Family Websites

Christine Wenn's website covers her family history (Luton, Bedfordshire and Chatham/Rochester/Strood, Kent) and includes quite a few photos.

Mel Rowing's research has been dedicated to the Rowing name in Britain and is the definitive source for anyone researching this name or links into it.

Danny Robert's website covers his family tree in England and Canada and includes many people on both sides of the Atlantic.

Hemsearch is a new website which is the result of collaboration between about a dozen descendents (including me) of John Hems born 1678 in London.  It is an ongoing project which has linked a number of family trees together and is working towards a complete tree of all of the descendents of John Hems (and if possible going further back)

General Websites

The Mormon website (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - to give it it's full title) gives access to the database created by its members from church records (known as the IGI - mainly christenings and marriages), pedigrees submitted to them, census records etc. You can also download Personal Ancestral File (a database program to record your own family tree). It's all free. Do remember that in many cases data transcribed from a parish register is often only part of the whole register.

The Society of Genealogists site details what the society has to offer, records held, items for sale and links into other sites for research. At its premises in London they hold a vast collection of information including microfilms and transcripts of many British church registers. It's well worth joining if you want to research your family tree and can get to London.

Ancestry.com is a big site which gives access to several record databases (some of which require a subscription payment) and has a large message board area divided into surnames, areas etc. Being American based the majority of what is there relates to American/Canadian families, but I have found useful links on the message board.

The Guild of One Name Studies comprises people who are researching just one surname. It's worth a look if there is a not-so-common name you are interested in.

I have found several people with distant family connections through Genesconnected (another site from the Friends Reunited people). At present it costs £5 per year but promises to increase in price soon. You can upload your tree in GEDCOM format and search for names that are part of the family trees that others have uploaded. I wouldn't normally advertise a commercial company but this one has been worth joining for me.

Other Genealogists

The following people are also researching one or more of the surnames in my family tree and some of them have links to my ancestors. The links are by email.

Camber (One Name Study) - Geoff Camber

Deards - Michael Deards

Hems (London) - Ian Spence

Payne (Norfolk) - Lesley Purcell

Shrimpton (One Name Study) - Valda Shrimpton