Hi, my name is Terry and I'm tracing my family back on my mothers side, the surname being Jarvis.

I've got back to 1789, the parish records of Ashen have an entry of the marriage of Samuel Jarvis of the Parish of Poslingford to an Elizabeth Finch of Ashen.

There are no other entries at all for Jarvis in Ashen, up until then all of my ancestors have be born in Clare.

lf any one has any information on this couple l would be most grateful

Many Thanks

Terry Bareham

Hi...

My mother's great grandfather, Oliver Dyson was born in Clare in 1850 and his wife, Mary Ann Bentley was born in a poorhouse in Haverhill in 1854. In the 1871 census, Oliver is living on Well lane with his parents (Oliver & Anne Dyson) and siblings. He is a shoemaker. Mary Ann's an 18 yo domestic servant living in the household of 73 year old Ann Price on 25 Callis St.

They were married in 1872 in the Clare Parish Church. Their daughter Ada was born in October of 1872 in Clare. I am uncertain of the place of birth of the rest of the children (Isabel b.1874, Oliver b.1876, Arthur b.1880, Gertrude b.1883) except my great grandmother Alice Mary Dyson who was born in 1878 in Northfleet, Kent and her younger sister Mary Ann who was born in 1885 in Lewisham.

Around 1886 the family moved to Ontario Canada. I have been unable to locate the Dyson's in the 1881 British Census in Suffolk or Kent and would like to know where the family was in 1881. I suspect it was in Kent somewhere but why did they move and why did they emigrate to Canada?

I am also looking for information on the poorhouse where Mary Ann Bentley was born (3/12/1854). Her mother's name was Emma and her father was unknown. I suspect that Mary Ann was illegitimate. How long did Mary Ann and her mother live in the poorhouse, what happened to Emma Bentley and who were her parents?

If you could identify resources that might be available to answer some of these quesions I'd greatly appreciate it. My sister is stationed at Lakenheath AFB and has been reseaching the family tree further back. If there are records available, I'm sure she could stop in a take a look. Thanks for your help.

Sincerely, Debbie Baker, Terre Haute, Indiana, USA

Hello... my name is John Chapman

I am tracing my family tree surname CHAPMAN and I notice from the 1901 Census Ref RG13/1740 that my Great grandmother with my grandfather Edwin & his brother Ernest lived at 55 Clare Road Ashen.

Can anyone inform me regarding the following:

1) If the two children attended a school in Clare or was there one in Ashen.

2) What is the present name of the road Clare Road as shown on the census.

3) Do your records show if the family remained in your area.

With thanks for your help.

Hi!... I'm tracing my INCE roots and could do with some help!

Thomas Ince b. c1837 married Emma TEDER or JEDER (or any variation thereof) - can anyone help with confirming Emma's name?

Also trying to find info on Thomas's Father -

Thomas Ince b. 1800 - who did he marry? Any children in addition to Thomas?

Also looking for information on Charles Ince b. 1866 married unknown GARDNER - can anyone help with identifying unknown woman GARDNER?

Also any info on Charles Ince's siblings -

• Alfred b. 1877
• Ann b. 1862
• Emma b. 1880
• William b. 1871
  

Who did they marry? Did they have children?

Thanks for any and all help!

Dawn Selleck- California, USA

Hi there my name is Karen...

I've just started tracing my ancestors. In the 1851 census I have 4 ansestors listed as living in Clare they are:

• William Sorrell (age 50)
• Sarah Sorrell (age 52)
• Mary Sorrell (age 14)
• William Sorrell (age 9)

The address given is Hill Farm, Cavendish road, Clare, Suffolk. By the time the next census was taken they had moved again but Mary had disappeared so I'm assuming she married, could it have happened while she was still living in Clare.

It would be great if anyone could send me any info on this.

Thank you...

Hello, my name's Russell Ince.

Earlier this year my parents and I began researching our family history, inspired by both the BBC's TV show 'Who Do You Think You Are?' and our own long-standing curiosity!

So far far we've had a lot of luck, thanks to a John Ince from New Zealand; his fantastic research has taken our family tree back to the 17th century and to the town of Clare in Suffolk. Our oldest known ancestors are a John and Elizabeth Inch, born circa 1660. It seems that our surname changed, however, from Inch to Ince in the early nineteenth century whilst our antecedents were living in the Suffolk/Essex area.

I was wondering whether anybody could help explain why our surname changed? Also, if anybody knows anything of the Inch/Ince family in Clare and Essex, we would be extremely grateful for their comments!

Thank you...

Hello... My name is Lou Bell.

My Great Grandfather Alfred Jolly is listed as a publican and butcher of the Cock Inn, Callis Street, Clare in 1912.

He died in 1927, being a Master Butcher by this time.

Would anyone have any old photos of The Cock Inn around this time that you could share with me? Did he sell meat over the counter or would he have had a separate shop?

Thank you for any help and advise you can give me.

Hello, I am trying to track down more details about my father's (now 88) maternal grandfather.

He was John (Potter) Hammond. His birthplace is given as Clare; in the 1831 census he is living with Elizabeth Hammond (sister?) and others surnames Potter, Goldey/Golding.

In 1851 he was living as a lodger in Calais Street with the Elmer family.

By 1861 he was calling himself John Potter Hammond, was married to Elizabeth Cole Erwin/Ervin/Irwin/Irwin and was the Innkeeper at the Queen's Head, Haverhill. The family then moved to London where he died in 1902.

I am particularly interested in his early life, parents, siblings etc and also anything about his wife. If anyone can help with more information, I would be really grateful....Thank you.

Hi, my name is Sandra Gosling Thompson

I have 3 ancestors from Clare. This is the only information I have so it would be nice to confirm if this is correct or if there is any further information about them:

Their names are:

• Phillip Harry Gosling - My Great-Grandfather.
  Born Nov. 14, 1869 at Bell Inn. Died in Clare?
• William Gosling - My Great-Great-Grandfather.
  Died June 20, 1908. Owner of Bell Inn. Died in Clare?
• Sarah Scotcher Gosling - My Great-Great-Grandmother.
  Born June 18, 1842 - Married Dec. 25, 1869 - Died Sept 18, 1886. Died in Clare?

Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated...Thank you.

Hi... my name is Matthew Coutts.

I have 3 ancestors that I know who lived in Clare before they died and I presume that they are buried in the cemetery at Clare? I would like to know if anyone is able to confirm this for me?

Their names are:

• William Byford - died in 1885 and I believe his last address was Malting Lane, Clare
• Ellen Dare - died in 1879 and I believe her last address was Common Street
• George Dare - died in 1897 and I believe his last address was Bridewell Street

I look forward to hearing from anyone that can help.... many thanks, .

Hi, my name is Gina and I have been tracing my Family tree and have ended up in Clare!

I am looking for info on any Taylors in the town. I have traced back to Thomas and Keria (Kezia) Taylor who lived in 18 Calais Street, in 1851and then Bridewell Street followed by Nethergate Street.

Their son Frederick born in 1854 and is my Great Great Grandfather! Keria Taylors maiden name was Potts and her Mother Mary-Ann also came from Clare.

If you have any info on the family name I would be very grateful to know, thank you.

Hi...my name is Barbara Payne and I am tracing my family tree, which has connections with Clare. I recently moved to Cambridge and came to Clare for the first time on Good Friday. I thought it a great town, and was so pleased to see the old station, where my grandmother would have certainly travelled form.

My maternal granmother was born in Clare in 1885 her name was Louisa Parker, and she is mentioned through your link. Her father was Francis Parker and her brother Henry Parker is on the War Memorial. I am interested in trying to find her mother's maiden name and any other information which may be available about their origins in Clare.

I have the same photo of the unveiling of the War Memorial as is on your website, with one of the choirboys marked as being Henry Parker's son Tom. He was my mother's cousin and also had a brother Jim, they are both now deceased. Their mother, Henry's widow, married Henry's younger brother Fred, and had two daughter's with him One of whom Rosie lived in the Clare area for some time and married a Twitchett, Jack I believe, they had a son John.

My grandmother moved away from Clare into domestic service and the 1901 census puts her in Ilford, Essex, but how she got from there to Hemel Hempstead, where she met and married my grandfather I am not sure. She was 'in service' to the Weston family in Hemel Hempstead, but I don't know how she got there. She died in 1974 and her daughter, my mother in 2004, so I have no one left around to ask.

Any way you can help would be gratfully received... thank you