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Journey to the
United Kingdom
and The
Forest of Dean |
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Louise, Don Jr.
and Don Sr. - at the family reunion June 21, 2003 |
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On June 16 2003, the Burghams
traveled to our ancestral home - the Forest of Dean in
Gloucestershire, England. We had an excellent journey and got
to visit with
many our
our cousins and relatives in England. In some cases, we
met them for the first time! We really appreciated their warm
hospitality and kindness as we learned about the land from
where we originated. They invited
us into their homes and helped us feel welcome.
It was truly inspirational to be in
the land where our ancestors lived and worked. We were able to
walk on the same paths that our grandfathers and great
grandfathers traveled. We found old, abandoned coal mines
where they labored and worked. We visited the many of the
houses where they lived (some now equipped with satellite
dishes). At the church of
St. Paul's in Park End, we even discovered the
gravestone of our great-great Grandfather, George Burgham
b.1813, d. 1896, and great-great Grandmother, Elizabeth
(Williams) b. 1815, d. 1877. What a find!!
 You
can see more of the pictures we took on our journey to the UK
here. |
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The purpose of the journey:
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Visit our Burgham family in the
Gloucester area whom we have not seen in many years and some
who we have never met.
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Genealogical research into the
Burgham family.
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Gloucester Records office |
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Church records offices and
graveyards |
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Places where ancestors lived |
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Coal Mining operations |
Recreation and sight-seeing
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Don Sr., Don Jr. and
Louise left from Houston on June 16 and arrived in
London on June 17, 2003. After a visit with our cousins, Rex and Joyce, we
stayed in a cottage in Coleford. We were in the Forest of Dean area
until July 5th.
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Our Coleford cottage |
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Burgham Family Get-Together
On Saturday - 21-June-2003, we would like to
host a get-together for the Burgham Family. We hope that you will be
able to attend. We hope that this will give everyone an opportunity to
get reacquainted with distant family members.
The
details of the event are below:
Viney Hill St.
Swithins Social Club
Viney Hill
(near Lydney), Gloucestershire
2/10 mile from
Viney Hill Church
Date: June 21,
2003 - Saturday
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Advice from experienced Foreseters:
Please add
to the recommendations or comment on these - send email to donburg@burghamfamilytree.com |
Don be sure to
visit the Dean Heritage Centre in Soudley, it will give you a good idea of
the history of the area. Belle View Offices in Cinderford holds most of
the records for the area. If you have never visited the UK, the Forest of
Dean, then be prepared for, as Monty Python used to say, "Something
completely different" In your grandfathers day this was an absolute
moonscape, a rural area scarred by mining and industry, where people
worked so hard to earn a living, but now nature has fought back, the
industry is long gone, and I think this is a beautiful place to live.
The Forest of Dean is only about 15 miles across so you will not have to
journey very far, and depending on the time you have, Clearwell mines are
worth a visit, Roman Iron mines. Take a trip down to Monmouth, look out
for a sign on your left saying The Kymin, drive up this narrow road to the
top of the hill, if it is a clear day you will be rewarded by a grat view
looking right into Wales. Take a trip down the Wye Valley, you will go
over Brigswere Bridge biuilt by Thomas Telford, when it was built it was
the largest single span (Iron ) bridge in the World, you will come to the
ruins of Tintern Abbey, and further down the valley take a look at
Chepstow Castle built by the Normans in their efforts to control the
Welsh, if you walk out on to the bridge and look up stream at the castle
it is really something, you can travel back into the Forest of Dean by
this road, Oh buy an Ordinance Survey map of the Forest at the Forest Book
shop in Coleford, lots of books of local interest, sadly the woods will no
longer be carpeted with bluebells, but if the Sun shines I'm sure you will
enjoy yourselves, all the best Fred
Take a drive into Wales Abergavenny, Llanthony Priory and the scenic drive
over gospel pass to Hay on Wye, pubs and restraunts in the area are a bit
hit and miss, butthat all adds to the fun. better stop Cheers Fred
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I don't know where in Coleford
you are staying, but I'd like
to recommend the Speech House, on the B4226 mid way between Coleford
and Cinderford, as a pleasant place to stop for a drink. There's a
very pleasant garden. It is also a nice place to start your walk
in the Forest of Dean; there are marked paths starting just across
the road.
I'm a descendant of A.T. Burgum, one of the Arthur, North Dakota,
contingent.
Have a wonderful time!
Edith (Lillie) Bartley
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Hi Don,
I too live abroad (France) and my Harris family came from the Forest of
Dean.
I would recommend the first place you start is the Local Studies Centre at
Cinderford Library - its a posh name for part of the County Library -
incidentally the registrar office is next door, handy for obtaining
certificates.
address: Belle Vue Road, Cinderford, Gloucestershire GL14 2BZ
Phone 01594 822581
Fax: 01594 824907
No charge and they are very helpful.
I reserved the one and only film reader for the day to view the census and
newspapers for the Dean Forest Mercury. They have lots of other
information.
Then you have to visit Gloucester Record Office in Gloucester City which
is
not that easy to find - that is if you need to search Parish Records,
electoral
rolls etc.
I found not all the churches were open. Do you know the churches/area you
need to find?
I was lucky enough to ask details about a road/area my lot lived in and
the
lady I asked was "into" family history and subsequently she questioned a
very
old friend of hers who actually remembered my Great Grandmother and gave a
description of her and her offspring - even remembering the birth date of
one
child born on a Fair Day. I did trace descendants who still live in
Berry Hill.
You will find several bookshops that will sell you books of the area that
include many photographs - you may be lucky!!
I would be very surprised If you do not receive plenty of assistance using
this FOD mailing list. If I can be of any further help please ask. Do
let me
know where exactly you are searching just in case I can point you in a
further
direction.
Someone sent me a Gloucestershire 1851 Census surname list and I have just
found:
BURGHAM Elizabeth WI M 32 Born Whitchurch, Herefordshire at Middle Forge,
Registration District, Chepstow, Lydney this was sent to me as I was
searching
Harris's born Whitchurch, Herefordshire for my own ancestors. I do not
know
who she is married to as it doesn't say.
If/When you visit Lydney there is a bookshop opposite Tescos supermarket
at
one end of Lydney - the owner has old postcards and books and he has a lot
of
knowledge. I bought several very old postcards of great interest.
The Forest of Dean in Old Photographs - collected by David Mullen £8.99
The Forest of Dean Revisited by Joyce Latham £9.99
Regards
Sue, Pyranees, France
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Hello
I do not have your family in my tree, however, I do recomend you visit The
Gloucestershire Record Office in Gloucester City where the church
registers
are kept, on microfilm, self access, and many other gems.[they have a web
site]
Also The Glos Family History Society Resource Centre also in the city near
the record office.
The local studies library in Cinderford, should be good also.
The Forest of Dean Heritage Centre is a marvelous museum, to give you
the
feel of life then.
It is a lovely part of the world I do hope you enjoy your stay.
Let me know if I can help further
regards Jenny Smith
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