Category Archives: Colwall

From Fred to Ed: Ellen Tomkins’ elusive husband

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

My great-great-grandfather’s second cousin Ellen Tomkins was born on 2 May 1864 in Colwall, her family’s ancestral birthplace in Herefordshire. As one of no fewer than thirteen children, Ellen belonged to a tight-knit family whose branches stretched across the county … Continue reading →

Posted in 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, 1911 Census, Archives, Birmingham, Colwall, Death, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Women | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The tragedy of Jane Dee

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

I think it’s time to take a short break from Italian genealogy, so I’ve decided to delve into the English side of my family tree instead! Looking at the various members of my extended family whom I’ve long neglected to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, Canada, Colwall, Death, England, FindMyPast, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Marriage, Mormonism, Women | 1 Comment

Another Eureka moment!

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

I always feel uneasy when researching ancestors with common name and surname combinations – it is so easy to be misled by the wrong record, and to end up barking up the wrong (family) tree! This is a lesson I … Continue reading →

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, Colwall, Death, Genealogy, Illegitimacy, Marriage, Worcestershire | Leave a comment

Mary Ann Allen (1807-1884)

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

In the course of your research, have you ever come across any relatives who just sit there, perched on your family tree, and no matter how many times you tried to find either a marriage or a death record for … Continue reading →

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, Colwall, England, Family Search, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Illness, Marriage, Property, Women, Worcestershire | 1 Comment

Judith Allen (née Cooke, formerly Bond)

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

One of the most fascinating members of my extended family is, in my opinion, my “aunt” Judith – the second wife of my great-great-great-grandfather’s youngest brother. Although there are very few sources which shed light on her life, what we … Continue reading →

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, Colwall, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Illegitimacy, Marriage, Women, Worcestershire | 1 Comment

Granny Morris

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

For me, growing up in Spain and being occasionally visited by my English grandmother was a real joy. My grandmother, whom I affectionately referred to as Nana, was everything you could expect from an English granny: loving and cuddly, she … Continue reading →

Posted in 1871 Census, Adoption, Colwall, Death, Downstairs staff, Engagement, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Lyonshall, Marriage, Pembridge, Women | 2 Comments

Winifred’s Story

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Years ago, while researching my great-grandfather’s family, I decided to explore the branch of  his only paternal uncle, William Henry Allen (1845-1923), a blacksmith by trade who fathered no fewer than nine children! Most of them eventually married and had … Continue reading →

Posted in 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, 1911 Census, 1939 UK Register, Colwall, Death, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Who Do You Think You Are?, World War II | 2 Comments

Dear Cousin, Will You Marry Me?

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

Like any genealogist, I get a strange thrill when I find two cousins in my family tree who married each other. I suspect it is because it feels like finding two missing links in one stroke, like two pieces of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1911 Census, 1939 UK Register, Colwall, Genealogy, Marriage | 1 Comment

My great-great-great-grandmother, Ann Rodway

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

On 5 May 1790, James and Elizabeth Rodway attended the burial of their first-born child, who three days earlier had been christened and given the name Ann. Twenty years, four sons and three daughters later, Elizabeth gave birth to her … Continue reading →

Posted in 1861 Census, Colwall, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Worcestershire | 1 Comment

The curious private life of Mary Willoughby

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Daniel (@DSRGenealogist)

On 23rd December 1880, a wedding took place in the church of Saint James the Great, Colwall, at the foot of the Malvern Hills which separate Herefordshire from Worcestershire. The bride was twenty-five-year-old Mary Willoughby, my great-grandfather’s third cousin and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, Birth, Colwall, Colwall Soldiers, Divorce, France, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Marriage, Worcestershire, World War I, Yorkshire | Leave a comment