The information for the trees has come from various sources - research by myself and information from a number of people who are distant relatives and who are also researching their own families. Under the families listed below I acknowledge those who have been of help and provide links to associated websites.

THE PACKHAM FAMILY

The Packham name is linked with the name Peckham and appears to be just a pronunciation/spelling variation. In the 19th century and before the average person was unable to read or write name spellings on official documents e.g. church registers, were made according to how the recorder (usually the vicar who came from elsewhere) heard and thought the name should be spelt. This can be seen on the birth and marriage certificates for William Arthur Packham - his birth certificate has a correction from Peckham to Packham, his marriage certificate shows Peckham, but all subsequent records of the family name are Packham. Other various spellings such as Peckam and Pecham have been found.

A couple of historical notes found on the name. A web page by a Richard Yardley (web address no longer functioning) noted that the Packham name was around at the time of William the Conqueror, lands in Kent being granted for distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066AD. Apparently the noble warriors were originally from St. Nicholas in Normandy

It appears that a number of Peckham's were in the church.  There was a Franciscan Archbishop of Canterbury from 1272 to 1292 (died 9th December) named John Pecham. It is recorded that in 1279 he excommunicated all who would supply the Archbishop of York if he persisted in using his crosier during his stay in Canterbury (how Christian of him!).  This was at the time of a dispute between Canterbury and York over the prior and convent of Durham.  A William Pecham was ordained as a priest on 29 March 1404 at Rochester and the prior of the monks at from 1460 to 1467 was Richard Peckham.

Although the name is now found around the world (Packham Triumph Pears originated in South Africa in the 1890's) it appears to have originally been confined to the Southern England counties of Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. In a survey of births in England between 1837 and 1850 I carried out, Packham's were only born in these counties (except for one in Aberystwyth, Wales).

Our family is from Kent, specifically from the Rochester & Chatham area. With the Royal Dockyard at Chatham and many other sea and river associated businesses in the area, it is not surprising that occupations of the family include a shipwright and a Thames barge master.

The earliest Packham found of our family has been Edward Packham, a 'victualler' (publican) of the North Foreland public house in Chatham (still there) until his death in 1845. Unfortunately the search for his ancestors has not been successful so far. All that is known (from the 1841 census) is that he was born about 1800 in Kent. So far over half the church registers for Kent have been searched and no evidence of an Edward Packham being born/christened around the right date have been found.

I have created an Excel spreadsheet of the references I have found to Packham and similar names in Kent in church records etc.  It contains over 1,800 references and may be useful to other genealogists.  For a copy please send me an email.

FAMILIES MARRYING INTO THE PACKHAM FAMILY LINE

Deards The Deards (Deardes) were from Welwyn in Hertfordshire and records show that there were a number of families with this name in the surrounding area for centuries. Although my ancestor there in the latter part of the 1700's was a butcher, another man with the Deardes name in the town, possibly his brother, was a leather worker at the time. This trade appears to have continued in the family for generations as a friend recalled to me that "old man Deards ran the saddle and leather shop in Welwyn" in her youth (the 1960's).

Seagull The Seagulls were a Chatham family with a couple of generations of fishermen known. It is not a common name and only a handful of them have been found in the area. It is possible that it is a derivation of a name such as Seagle or Seager. Interestingly there is a coach company at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, which is called Caroline Ann Seagull, but no connection to our family has yet been found.

The 1881 census shows how few other Seagulls there were in the country - one born 1821 in Harwich Essex, one born 1836 in Essex, one born 1860 in Birmingham, one born 1837 in (BS) Poland, a family in Hull (no father) with the mother from Posen, Prussia born 1841, a widow born 1835 in Poland living in Chirton, Northants, a Saygol family from Russia in Retford, Nottinghamshire and a Seagle family in Seagry, Wiltshire.  The number of Polish/Russian origin suggests that maybe all the Seagulls (and variants) were originally from this part of the world.  [para added July 2003]

Willan The Willan family (late 1700's / early 1800's) appear to have moved around in the South London area, births and marriages being recorded in Deptford, Mitcham, Croyden and finally Chatham. As for other families ending up in the Chatham/Rochester area, it is likely that the growth of the Naval Dockyard encouraged the move there.

THE WENN FAMILY

Although the known family only goes back to about 1800, the occupations show that they were associated with the normal trades in the area, labouring at the dockyard, a stoker and lime burning (the area had a big industry in quarrying limestone). Latterly the family had a local grocery shop in Magpie Hall Road in Chatham.

Christine Wenn (my first cousin once removed) has a website of the Wenn family with photos (see Links Page).

FAMILIES MARRYING IN TO THE WENN FAMILY

Flemming  This is another family appearing to have migrated towards the work created by the dockyard. The earliest member of the family was noted in census records as having been a Royal Navy pensioner and a tailor. Whether he was a tailor for the Navy or previously a seaman is unknown.

Payne  Not much is known about the family so far apart from Mahala (who married into the Rowing family) and her parents names. Another person who would be interested, like me, in making contact with others researching this family is Lesley Purcell (see Links Page)

Pooley  The Pooleys originally came from Norfolk, the name being found in various church records to the west and south-west of Norwich. They appear to have been general labourers, probably just farm workers.

Rowing  My ancestors include at least a couple of generations of carpenters, the last one becoming the publican of the Red Lion and Star in Strood, just across the Medway River from Rochester. The original pub building was very old and had massive carved oak beams which, on demolition of the building in about 1907, were taken and re-built into the house of Mr Leney, the local brewer. To save copying information on this family I recommend you visit the website of Mel Rowing (see Links Page) which details the significant and interesting research he has done on this surname.

Wright  Two people with this surname married into the Wenn family.  Information on one ancestor William Wright (from his very complicated will) shows that he was the innkeeper of a public house and had financial interest in a turnpike (presumably received a percentage of the tolls collected).

THE BOND FAMILY

Originally from Glastonbury in Somerset, the family moved to Yeovil and then to London. Little is known about the early family members, the first recorded occupation being a labourer. Following that my great grandfather was an engineer. He worked for Aplin and Barrett in Yeovil, the company that had the St Ivel brand (dairy products). He and his family moved to London when the company expanded its business there, two of his sons also working for the company.  Interestingly there were Aplins in Glastonbury so maybe the Bonds were already working for them and moved to Yeovil with the business.

Glastonbury in the early 1800's seems to have been quite a busy place.  There was a tanning industry and naturally the manufacture of boots and shoes was a significant trade in the town.  The town was also known for its brick and tile industry.  In 1834 a canal was opened to the Bristol Channel which would have boosted the movement of goods from the local manufacturers.

Although getting back to the late 1700's is not a bad achievement, the church records in Glastonbury have hindered further progress. There are notable gaps with no christenings or marriages being recorded for several months or several years at a time. For the Bonds and other families which have married into this line it is obvious that crucial information is missing and therefore parents and spouses cannot be found.

FAMILIES MARRYING IN TO THE BOND FAMILY

Fry  Like the Bond's the Fry's were a local Glastonbury family having lived in the village for several generations. Apart from births and marriages, nothing further is known about this family.

Seymour  The Seymour's originally came from East Knoyle, a village north of Shaftesbury, and moved to Yeovil possibly because of the greater opportunities offered in the large town. Other families marrying into this branch of the tree mostly come from the villages close to Yeovil. Little is known about these families apart from a few occupations such as a glover and sailcloth weavers.

THE BAYLISS FAMILY

This is another branch of the family from which I have benefited from research previously carried out by others. The family originated in Worcester as Whitesmiths (tinsmiths) and moved to Hoxton in London, my great grandfather being a porter in the Library at the City of London College. My grandmother remembered life there when she was young saying that they were poor. Children wore handed down clothes and she became proficient in mending and stitching. She also remembered sometimes going with her father before the First World War to Dirty Dicks, a famous London pub, and playing with others in a children's room while her father drank with his friends.

She also said that her father was a Freeman of the City of London. No evidence to support this is known, so it is not possible to substantiate this claim.  Her sister Grace wrote about earlier generations and the business they owned and lost (see link on James Bayliss/Clara Tunks family page).

FAMILIES MARRYING IN TO THE BAYLISS FAMILY

Hems  The Hems were a Shoreditch, London family for several generations. Three generations were paper stainers (wallpaper makers) and prior to that two generations of cutlers. It is not known whether the paper stainers had their own business or worked for a particular company. However a family story is that they decorated St John the Baptist church at Hoxton when it was built, suggesting that they may have had their own decorating business.  Recent research by a group of Hems descendents has pushed the tree back to John Hems born 1678.  Details have yet to be added to this website - see the Links page to get to it.

Shrimpton  The earliest Shrimpton (William) came from Watford, Hertfordshire and after his marriage moved to Shoreditch in London.  He built up a reasonable business as a wheelwright, enough to afford several properties.  After his death disputes between his children, including forgery which resulted in imprisonment, seems to have resulted in the family fortune being wasted away.  Valda Shrimpton (see Links Page), has provided me with information about this - see the link on the William Shrimpton/Sarah Mills family page.

Thomas  Only one member of this family is known but clues indicate that this could be the first non-English link in the family.  Jane Thomas was reputed to speak Welsh (when in a temper) and another Thomas (maybe a relative) living nearby in Shoreditch was originally from South Wales near Camarthen.

Tunks  This was another family from Worcestershire (see Bayliss), originally from Rock (west of Kidderminster) and moving to Worcester. This is another family about which little is known apart from one who was a timber dealer.