This all started as a favour to my nephew Wayne who sadly died at the age of 52 in March 2012; I  decided to help him in his family research by tracking down my mothers ancestors, the Chapman and  Harris sides.It quickly became an addiction and I extended the research to my  husbands family, starting with the Mardles and the Vickerys.

We've travelled the country looking for traces of our ancestors; visited some  lovely (and not so lovely) villages, towns and cities, tramped through  countless graveyards and crossed the sea to the Somme, to retrace our  ancestors footsteps and to try and envision what their life was like. We found  farmers and brassmoulders, rugmakers and lacemakers, clothing manufacturers  and engineers, butchers and bakers, carpenters and carters, labourers and  paupers but alas, no royalty or rich people! (although the Tymewells were well off  enough to leave wills and bequest). We've come to love them all and  our fascinating journey continues; I hope when I become an "ancestor" my  research will live on and pass to future generations of Dolans and Mardles.

Thank you so much to those of you who contacted us after seeing my tree on  Ancestry and sent us photos of grandparents we never knew. Hello to all our new found  cousins, both here and abroad, previously unknown to us; it's great to meet you all  at last.
 Anyone seeing this site who can offer any more information or ancestral photos  I would be eternally grateful! Anyone just passing through for a visit you are  most welcome, please sign my guest book.