My wedding to Graham Charles Birch

25th July 1992

Tunstall Parish Church, nr Sittingbourne, Kent

 HANCOCK'S/ABRAHAM'S
 
My grandfather ERIC OAK HANCOCK was born in Gillingham, Kent in 1907 and married in Portsmouth, Hampshire to FREDA MOLLY ABRAHAM in 1931. His father was EDWARD ERNEST HANCOCK who was born in Clapham, Wandsworth. He married ANNIE GIDNEY.

Quite a lot is now known about this part of the Hancock family, as I have traced second cousins who have given me detailed information.

The Abraham's I have also had a great deal of success with. I have managed to trace them back as far as c.1671 - ISAAC ABRAHAM & MARY STAMP.

The surnames associated with the Hancock's and Abraham's are:

BATE, FRYER, PHILLIPS, GRANT, OAK, DEER, CLAYDON, DEASE, HECKLEY, SNOW, SANDERCOMB(E), HAPGOOD, BOND, GIDNEY, COX, SNOW, FRYER, OSGOOD, CHURCHER, PURKIS, NEWBURY and RIDDIFORD

 WHITE'S
 
The White's are from Gloucestershire and in particular the Dursley area.  However BE WARNED - there are a lot of White families in the area who are not related (or can't be proved at the present time).

My ancestors go back as far as JOSEPH WHITE and EDITH around 1734. 

The surnames associated with the White's include:

GINGEL(L), SCREEN, SMETHAM, THEYERS and BLOODWORTH

 PULLEN's

The Pullen's are from the village of Castle Combe in Wiltshire, UK.

My ancestors go back as far as JAMES PULLIN and SARAH around.  James was born c.1658.  They, at the moment, cannot be traced before that date, but I am still hopeful in finding them one day! 

Some of the surnames connected with the Pullin/en's are as follows:

NEATE, FARR, HEAD, WICKS, HECKLEY, RAPSON

 PIPER/VALENTINE/CRITTENDEN
 
The Piper's so far have been found in Northiam, East Sussex, but do not go back that far - only to around the 1780'/90's. This part of the family is very elusive, mainly because of the common surname, but I haven't given up yet!  The family goes back to WILLIAM PIPER and SUSAN SWEATMAN, c1793.

The surnames associated with the Piper's include:

SWEATMAN, CRITTENDEN, CRETTENDEN, CRUTTENDEN, ALDERTON, FIXTER, VALENTINE, GOODING, WENHAM

 CREANEY'S

The Creaney's are proving to be very elusive, due to originating in Ireland.  A great fire in the Belfast Record Office in 1922 meant that a lot of records were lost, especially Parish Records. 

Again this family does not go back very far ~ only to my gt gt gt grandparents ~ JOHN CREANEY father of GEORGE CREANEY who marriedELIZABETH (ELIZA) HALL.  GEORGE was born in 1824.

We do have at least one branch of this family in the USA, and we believe that a son of George and Elizabeth, also called George, emigrated to America in the late 1880's.

The surnames associated with the Creaney's include:

HALL, GEAR, BLACKBURN, BOWER-SMITH

 BIRCH's
 

This part of the family belongs to my husband, GRAHAM BIRCH, and so not a lot of research has been carried out.  His family goes back to ARTHUR WILLIAM BIRCH and MAY SHOOTER, only to the early part of the 20th Century.

The surnames so far connected to the Birch's include:

HUNT, SHOOTER and GOODMAN