Descendancy Files

For more than twenty-fiveyears, I have been drawing together the many diverse sources of information that relate to my own and the Quaker  extended family and in that task, I have benefited from the experience and knowledge of others, as well as gaining a clearer understanding of the relative complexities of my own heritage, drawn from largely already published sources. My reference list is HERE.

For myself, it is a subject of fascination, trawling through the genealogies of those (Quakers) whom the historian,  George Macaulay Trevelyan pointedly stated, were Britain's "Spiritual aristocracy". Since he hailed from the "Intellectual aristocracy", it seemed a generous praise for those modest and quite remarkable people, of whom the wider world in general, really knows so little.

I am not however a genealogist, (that is only an associated interest); I am more of a collator of family pedigrees, devoted to illustrating family associations. My real interest is not in ancestral or descendant records per se  but rather in the lateral lines that connect one Quaker family to another by marriage. It is the key that opened the door to their greatest successes in the world at large. The files are at the bottom of this page and open in a new page.

Such being said, it seems a purposeless task to publish these records unless it helps others to shed some light on these same families and such is why I have posted these files to the internet. To place my entire database here would not be in my own interests, after all, not only is this file large in size but it is representative of over twenty years of work. I would be the first to admit that I am selfish enough to want to retain it that way. Giving away years of work at the push of a button is something that benefits no-one.  In all, it comprises thus far, over 153,000 people..... each and all linked to one another by blood and/or marriage. These following files are only a small representative cross-section of a much bigger picture. If you are interested in a family that is not shown here, or shown only in part, drop me a line and I'll either add it or at the very least try to help you with specific data. The key to much of this work is British Quaker families. It does however embrace other such families in other parts of the world.

I am more than willing to share selected data and would be quite happy  to send any  lines that may be of specific interest to anyone who cares to ask. All that I would ask in return, is that there be a degree of reciprocity. Even a small snippet of information. That way we both benefit. It doesn't matter if the trade-off is in your favour.... If, on the other hand, all you want is the raw data for nothing, then you are on the wrong website. 

Here are some free PDFs as an opening gambit. You will note that I have omitted a lot of contemporary detail from these descendancy files.  The dates and employ for living people are excluded. Some are already in the public domain but it doesn't mean that I ought not have some concern for the privacy of the living. Notes are excluded, photographs are excluded and reference sources are only given in a general sense, on the Page Icon, on the left of your screen and at the end of each PDF file.  You may probably find exclusions, errors and omissions. Such is why I post this to the internet. Constructive criticism and advice; correction, additions and amendments, are the very things that I invite. But please remember that this is an ongoing exercise. Some branches of the family I haven't looked at in detail for years. Each week, I try to add more. If you want you discuss these matters, please contact me at this link.  

One more thing.... these are not all small files; the largest run to over 1000 pages. The content of each of the family files are listed in the style of seniority. That is to say, the eldest child's family and all of the succeeding eldest families of each successive generation will be listed first.  This will be clear, as you examine the files. The older files ran in some cases to over a thousand pages and seemed almost incomprehensible. This ought make things a bit easier to follow. Then, as before, you may use the PDF word search to establish if what you require is here. Then, if you find anything that sparks your curiosity, or indeed, if you find errors and omissions... then please drop me a line. 

All these specimen files are now updated as from the 1st July 2020. A few, more recently. The process continues.

Ackroyd of Lancashire                Albright of Charlbury             Albright of Lancaster             Aldam of Yorkshire

Alexander of Kent                        Alexander of Suffolk              Allen of Thorpe Salvin            Ashby of Uxbridge   

Backhouse of Yealand                Barclay of Urie                       Beakbane of Yealand           Beck of Surrey     

Bell of Cumbria                            Benson of Grasmere             Bevan of Swansea                Binns of Yorkshire

Braithwaite of Kendal                  Brayshaw of Lancashire        Bright of Rochdale                Buxton of Coggeshall

Cadbury of Bournville                  Capper of Newington             Champion of Bristol            Chapman of Whitby 

Christy of London                        Clapham of Newcastle           Clark of Somerset                 Clothier of Somerset 

Coates of Bishop Auckland       Corbyn of Worcester               Corder of Feering Bury        Crewdson  of Kendal

Croker of Lyneham                      Cropper of Liverpool              Crosfield of Lancaster          Crowley of Rowley Regis

Crowley of London                       Darby of Coalbrookdale        Dearman of York                   Dilworth of Lancaster 

Dixon of Raby, Durham                Dixon of Rokeby                     Driver of London                   Fardon of Banbury

Foster of Durham                         Fowler of Wiltshire                   Fox of Cornwall                     Fox of Dewsbury

Fry of Wiltshire                             Gibbins of Stourbridge           Gillett of Shipston on Stour    Grubb of Ireland

Gulson of Coventry                       Gurney of Norfolk                     Hagen of London                    Hanbury of Worcestershire

Hoare of Co. Cork                        Hodgkin of Shipston                Horsnaill of Kent                     Howard of Kent

Hustler of Bradford                       I'Anson of Darlington               Jowitt of Leeds                       King of Manchester

Lean of Cornwall                           Lloyd of Dolobran, Wales       Marriage of Chelmsford        May of Oxfordshire

Moorsom of Fylingdales              Neave of Fordingbridge          Payne of Yorkshire                 Pease of Darlington

Pelly of London                             Pike of Co. Cork                       Pim of Waterford                    Priestman of Yorkshire

Pym of Bedfordshire                    Ransome of Suffolk                   Reckitt of Hull                         Reynolds of Wiltshire

Reynolds of Bristol                       Richardson of Gt. Ayton            Richardson of Hull                 Robson of Darlington

Rowntree of Scarborough           Sandys of Esthwaite                  Sims of Kent                          Somervell of Kendal 

Sturge of Gloucestershire            Tregelles of Cornwall                 Tritton of London                   Tuke of York 

Wakefield of Kendal                 Waterhouse of Liverpool              Watson of Northumberland    Whitwell of Kendal

 Wilson of Grasmere                  Wilson of Kendal 1                       Wilson of Kendal 2                  Wilson 2 Chart (751 pages)

My antecedent tree  The Nobel Prize Anomaly 1   The Nobel Prize Anomaly 2

Some new additions:       Coffin   Kirkbride   Harford    Player   Sharp  Simpson   Small   Woodhead    Head   Gray   Pumphrey    Barrow   Bleckly   Smith    Pace   Warner

A new book was launched in December 2015, titled, The Generations In Between. Written by Ben Simpson, who descends from many lines of early Quaker families, many of whom feature in these pages, it is a book that is compelling in its narrative. Many of the family names and people shown therein, will be known to those who have a keen eye for the wider Quaker family connections. It can be found by clicking on the book title, as given above. I know it to be a most extraordinary journey into family history and gladly commend it to your attention. 

Another book that I would commend to your attention, is "Voices From a Trunk", which is written by Sara Woodall, (Blackthorn Press - 2014), which only now, have I found the time to read. Once again, it proves to be a fascinating account of the Eddison family of Quakers from Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, and of their their connections and associations with many others of that faith. Based upon a valuable but long lost archive of historical family documents, Sara has produced a powerful text which serves to remind us, that in our world today, the Quaker influence and affect is often overlooked, yet can be found in all quarters of our modern world. 


I really would hope hope that if you looked at any of these files, that you would assist me by letting me know if they have been any help to you.