An Introduction to the Haynes - Haines/Wiseman Families.
This site is dedicated in memory of my father-in-law Herbert James Haines (1924- 2008) who served as a Stoker I.C.E.(Internal Combustion Engines) in WWII Minesweeping the shipping channels of England and Scotland, the North Sea and the main shipping channels off the Coast of Italy and the Dalmation Islands in the Adriatic Sea, who took a great interest in my research into his family history and was a veritable source of information. He was delighted when Sue Connor and I found evidence of his two baby brothers who died in infancy.
These records commence with: William HAYNES and his wife Elizabeth HORT both born CAL /ABT 1680 and John JEFFRYS and his wife ANN both born CAL/ABT 1680 all resided Poulshot, Wiltshire, England.
On the Wiseman side: Jeffrey WISEMAN born 1768 Horsham, St. Faith, Norfolk, England and his wife Mary SCOTT born 1764 Norwich, Norfolk, England.
At some point just after the mid 1800’s the spelling of the HAYNES surname changed to HAINES, as often was the case Census takers mis-spelled names on the Census and some families thereafter adopted the easier form of spelling the family name. There is no mixup here as the Census records show the correct family. George Haynes (born 1807 Imber, Wiltshire) himself dis-continued using the "Y" in his own name, after his marriage to Eliza Matthews (born 1809 Imber, Wiltshire). Note: The Wiltshire County Records office is in Trowbridge.
It’s not until you start to compile a record of a Family History that you realize the hardships your fore-bearers were confronted with. You look at all those little ones who didn’t survive babyhood, and the women who tended, for the most part, very large families with only little or no equipment to perform their day to day tasks. (unlike today with all our “Mod. Con’s” ) We think we are hard done by today - these women did their weekly wash by stoking a fire under a copper boiler, scrubbing the clothes with lye soap on a wooden scrubbing board, for a husband and ten and twelve children until their hands bled.
All those young men in search of adventure, who sailed halfway around the world in the trading vessels to and from the country of their origin. Yet other’s on the brink of adulthood, who falsified their birth details to go on what they believed to be an exciting mission across the seas to fight in a war that they, however noble the cause, in many cases would never return from.
Instead, by paying the ultimate price ... with their lives, just as Thomas Albert Humphrey, Second Lieutenant - Observer 8th Batt'n., (The Queen's Royal West Surrey Reg't.) did. He died on Friday 3 May 1918, Aged 24, never returning to the shores of England in 1918, instead ... he lies buried in the Hangard Communal Cemetery, Somme, France.
William Frederick Merrison's sons, Percy William Merrison born 1888 died France WWI and William Frederick Merrison, Private, 2nd Batt'n, (The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) died 15 Nov 1914, aged 24 yrs. and lies buried in the Tanga Memorial Cemetery, Tanzania.
.... It is only when searching for their service records and you observe up to nine pages of service documents stored in the breast pockets of these soldiers during war time, with an obvious bullet hole through each one, that you fully comprehend why you were compelled to do this in the first place...
And that is to give them and all the other early generations of family members the recognition they so rightly deserve.
This is a task that has been an on again off again project, commencing in the early 1980's and of course, family trees being what they are … will never be complete. However, it is a legacy for my children and grandchildren and YOURS to know of and take pride in the origins of their fore-father’s heritage.
I started out with one tree with all it’s many branches, and have since broken it down into six main families, and three main family trees. In my opinion, it would be folly not to share the information I currently have, should I wait until I have researched these particular branches of the family further...as research is an ongoing concern.
For just as my big fruit tree in my back garden is ever increasing in volume, so will our family tree be with generations new and old.
Should you have anything to add to it, your information would be most welcome, but I would ask if you would kindly include the “sources” by which your information was obtained.
And if anyone is interested you can also request a link to the Crocker/Coster tree...(my mother's family)...or the Harder-Harders/Semmler tree (my Father's family).
There are a few stories to read, so go to PEOPLE and STORIES to find them.
I wish to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those family members who have contributed photos and information to help complete this project, including the late Maud(nee Wiseman)Saker, Susan Connor, Anthony Brandon and Barry Wiseman.
Yours Truly,
Rhonda Dianne (nee Semmler) Haines.