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Oldest family search |
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Oldest family search |
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Anthony George and his family can trace their direct links with Liverpool back to 1543 during the reign of Henry VIII. With the help of his brother Eric and cousin Primrose he has been able to trace his family back through fifteen generations on his mother’s side to the baptism of Katherine Wodley on 21 February 1569 and the marriage of her father, Thomas Wodley, in 1565 in All Saints Church, Childwall. The marriage record also shows that Thomas Wodley was born in 1543. This information came to light when Mr George entered (and won) a competition organised by Liverpool City Council to find the city’s oldest family. To qualify as ‘Liverpool’s oldest family’ entrants had to prove they currently lived in Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens or Wirral. People with links to ‘the city’s established aristocratic families’ were not allowed to enter the competition. Included in the documentation proving his family’s links with Liverpool, Mr George was able to show that his ancestors rented Speke Hall for about fifty years during the 18th century, until his evidence arrived they had been listed as ‘unknown farmers’. The family have spent three years researching their roots and represented the people of Liverpool alongside the Lord Mayor and other dignitaries at the city’s 800th anniversary celebrations at the end of August 2007. A total of 44 families entered the competition which attracted a lot of interest in the local media; it is an idea which could be repeated across the country as a way to promote not only local identity, but local and family history as well. A century by century analysis of the entries shows that the furthest back entrants could go were as follows: 16th century, 1 (Mr George and family); 17th century, 4; 18th century, 23; 19th century, 15, and 20th century, 1. No doubt if Liverpool City Council were to run the competition again in five years time there would be different winners, as more people research their roots. |
14 Sept 2007 Left: Anthony and Pauline George outside Speke Hall, where some of Anthony's ancestors used to live, with a copy of a poster advertising Liverpool’s ‘oldest family’ competition. |
