Families... who'd have em?

I decided recently in my infinite wisdom to trace my family tree. My Mum started hers a while ago so figuring there's not much point tracing her side again, I decided to trace my Dad's instead.

This is no easy feat... my maiden name is "Smith".

I don't like to make things easy for myself do I? lol

So armed with some old family tales and my trusty debit card I started my hunt for the previous generations of Smiths.

How hard can it be? Think I, safe in the knowledge that my particular Smith family owned a wool mill in Bradford in the late 1800's/early 1900's... surely this will make them fairly easy to find.

No... not really, I quickly find that there was a Montserrat Mill in roughly the place I was told it had been and indeed it's a stones throw from the address listed as my Grandfathers home on his wedding certificate to my Grandma (of which I have a copy), infact there is a Montserrat Road not too far either, but I cant find much else about the mill at all, least of all who owned the damn thing.

So I start to look for people's names instead. Did I tell you that EVERYONE in the history of my Dad's family appears to have been called either 'John George', 'Sam', 'Fred' or 'Mary'?

My Dad was called Peter, his Dad (my grandpa) was officially named John George but was affectionately known as 'Jack' he was married to Mary, my Grandmother (who's father was called George coincidentally). Anyway, Jack's siblings were called 'Mary', Frederick William (Uncle Billy - he was a bad 'un, allegedly) and 'Sam'... not too difficult you would think right??

Yeah well..check this out. Jack's Dad was called 'Sam' too and he had a load of brothers... they were called 'John George', 'Fred', 'Victor' and a sister called...yes you guessed it 'Mary'.

and wait!!! Guess what Great Grandad Sam's Dad was called.... 'Fred'.

can it get more complicated?

do I infact.. actually need to go any further back or shall I just assume that as far back as the doomsday book there will be a 'Fred', 'John George', 'Sam' & 'Mary' Smith in Tong, Bradford?

maybe I should give up now....lol

am I going to? nah.... since when have you ever known me to do anything by half?

xx