Hello, my name is Donna Wakenight, and I love genealogy. I have been researching my family history since 2008. I have created over 120 family trees on Ancestry.com. Some are big, and some are small.

I have connected one family tree to another through a common ancestor.  An example would be the Oxborough Family Tree is connected to the Aldous Family Tree through my maternal grandmother, Gladys May Oxborough.  She married James Lemon Aldous.

I decided to make individual family trees for one purpose.  I enjoy researching family surnames.  In England, surnames came into existence after the Norman Conquest in 1066.  Many of these surnames were altered or variated by regional accents.  The surname Oxborough was also written as Oxborrow, Oxbrow, Oxburgh, and Oxbury.

I enjoy creating family tree albums.  I include photos, family stories, and notable events.  The addition of historical information also adds depth to my ancestor’s profile.  Did your ancestor survive a battle in World War I?  Did your ancestor live in a crowded two-room flat in London?  Did your ancestor work in the coal mines of Yorkshire, England?

I hope you enjoy your visit to the Family Tree Insider.  Your feedback and comments are very much appreciated and will help make this website a success!