So what’s this all about then?
“Families have so many identities. Included here are the families of Miners, Shoemakers, Stone Masons, Shepherds, Farmers, Coach Platers, Porters, Merchants, Soldiers, Widows, Clergy, Politicians, Lawyers, Admirals, Pirate hunters, Entrepreneurs, Planters, Servants, Politicians, Civil Servants and a Suffragette. They all shaped this complex entity that is our family.”
Lisa Tweedie January 2024 UK
This project started during the lockdown of March 2020 as a way to keep sane. As a family we knew a great deal about my father’s family but very little about that of my mother.
Since then we have discovered 5 generations of family history in Sri Lanka, four in Egypt. We knew both grandparents had been brought up in those countries but not the depth of that connection. The family also has a deep history in Wales, London, Sussex and Kent.
The work presented here is based on both historical record searches and DNA analysis. I am very grateful to my family members both close and distant who have shared their DNA with me. I owe a great debt to the researchers that have gone before me. All mistakes are my own and more than happy to correct or clarify anything written here.
Always keen to share knowledge and communicate with others on the project. Please use the contact form below to reach out.
Lisa
Personal Background
My own work background is in the software world far removed from historical analysis. As an academic for 8 years I enjoyed developing research questions which I think has helped progress here somewhat.
I now live in the UK but I spent most of my childhood abroad in Africa, Europe and the USA so did not learn much British History. Piecing together these histories has opened a door into the past. My life and that of my parents, who also grew up elsewhere, has certainly helped me identify with the families so far from home.
In my research here I have tried to ensure that I focus on the lives of both the women and the men in these histories. So little is explicitly recorded of women’s history but if you think deeply the records often tell a tell a tale. Many of them lived pretty tough lives whatever their circumstance. I am proud of the many strong brave women in our families story.
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Common Ancestor Tales 