The Family Tree

The past month, second son David has been avidly seaching the web for Weeks, Grahams and related names.

A month ago I knew my paternal great great great great grandfather was Robert Weeks, blacksmith of Bristol. Now i know his father John was from the parish Abson and Wick in Somerset. We are back to the late 18th century but have one reference to the 1675 will of a Preacher Weeks and know there were weeks across the Atlantic from 1620.

So far, no-one is in the poor house or jail. But we now know that great grandmother Weeks was illegitimate. Her mother called herself Sarah, Susan or Susanah Lewis. We think she was in the employ of Lord Tradegar at one time and wonder if our forebear was conceived there.

The Grahams go back to great great great great grandfather George, aged 17 when he fought at Trafalgar.

Grandfather Graham was born in Leith so I thought i was half Scottish, but no, I am a 100% pure bred English mongrel as the whole of mother's side hail from Northumberland.

David has also looked at his mother's ancestry and the most interesting possible connection is with the Victorian banking house, Gurney and Overend, which was very big and went very bust.