Many years ago – more than 50 years, to be precise – I started working on the Family Tree. I had a head start, in that my Great Great Grandfather (also called John Jackson) was a Vicar, and Anne, his wife kept and transcribed all his letters, etc. after his death. That gave me a flying start on the Jackson side. I’ve four 4 books full of this sort of stuff!

My father’s family came from poor pieceworkers in the cotton and wool trades, spinning and weaving in their cottages in the area of Pott Shrigley, south of Stockport, and near to Lyme Hall.

The John Jackson above got taken up by the local Squirarchy and sent to Macclesfield School. He stayed on as a teacher, married Anne, who was the daughter of one of the other Masters there and then went to Brazennose College, Oxford, where he read Divinity and became a curate, back in Pott Shrigley, and then vicar of Over, near Winsford in Cheshire.

When I looked at Mum’s side it really became interesting. Her maiden name was Dumaresq, which is a Jersey name. They were fairly big cheeses in Jersey for several hundred years. They used to own Les Augres Manor, the site of Jersey Zoo, run by the late Gerald Durrell.

Henry Hart Davis Dumaresq was my Great Grandfather. His mother, Elizabeth is the branch that leads back to the Rochforts.(bottom line, middle)
There are none left now in the UK, although there are some in Canada and Australia. (I’ve been in touch with them and met a good few of them), however, it is such an unusual name it is very easy to find.

The Dumaresqs married well – very often to “peer’s younger daughters” etc. and once you do that – it’s easy to connect and trace back.

Thanks to those who have done this work before/ I can go back to Edward 1st. (it’s no big deal – 33% of the UK can, too – including Danny Dyer) BUT – along the way, I came across some really juicy ancestors.

The story that leapt out, as a tale to be told, was the story in Heart of Stone.

And…
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There’s plenty more to come!