The complexity of family relationships was especially noticeable in the Howes lineage. Sarah’s mother and father were first cousins. Sarah’s maternal grandparents were also first cousins.

James Aldous

Born: 1868 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England

Father: James Aldous (1840 to 1916)
Mother: Caroline Smith (1839 to 1919)

First Spouse: Sarah Howes (1868 to 1904)

Married: 1897 in Debenham, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Harry James Aldous (19 JAN 1899 to 4 SEP 1951)
Edward Nelson Charles Aldous (1901 to 21 JAN 1953)
William Frederick Aldous (8 MAY 1904 to 29 SEP 1984)

Second Spouse: Emma Eliza Burgess (1874 to 1950)

Married: 1913 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England

Children: None

Died: 14 JAN 1936 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1871 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1881 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1891 Debenham, Suffolk County, England
1894 Death of sister, Fanny
1897 Marriage to Sarah
1899 Birth of son, Harry
1901 Debenham, Suffolk County, England
1901 Birth of son, Edward
1904 Birth of son, William
1904 Death of wife, Sarah
1911 Westhall, Suffolk County, England
1913 Marriage to Emma
1915 Death of brother, John
1916 Death of father, James
1919 Death of mother, Caroline
1929 Death of brother, Edward
1929 Death of brother, William
1930 Death of sister, Anna
1936 Death and Burial

Occupation: agricultural laborer, farmer

Records:

1871 to 1911 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

First Spouse:

Sarah Howes:

Sarah was born in 1868 in Debenham, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1904 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England.

Sarah’s father was Harry Jarrod Howes. He was born in 1841 in Debenham, Suffolk County, England. He died on 10 DEC 1907 in Debenham, Suffolk County, England.

Sarah’s mother was Susan Jane Howes. She was born in 1840 in Walsham Le Willows, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1916 in Debenham, Suffolk County, England.

Sorting Out Relationships:

As shown above, Sarah’s parents share the same surname. I performed a search to find out if they were related. The following information, although a little intricate, shows the connection:

Harry Jarrod Howes was born out of wedlock to Mary Howes.

Susan Jane Howes was born to James Howes and Sarah Howes.

Mary and Sarah Howes were sisters. Their father was Robert Howes.

Using the Canon or Common Law Relationship Chart, I placed an “R” for Robert at the top of the pyramid. Robert is the Common Progenitor or common ancestor. To the left, I counted down two generations (Mary, Harry) and placed an “H” for Harry on the third square. To the right, I counted down two generations (Sarah, Susan) and placed an “S” for Susan on the third square. When you follow the lines inward, you can see that Harry and Susan were first cousins.

Click on the highlighted link to view the chart:

Harry Jarrod Howes and Susan Jane Howes Relationship Chart

As Susan’s parents shared the same surname, I also wanted to find out if they were related. Here is what I discovered:

Sarah Howes was born to Robert Howes.

James Howes was born to Joshua Howes.

Robert and Joshua were brothers. Their father was Robert Howes.

I again used the Canon or Common Law Relationship Chart. As you can see, Sarah and James were also first cousins.

Click on the highlighted link to view the chart:

James Howes and Sarah Howes Relationship Chart

First Cousin Marriages:

A marriage between first cousins is not unusual. Although, it is considered taboo in western civilization.

The risk for offspring of first-cousin marriages is an increase in recessive genes or recessive traits. These traits could be mild, like have blue eyes instead of brown eyes. Or, they could be more severe and cause cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and sickle cell anemia.

Vital Statistics for Family Members:

As the parish of Worlingworth, Suffolk County, England is used multiple times in the next entries, I have omitted these words to avoid repetition. All other parishes and counties will be shown next to birth, marriage, and death dates.

Starting with the Common Progenitor, Robert Howes:

First Generation (for Harry Jarrod Howes and Susan Jane Howes):

Robert Howes (1745 to 1817) married Elizabeth Manby (1749 to 1823) in 1773. Eight known children were born to this marriage:

Robert Howes (1775 to 1857 Debenham) (*)
Joshua Howes (1777 to 1851 Stradbroke) (**)
Mary Howes (1781 to 1810)
Hannah Howes (1782 to Unknown)
Oliver James Howes (1784 to 1851 Redlingfield)
Simon Howes (1786 to 1854 Sutton)
Lydia Howes (1790 to 1839)
William Howes (1791 to Unknown)

(*) Robert, Robert, Mary, Harry
(**) Robert, Joshua, James, Susan

Second Generation (for Harry Jarrod Howes):

Robert Howes (1775 to 1857 Debenham) married Jane Smith (1776 Southolt to 1849 Debenham) in 1798 in Southolt. Four known children were born to this marriage, all born in Debenham:

Charles Howes (1801 to 1849 Debenham)
Mary Howes (1806 to 1887 Hackney, London) (*)
Harriet Howes (1812 to 1875 Debenham)
Sarah Howes (1817 to 1881 Ixworth) (***)

(*) Robert, Robert, Mary, Harry
(***) Robert, Robert, Sarah, Susan

Third Generation (for Harry Jarrod Howes):

Mary Howes (1806 to 1887 Hackney, London) never married. She had one child out of wedlock in Debenham:

Harry Jarrod Howes (1841 to 1907 Debenham) (*)

(*) Robert, Robert, Mary, Harry

Second Generation (for Susan Jane Howes):

Joshua Howes (1777 to 1851 Stradbroke) married a woman named Susannah (1781 Suffolk County to 1845 Stradbroke). Marriage date unknown. Three known children were born to this marriage:

Mary Howes (1812 Bramford to Unknown)
James Howes (1814 Botesdale to 1857 Ixworth) (**)
Charles Howes (1821 Stradbroke to 1889 Pakenham)

(**) Robert, Joshua, James, Susan

Third Generation (for Susan Jane Howes):

James Howes (1814 Botesdale to 1815 Ixworth) married Sarah Howes (817 to 1881 Ixworth) in 1839 in Debenham. Five known children were born to this marriage, all except for Susan were born in Ixworth:

Susan Jane Howes (1840 Walsham le Willows to 1916 Debenham) (** and ***)
Julia Sarah Howes (1844 to 1881 Ixworth)
James Howes (1846 to 1922 Lowestoft)
Alice Louisa Howes (1847 to 1927 Lowestoft)
George Howes (1851 to 1934 Ixworth)

(**) Robert, Joshua, James, Susan
(***) Robert, Robert, Sarah, Susan

I know this is a little convoluted in describing the connection. It is especially complicated because James and Sarah were also first cousins. Hopefully, the asterisks help guide you through the maze.

(*) Robert, Robert, Mary, Harry
(**) Robert, Joshua, James, Susan
(***) Robert, Robert, Sarah, Susan

Second Spouse:

Emma Eliza Burgess:

Emma was born on 19 JUL 1874 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1950 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England.

Emma’s father was Benjamin Burgess. He was born in 1849 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England. He died on 14 JUN 1936 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England.

Emma’s mothe was Rachel Ellis. She was born in 1855 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1944 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England.

Emma had one sister:

Harriet Burgess was born on 31 AUG 1873 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England. She died on 19 SEP 1951 in Bulcamp, Suffolk County, England.

Notes:

Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:

Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree)
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!