Thank you to all the members who have sent in details of their ancestors – I have attempted in each case to find a connection with one of the branches already on record, and in most cases this has been possible. Obviously, this linking becomes much easier where details are given back to the great-grandfather or beyond, particularly where the family were in Sussex or surrounding areas for which we have reasonably comprehensive records. Continue reading Trying to Connect You
Yearly Archives: 1992
Lest We Forget
It has been suggested that we should write a series of articles on the Lin(d)fields who have served in the armed forces and who have distinguished themselves or died in battle. We could extend this idea to cover the American Civil War, the Boer War and any other campaigns for which records are available. Continue reading Lest We Forget
The Bramber Castle Legend
There cannot be too many among our readers who haven’t heard something of the legend of William Lindfield, who was entombed at Bramber Castle. It’s a chilling story, not unworthy of a place in the fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. I first came across it in the local guide, published by the village museum. (Ref. The History and Legend of Bramber Castle. Herbert E. Erredge; Bramber Museum) Despite his obvious embellishments, Erredge has produced an entertaining account of a particularly gruesome episode, and what follows is a summary of his narrative. Continue reading The Bramber Castle Legend
Martha Lindfield of Stream Cottage Wivelsfield
No Family History is complete without the proverbial skeleton in the cupboard. I was a long time before I found mine, and then, to my surprise, it was as close as my own Uncle. My father – as I have said in a previous article – was the 13th child of John William Avery who had married Martha Lindfield the daughter of William Lindfield 1788-1862 of New House or Huggetts Farm, Chailey, and his 2nd wife Elizabeth neé Walker. Continue reading Martha Lindfield of Stream Cottage Wivelsfield
Henry Linfield of Nuthurst
Wills, Administrations and Inventories
Wills, administrations and inventories are valuable documents to family historians: they provide us with a glimpse of our ancestors not available in other records, of a nature which helps to bring them to life as people in their society and time. Wills not only help to clarify family relationships, but they usually give us information about occupation and property ownership. Of course, not everybody made a will, so they are a special bonus when found. Continue reading Henry Linfield of Nuthurst
The Stanford Smith Papers
One of the objectives of our society is to create a comprehensive collection of archives, containing every known reference to our surname through the centuries. These can be grouped under various headings: Continue reading The Stanford Smith Papers
John and Elizabeth Lindfield of Keymer in East Sussex
I was lucky enough to be able to work for six months in London last year, and follow up my Sussex ancestry. My aim was to track down the origins of my great grandfather, Jesse Lindfield, who (I believe) was the only one of his family to come to Australia. He sailed to New South Wales in about 1860, and any contact with the family in England had been long lost. I was partly successful in searching out local church records, but the trail came to a dead-end with the descendants of all of his siblings, no doubt mainly because more people were beginning to move greater distances away from their home towns in that period. Unfortunately I did not come across any close living relatives of the line I am about to describe. If any one has any further information I would be very glad to hear from them. Continue reading John and Elizabeth Lindfield of Keymer in East Sussex
Starting a Picture Story of One’s Family
In Thomas Hood’s famous poem “I REMEMBER”, he refers nostalgically to the house where I was born, and despite the changes in the birth situation, with hospitals being more frequent than homes, in the last 100 years, one’s birth place remains a significant environment for one to remember. Similarly, other homes that one’s ancestors have lived in seem important parts of the genealogical story. As I indicated at the conclusion of my last article for LONGSHOT, part of one’s genealogical researches might include a visit to or photograph of the homes of one’s ancestors in so far as the buildings still exist or their sites are known. Continue reading Starting a Picture Story of One’s Family