hi guys - Rowland/Porter/Potter in ramsey/wrabness essex

[deanrowland]

hi, im Dean
im not sure if im in the right place or asking the right questions, if so, sorry.

im looking into doing a family tree and finding out as much as i can about my family, im always told im about the 6th generation to work on the local farms and a few google searches throws up people with the right surnames that work on farms, but in trouth i dont know where to start with finding out if im related, how and what they did etc...

im looking to find out about the surnames 'Potter' and 'Rowland' in the ramsey/wrabness area of essex

any help on where to look would be great.
Thanks, Dean

[stanmapstone]

Hi, welcome to RootsChat,
Have a look at Researching family history,  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Registeringlifeevents/Researchingfamilyhistory/index.htm which will give you some advice.

Stan

[Ruskie]

Welcome Dean.

This is a useful site where you may be able to locate some of your ancestors:
www.freebmd.org.uk

You need to work from yourself backwards and purchase certificates along the way to confirm that you're following the correct famly. Some people buy all birth, marriage and death certificates, some only buy a few vital ones.

A good place to start would be with your oldest known relative, eg parent, grandparent, great grandparent ... see if they have any birth certificates which name their parents including mother's maiden names, or marriage certificates which name both fathers.  Death certificates, especially the earlier ones, do not contain as much useful information. I see you are quite young so may have elderly relatives still living who may be able to give you names, dates and places. It would really be worthwhile talking to them and taking notes of any family stories that have been passed down the generations.

By the sound of it, you are initially interested in tracing your paternal surname to trace your ancestors who worked the land. Don't fall into the trap of assuming that everyone with your surname is related to you because they may not be.

Get asking those relatives, and good luck.

[deanrowland]

thanks for the URLs, looking through them now. as for putting together an actual family tree, what would you recomend? are these web based ones any good? (Genes Reunited etc)

thanks

[Ruskie]

I am not a member of Genes Reunited, so can't speak with any real knowledge, but I think that's more of a 'matching service' and there is an annual fee involved. Having said that, you may find it useful.

I just use pencil and paper to write down my initial findings, and later transfer it to a Family History programme. There are also many charts available online which you can download and fill in (just google 'genealogy charts') but I find there is never enough space for the details I want to include about each person, so I just stick to my own roughly drawn trees.

If you would like some help to get started and you'd like to send me a PM (personal message) with some names and dates, I can see if I can find some of your family via a site called Ancestry. After you have made three posts the PM system is enabled, and all you have to do is click on a member's name send them a PM. We are not allowed to mention names of anyone living so the PM system is useful for this. .... But of course it is much more fun and rewarding to do your own research. 

[findem]

Hi,

I use GR, it is OK but of course you can only use it on line, an advantage is the facility Ruskie mentioned, matching, which allows you to contact others researching the same families.  There is an awful lot of misinformation on GR (like Ancestry) so you need to have anything you pick up on GR verified yourself. 

For an off line tree/database I use Brother's Keeper, this is also my main tree/database and I can highly recommend it, I've been using it for something like 15 years without any problems whatsoever, it has all the whistles and bells I require plus a good deal more.

It is free to download and is regularly updated which is also free of charge, there is an option to register it for US$45 which gives a printed manual and a programme CD.  I tried it out free and then eventually registered my copy, mainly because I wanted a printed manual so I could sit and read the manual at odd times off computer.  The downloaded programme comes with an attached manual.

Below is the address of the Official Homepage where if you wish you can read about BK and also download it.

http://www.bkwin.org/

The beauty of BK is of course it can be tried and if not liked scrapped without costing a penny 

Regards.

[Rosina Ferguson]

Hi Dean, how's the research going?  My maiden name was Rowland and now my surname is Potter.  I live in Essex, Billericay, and I have a lot of the Rowland family history going back many generations.  Some of the Rowlands came from Little Oakley and so we may be related. 

My tree is stored mainly on GenesReunited but I also use Ancestry.

Regards

Fiona Potter (nee Rowland)

[tink.tech]

Hi Dean,

Your post first caught my eye as I am related to alot of potters also farmers, but unfortunately mine seem to be around Rochford/ Southend area and earlier Rawreth area. I'm not too familiar with Essex, (lived their as small child remember little about places, but not ) looking on the map I don't think they are that close, and so far have not come across any in your area.

A word of warning Essex has a LOT of Potters, in farming, agricultural labours. So if your family are tenant farmers rather then land owners like mine there is a lot of searching to do.

As for how to record it I started with pen and paper but as information grows I use ancestry, used there free trail helped a great deal, from time to time subscribe when I can afford it, to help with the tricky stuff, but print out what you find cos when not subscribing you can't view records properly. but your trees can still be used and added to.

Happy searching. Also if ya got time visit the library they get ya started.

[manokent]

Hi.If these are yours I can let you have lots more details.
Joseph Rowland born Ramsey 1795, married Mary Gates, born Orford Suffolk 1797. They married Gravesend 17 Nov 1818 'Medway Cityark PRs for written certs.)she died 1900 Milton, Gravesend (see Cityark)
census:1841 Joseph Rowland & mary grocer
1851 ditto
1861 census grocer at chandlers shop dovercourt harwich with wife & Rowland Webb grandson

If you confirm connections I am quite happy to pass on info I have which ends up in USA.