Introduction
Speaking with a colleague who had just moved into Norfolk he asked if my family had always lived in Norwich. I presumed that they had, but on my way home I realised that I actually had no idea as to where they had originated.
The seed had been sown and I began to find out who my ancestors were and where they had come from. I began by gathering as many names as my parents could remember and set off to the local record library.
From early investigations it appeared that of my four grand parents only one had been local (later I would discover that two had originated from the area).
Assuming it would be easier to trace the local link first my efforts were directed in the direction of one of my grand mothers - Sarah Jane Haydon (pictured below with her husband Arthur Walter Graves).
Haydon or Hayden
My father had assured
me that our Haydons were spelt with an 'o' but after checking through birth
and marriage certificates I soon realised the name could be spelt Hayden and
Haydon on the same certificate.
As I progressed further back Hayden would become the more common version but
I think a lot depended on the local vicar's ability to spell.
As my research gathered pace I became more and more interested in finding
out what had happened to each member and decided to make notes of all the
Haydons and Haydens that I came across in the hope that I could eventually
link them all together. It also became clear the majority had lived in or
around the city of Norwich for generations.
Finding your way around the Site
To enter the site click on the 'ancestors index' (either below or at the top of this page on the lefthand side) where you will see all the names gathered so far. All the Haydons are listed first then the other names that have married in. When you click on a name you will be taken to that persons page where you can see all the information put together so far, including any census records that are relevant. In most cases you can then click on any other name on that page to check out their details. The family tree page gives you an overvue of the whole line. If you cannot find your ancestor here we do have limited information on other Haydons, that we have so far been unable to link to. We are always happy to exchange information. Send an email to Andy and Caroline Graves, we would be only to pleased to hear from you.
My own knowledge of local family history is quite limited and as the family didn't seem to keep in touch, I really dont know of any Haydon relations in the Norwich area but have recently discovered that I do have some distant relations across the Atlantic.
Isaac Haydon, my great
grandfather, (pictured right) was a third generation bricklayer although his
skills were not passed down the line to his children. He died in 1934 aged
91.
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