#52Stories, Week 41, What were the faith and religious traditions of your ancestors ? How did those traditions influence the course of their lives and by extension, your life today ?

One thing about family history research – you get to read all sorts of church records. In English, often badly written. In Latin, trying to remember those lessons from college (Latin is a language as dead as dead can be, first it killed the Romans and now it’s killing me) In French, same thing.

So faith and religious traditions of my ancestors ?

Originally I guess they were Pagan. Eventually they'd all have been Catholic – who wouldn’t be ? The desire to stay alive was probably a big influencer for that choice. Then came the reformation – and for the same reasons that they hadn’t dared to stray from the path before – they switched.

Some though were Protestant in defiance of the “norm”. They were Huguenots, persecuted in France and Belgium and exiled themselves to England from the mid 1500’s. They settled in the Spitalfields area of London and carried on their trade as silk weavers, attending L’Église Protestante Française on Threadneedle Street.

Eventually though all branches on the tree seem to have become members of the established church – the Church of England.

Over time some left, following other protestant evangelists, but many still bound to the established church for ceremonies. Inspired by alternative ideals they joined the Salvation Army, the Latter Day Saints or becoming Methodist, Primitive Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist.

Some were heavily involved with the faith that they chose and followed.

Henry James, great great great grandfather was a lay preacher at his Primitive Methodist chapel in Dudley.

John Daniels, brother of my great great grandmother left Wiltshire with his family to settle in Utah. His eldest daughter Mary married Jesse Gardiner in 1873. He had returned from Utah with other Elders in 1872 to preach the gospel on the Bristol Conference. Mary later contested his will after their marriage was declared illegal when the church changed its stance on polygamous marriage.

Julius Horskins, first cousin of my great grandfather joined the Salvation Army after attending meetings near his home in Notting Hill as a 12 year old. He went on to work in the West Indies, Costa Rica, India, South Africa and became Commissioner of Australia and New Zealand.

Thomas Morrison, first cousin of my grandmother, born in New Zealand to immigrant parents. Joined the Mormon church and sailed with fellow congregationalists to San Francisco and travelled to Utah where he raised his families and established a well known business - Morrisons Pies.

Violet Timms, sister of my grandmother, joined the Baptist Church and trained as a missionary to serve in India.