Histories
The family tree pages on this site contain a large and growing database of individuals and families. The information contained there is drawn from factual evidence still available today and therefore consists mainly of names, dates, places and events.
Unfortunately much of the context of this information is lost without further explanation of the historical setting. What were living and working conditions like? How did the wider local or national events of the time affect these families? What were the major concerns for ordinary people such as those who make up our families? What were their housing conditions? How did they dress? What would their diet be like?
These are just a few of the questions which interest me when I look at the history of our families and the communities they lived in.
In a few rare cases, we have the benefit of stories or memories left behind by people who’s stories would otherwise never have been told. Two such stories from my direct ancestors are included here. Alfred Ibberson and Elizabeth Webster lived very different lives and were influenced by vastly different events, yet both lived through the 19th century within a few miles of one another. Their stories have had a profound effect on my wish to learn more of my heritage.
I plan on adding further pages and articles over time which will help illustrate how previous generations lived their lives. There are also links to other sites which do a far better job than I at documenting some of these historical details.
My name is Martin Mosley, I am a historian and genealogist. I have assembled various bits of information about my family, and the areas our ancestors lived, into 3 sister websites.
This particular site is about my dad’s family – The Mosley’s. The other two cover the Hill family, my maternal ancestors, and the third is a community study of the ancient parish of Brampton in Derbyshire, an area my family lived for many centuries.
I hope you enjoy browsing the sites. Please do contact me if you have any queries or suggestions.
What You Can Expect to Find
It is sometimes surprising how much documentary evidence can be found, even for our humblest ancestors.
Wills, legal records, school attendance records, even maps…
Where I’ve found them, copies or transcripts are included on these sites.
For those of us researching from a distance, parish records can sometimes be difficult to verify. They are, however, vital to learning more about our families before civil registration began in 1837.
You will find either images or transcription references to these records for many individuals on my sites.
The memorials placed by family or friends on the death of a loved one can give an insight into the lives of those who lived before us.
Memorials in stone are also frequently more durable than other family documents. As such the inscriptions on headstones or memorial plaques are both a valuable and sometimes touching source of information.
Here I record the headstones, tombs and memorials with their inscriptions as they survive today. As time permits I plan to add further memorials.
The information on this site relates to my extended paternal family tree. Since you are here, it is probable that you share at least some relations with me.
You are free to browse and to learn from all I have published here. All I ask is that if you do find links, you let me know, so that we can add to what we already learned.
Please use the contact link below.
Do You Have Information About These Families?
I am always on the the lookout for more details relating to these families, including jobs, friends and interesting information about the places they’ve lived.