Welcome  |  Contact Us  |  What's new  |  Family Tree  |  Calendar  |  Statistics
First Name:

 Last Name:

Print

Welcome

This website traces the ancestry of four couples, our grandparents, born between 1895 and 1919. Each is the starting point of one of the four families below: Barnes, Whitmore, Cocks and Westlake. Between them they have 415 direct ancestors recorded here, the earliest born around 1555.

Like many English families, theirs left country parishes in the 19th century for the growing towns and cities: the Cocks and Bakers for London, the Whitmores for Birmingham and later Hull, the Godfreys for Bristol, and the Westlakes and Mansfields for Cardiff. Counting all of them, the counties where most were born are Sussex, Somerset, Essex, Devon, Middlesex and Suffolk.

The Cocks and Baker families were researched first and go back furthest: on several lines to the 17th or 16th centuries, and in a few cases to the beginnings of parish records. The other three families were added more recently, and their trees are still growing. The research is our own, built from parish registers, census returns, civil registration, wills and old newspapers.

The four families

BarnesDendy Barnes (1895-1953) and Emily Joyce Godfrey (1919-1987)
OriginsThe Barnes family came from Kingsclere in Hampshire, then lived around Wokingham in Berkshire before settling in Horsell, Surrey. The Godfreys were Somerset people who moved by way of Stafford and Worcester to Bristol.
Earliest BarnesThomas Barnes, father of William Barnes, christened 1779 in Kingsclere, Hampshire
Earliest GodfreyWilliam Godfrey, born about 1792 in Glastonbury, Somerset, father of Robert Godfrey
Ancestors56 people in 6 generations, back to 1772
See alsoAncestor chart  |  Map of Barnes ancestors  |  Map of Godfrey ancestors
WhitmoreNorman Eli Whitmore (1912-1976) and Hilda Phillips (1915-1978)
OriginsThe Whitmores moved from Brackley in Northamptonshire to Aston in Birmingham, and later by way of Barrow-in-Furness to Hull. The Phillips family were Brighton people for at least three generations.
Earliest WhitmoreWilliam Whitmore, father of Thomas Taylor Whitmore, born about 1796 in Brackley, Northamptonshire
Earliest PhillipsWilliam George Phillips, born about 1858 in Brighton, Sussex, father of William John Phillips
Ancestors45 people in 6 generations, back to 1778
See alsoAncestor chart  |  Map of Whitmore ancestors  |  Map of Phillips ancestors
CocksDr Denis Cocks (1915-1992) and Mary Louise Baker (1915-2010)
OriginsThe Cocks family came from Somerset in the west and from Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in the east. The Bakers came almost entirely from Sussex. Both moved into London in the 19th century.
Earliest CocksMoses Cocks, born about 1793 in Starston, Norfolk, father of Jeremiah George Cocks
Earliest BakerSamuel Baker, born about 1715, father of Abigail Baker
Ancestors261 people in 14 generations, back to 1555
See alsoAncestor chart  |  Map of Cocks ancestors  |  Map of Baker ancestors
WestlakeCharles Jeffery Westlake (1911-1982) and Elizabeth Irene Mansfield (1912-2000)
OriginsThe Westlakes came from the villages of Beer and Branscombe in Devon to Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff. The Mansfields came from around Bridgwater in Somerset, and also settled in Cardiff.
Earliest WestlakeThomas Westlake, father of John Westlake, christened 1808 in Seaton, Devon
Earliest MansfieldWilliam Mansfield, father of Alexander Mansfield, christened 1808 in Durleigh, Somerset
Ancestors53 people in 5 generations, back to 1803
See alsoAncestor chart  |  Map of Westlake ancestors  |  Map of Mansfield ancestors

The chart below shows each couple's direct ancestors. Choose a family to see its chart. You can scroll horizontally, hover over individual names to find out more, or click on names to go straight to their page. To explore further, use the main menu above or the yellow drop-down menu, or search for someone by name.

Brick walls

These are the nearest of our direct ancestors whose parents we have not yet found, counting back from the four couples. If you know anything about them, please get in touch.

NameBornRelationshipFamily
George GrovesBorn about 1853 in Smethwick, StaffordshireGrandfather of Norman Eli WhitmoreWhitmore
George ClementsBorn about 1817 in Elmdon, EssexGreat-grandfather of Emily Joyce GodfreyBarnes
Ann MonkBorn about 1816 in Manuden, EssexGreat-grandmother of Emily Joyce GodfreyBarnes
Patience HallBorn about 1815Great-grandmother of Dendy BarnesBarnes
Thomas ArnottBorn about 1810 in Penllyn, GlamorganGreat-grandfather of Elizabeth Irene MansfieldWestlake
Mary WilliamsBorn about 1809 in Cowbridge, GlamorganGreat-grandmother of Elizabeth Irene MansfieldWestlake
Jane SetterBorn about 1808 in IrelandGreat-grandmother of Emily Joyce GodfreyBarnes
Richard BestBorn about 1807 in Cuckfield, SussexGreat-grandfather of Hilda PhillipsWhitmore
Mary NicholsBorn about 1807 in Westminster, MiddlesexGreat-grandmother of Mary Louise BakerCocks
Hannah BrooksBorn about 1802 in Cambridge, CambridgeshireGreat-grandmother of Norman Eli WhitmoreWhitmore
John ConnellBorn about 1800 in IrelandGreat-grandfather of Emily Joyce GodfreyBarnes
John CooperBorn about 1784Great-grandfather of Dendy BarnesBarnes
LydiaBorn about 1780 in Burghfield, BerkshireGreat-grandmother of Dendy BarnesBarnes
George BorerNot knownGreat-grandfather of Dendy BarnesBarnes
Ann IzemongerNot knownGreat-grandmother of Dendy BarnesBarnes

Chief interests

The table below shows the families and places most closely associated with each of the four lines. If you have any links with these families, or could share information, please get in touch.

FamilySurnamePlacePeriod
BarnesGoddardHurst, Berkshire1803-1886
BarnesBarnesKingsclere, Hampshire1779-1875
BarnesClementsHeydon, Essex1838-1920
WhitmorePhillipsBrighton, Sussex1839-1978
WhitmoreWhitmoreBrackley, Northamptonshire1783-1860
WhitmorePannettBrighton, Sussex1829-1894
CocksTaddSelsey, Sussex1688-1896
CocksBurtonEastbourne, Sussex1565-1641
CocksGentryBocking, Essex1717-1865
WestlakeWestlakeBeer, Seaton, Devon1808-1892
WestlakeMansfieldBridgwater, Somerset1834-1915
WestlakeRoddHigh Ham, Somerset1845-1898