We three

Lucy's boys. Proudest of proud big brothers Jonathan, Andrew grinning as always, little Jacob looking for lunch.

Day six

Today was a great day. Started with good run in the park. Then I finally convinced someone to cut my hair again the way Mike used to do it. After that on to London where I went to the Society of Genealogists library to work on some book stuff. Ok so that was productive but admittedly a little dull. I got fed up and went down to Bedfordshire parish registers (I love those things) were I found something that made me very happy. I'm trying to trace the origin of a peculiar name passed down through the Raynor family and I found a clue not only to it's origin but that also took me over one of those proverbial brick walls and back 3 more generations than we had on our chart (details below). It was hard not to shout with delight (I would imagine that's frowned on at the Society) so I just kind waved my arms around and woo-hooed on the inside. Followed that with an expense account dinner in SoHo and added my tummy to all the parts of me that were happy. We talked about history all through dinner, kinda of a quick catch up from the Tudors to VE Day. I should be a history professor, I love explaining all this stuff. By the way, I finally caved and joined Twitter. But...... only so I can follow Dan Snow. And I hereby swear I will only stalk other fellow history nerds.

My 3xgreat-grandmothers Mary Ann Raynor had a brother named James Marvel Raynor. English baptisms rarerly involve a middle name, and that one is of particular interest. It was passed down three more generations, and I have reason to think James Marvel and Mary Ann's father James Raynor also carried the name. Family surnames were passed on as given names, but it's not a surname in the region. So where did it come from? And was there some special connection with the name that made then pass it down so many generations. A link to someone illustrious? That would be a first for our family! So the next generation back is also a James Raynor, but we have no baptism for him from the Dunstable registers - the first mention of him is his marriage in 1804. So I went further back and there are no other Raynor baptisms for his generation or what would have been his parents generation. But when I got to 1751 I found three Raynor children all baptised on the same day, Frances, Elizabeth and Marvil (!). I was so excited to find this. The three children were all born previously and baptised together. Parents were James Raynor and Hannah. There must be a connection. Is this James Raynor my 8x great-grandfather? I don't know why they missed a couple generations in the Dunstable register. The wife of James Raynor who was married in 1804 was, according to the 1851 census, from St Albans, so I'm going to check the St Albans register to see if a branch of the Raynors were in St Albans for a couple generations before returning to Dunstable. Of course this doesn't give me the origin of the Marvel name. Perhaps it was Hannah's maiden name. There are no Marvels in the Dunstable register. So the mystery isn't solved quite yet.

Day four

Oh dear, the Conservatives are back in Number 10 tonight, but with a Liberal Democrat deputy prime minister. Weird?! I spent 3 hours on a bouncy bus today reading the classic "Genealogy as Pastime and Profession" and no resulting migraine, so that was nice. The bus ride was to Aylesbury (via lovely Chiltern villages Edlesborough, Eaton Bray and Ivinghoe which have family connections) to visit the Buckinghamshire county archives. I found details of poor relief paid out to my 5x great-grandfather Joseph Sired in the mid-1830s: the whole family fell ill with small pox in May 1835 for which they received several shillings in assistance. The catch of the day, however, was the marriage bond for Joseph's father-in-law William Ashwell who married Ann Fardell by license in Ivinghoe church on 6 Feb 1777 and I learned William was a sheep-dealer (awesome, I've always loved lamb!). My favourite moment: passing through Edlesborough I noticed a sign for Happy Valley Chinese Takeaway & Chips. Ah, it's great to be home!

Day three

Today I finally resurrected my iPhone, ordered a new bankcard (I think Barclays thought I was dead) and had my first experience with Jedward. Also went for my first run in the park here and made a mighty fine little desk out of our tv tray. Yes, things are going well. Tomorrow I'm off to Buckinghamshire, I hope to ransack the Edlesborough parish chest.

Jacob Adam King

Here's my new little friend, born 3 May at 16.24. He was a big lad, 21 inches and weighing in at 8 lbs 11 oz. He has long feet and simply enormous hands with long fingers. And best of all, a full head of luscious, near jet black hair, just like his auntie had at birth.


And here's my lovely little sister and her three sons

Day two

Today was a great day. My friend Erin Hadley is in London for nine days on business. We arrived the same day, both a bit lonely and disoriented, so we were perfect company for each other, a welcome familiar face and a connection to home. We went to the Hyde Park Ward at a bleary-eyed 9am this morning. Saw a bloke from New York and then recognised a fellow I met at Who Do You Think You Are Live last Feb. He's a banker (booooo) but also doing a part-time postgrad course in genealogy so a buddy in the making I think. He's called Matthew by the way. We went for lunch and then I took Erin up to Primrose Hill. I've never actually been up there and I thought she would enjoy the view which was terrific. Erin was fascinated with English children and English dogs. Well, English everything really. I enjoyed playing tour guide, and we had a great chat. Erin and I have always been fond of each other and it was good to reminisce a bit about our years in New York.

Day one

It's my first full day back in the UK. I gotta say it's really tempting to lounge for a while but I need to keep busy. So I spent the morning in a workshop on parish records at the Society of Genealogists. And I pitched a book idea to the Society's publications dude. I really want to write a book. I won't make any money but I'd be the first Bovee to be a published author woo-hoo. The idea needs a lot of work, but I need something to do, so not complaining. The weather is seriously crap here, wet and gray, so no chance to break in my new running shoes this morning, that will have to wait for Monday. I still miss the family terribly, and it's hard not having friends in London to spend time with to get over that, but at least I have my friend Erin in town this weekend so that will help.