find his birth records from any sources and family papers say he was from Lambeth, London. He married Annie Jemima Munden [her 2nd marriage] in 1877 at St Marys Church, Lambeth, the witnesses being his sister Elizabeth and a Henry Rogers. His marriage certificate shows his father was Henry Higgs a painter who died before John and Annie married. Two of John’s siblings died as children and a Higgs family member was killed in a road traffic accident. John worked in the Emery Mill at Westminster, London. I know little more about the Higgs family and would welcome any information or connections.

Daniel Munden [born about 1784] married in Somerset, England Mary Pittard and they had the following 4 children:- 1. Mary Ann; 2. John; 3. Mary; 4. Thomas* [see below]; 5. James; 6. Edmund; 7. Rebecca; 8. George

*Thomas [above] [born about 1813 at Ilminster, Somerset] married in 1834 at Ilminster to Eliza Dinham and moved from Somerset to Newington, Surrey sometime between 1846 and 1852. Thomas was a builder, painter, etc. and they had the following 7 children:- 1. Anne; 2. Mary Ann; 3. Mary Jane; 3. Harriet; 4. Sarah Ann married 1863 at Newington, Surrey to Ebeneezer Falkner [with a line of descendants]; 5. Thirza Leah married William John George [with a line of descendants]; 6. Annie Jemima** [see below]; 7. Frederick William married Fanny Caroline Order and they had 5 sons.

**Annie Jemima [above] married John Parton Butler at St Saviour, Newington, Surrey and had one child, Lucy born 1873 at Marylebone [who married a Thomas James Reynolds and had children Violet and Beatty who were last known to be at Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex]. Annie was widowed in 1873 [John Butler's death was registered at Marylebone] and she remarried to John William Higgs in 1877 in Lambeth and went on to have 4 sons and 4 daughters one of whom was Ada Higgs who married Robert Hayward Broome [my grandparents—see the Broom[e] family]. Should anyone have any further information on anyone in this Munden/Butler/Higgs line I would be interested to hear from them.