HARD WORKING LUCY

This article was originally published in the April 2007 edition of Soul Search, the journal of The Sole Society

Thanks to a combination of Ancestry.co.uk, the Sole Society & Genes Reunited, I've found a 3rd cousin once removed, now happily in my family tree.

Her mother was a Sewell. She gave me the maiden name of Lucy from Shelfanger who married John Sewell in Norfolk. Along with their young family, they moved to the North East in the 1880's.

My Great Grandfather, their nephew - William Sewell, followed them and lodged with them - starting our branch (or twig) of the Sewell tree. I've had a romantic vision of the hard working Lucy - Lucy Bolton, leaving her family in a Norfolk village to go to the mine fields of Durham.

Cousin Linda sent me a photo of Lucy with older son Jack and youngest son Frederick (Linda's Grandfather). She lives up to my expectation - looks like quite a character.

Recently, visiting my ‘real’ home of Walker in Newcastle upon Tyne, I sought out the house where Lucy lived. The family shared the same back lane as my Grandmother’s family, so William didn't move far from the kind Aunt and Uncle who gave him a home when he was a young man - straight from the workhouse in Wicklewood .

Next time I'm visiting, I intend to have a stroll down the back lane - just for them.