The 1881 England census shows that William farmed 174 acres outside of Westhall, Suffolk County, England. The farmhouse was called Moat Farm and was located about a mile northwest of that parish.

William Aldous

Born: 1830 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England

Father: William Aldous (1796 to 1879)
Mother: Ann Botwright (1797 to 1833)

Spouse: Mary Ann Hammond (1832 to 1919)

Married: 1853 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Henry Aldous (25 AUG 1854 to 1940)
Edward Aldous (1856 to 7 JUL 1905)

Died: 15 JAN 1905 in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1833 Death of mother, Ann
1841 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1851 Ashfield cum Thorpe, Suffolk County, England
1853 Marriage to Mary Ann
1854 Birth of son, Henry
1856 Birth of son, Edward
1861 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1871 Debenham, Suffolk County, England
1879 Death of father, William
1881 Westhall, Suffolk County, England
1891 Westhall, Suffolk County, England
1894 Death of sister, Charlotte
1901 Holton, Suffolk County, England
1903 Death of brother, Charles
1905 Death and Burial

Occupation: house servant (1851), agricultural laborer (1861), farmer (1871 to 1891)

Records:

1841 to 1901 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

Spouse:

Mary Ann Hammond:

Mary Ann was born in 1832 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1919 in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England.

Mary Ann’s father was John Hammond. He was born in 1808 in Thorndon, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1888 in Ipswich, Suffolk County, England.

Mary Ann’s mother was Charlotte Arbin. She was born in 1808 in Eye, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1875 in Ipswich, Suffolk County, England.

Mary Ann had five brothers and sisters. The four oldest children were born in Bedingfield. The youngest child was born in Monk Soham.

Hazelelponi Hammond (1829)
Rachel Hammond (1835)
Robert Hammond (1838)
Charlotte Hammond (1840)
John Hammond (1844)

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 ancestors.

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 with 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!