When Gran Sarah died there was a big ding dong over who should have the family papers. My Aunt was the oldest of Sarah's children, but my Father was the oldest son. Now Aunt Win was not a person to be crossed. She had kept those boys under controll for a good few years, and she wasn't giving way. Dad was always a little(can I emphasize that) little rebel.
Dad won. Great surprise. He brought the 'little black box' home and went through the papers inside. One was my Gran Sarah's marriage certificate, yer actual thing, folks, not a copy. It was dated 1891.
Dad showed it to me because there were some 'funny names' on it. His Grandfathers had been DENCHFIELD Baker and QUINIOUS Bartlett. As a small child I found them very amusing, but I think that was when I realized that I wanted to know more about Denchfield and Quinious.
Well, the papers were locked away, and it was only on my Father's death, when everything came into my hands, that I saw that certificate again.
Unable to do anything towards solving the mystery then I put it aside, but it niggled.
Retired at last, and with a COMPUTER, (new fangled gadget) and the INTERNET (even more new fangled gadgetry) I decided to wade in.
You know what I'm going to say. I didn't stand a chance, did I.
I now know all about Denchfield Baker, and how he came by the name. He was descended from some of the John Denchfields of North Marston, (if your name was Denchfield, you were either John or Richard) and I can go right back to Gefferie Deanchfield who died in 1603. Odd that, my cousin is Geoffry. No one knew it was a 'family' name.
Oh, and as for Quinious Bartlett, well.....When I looked hard enough, and compared it with a few census forms, and things, I found it was Francis Bartlett. I'm pretty good with old writing, when I had fingers, not bunches of bananas, I used to do a lot of the calligraphy stuff, but that name really had me going!
