WATKINS BLATCHFORD and MEEK family connections (General)

by admin , Forest of Dean, Wednesday, August 17, 2005, 07:58 (7037 days ago) @ admin

I ordered the Marriage Certificate of William BLATCHFORD / Mary WATKINS with the hope that they match up should have that in about a week.

It will be very interesting to see if Mary has a father listed. There was many illegitimate children born in the area at that time including my great-grandfather Joseph Watkins and on the certificates the fathers name is left blank which makes it very hard for us to find our ancestors.

DNA testing is a way of determining if males share a common male ancestor as every father passes on his Y-chromosome to his sons. Our surnames usually pass that way also but not always as most of us are aware.

I've been DNA teasted and hope others from the Forest will do so in the future this way we may find out a lot more.

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1861 Census entry :-

RG9 / 1755
Township of East Dean Ecclesiastical District of Holy Trinity
Schedule no. 3
Address : Huntley

John Watkins Head Mar 51 Coalminer Born Herefordshire
Comfort Watkins Wife Mar 51 Monmouthshire
Esther Watkins Dau Unmar 21 Dressmaker Parish of Ruardean
James Watkins G.son 9 Parish of Ruardean
Mary Watkins G.dau 8 Parish of Ruardean
Henry Watkins G.son 6 Parish of Ruardean
Josiah Watkins G.son 2 East Dean
George Watkins G.son 2 East Dean

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Gloucestershire Records Office

1871 Census
East Dean
Holy Trinity

WATKINS:
John Head 60 M Collier Ruardean
Comfort Wife 62 M Bicknor Mons
James Grandson 19 U Collier East Dean
Mary Daughter 18 U East Dean
Henry Grandson 14 U East Dean
Job Grandson 4 U East Dean

Job (Joseph) is my great-grandfather

More information you can see on the FOD Message Board
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=113