The fact that I had to use the word “unknown” multiple times in this post is unfulfilling to me as a family historian. I know my Aldous ancestors resided in and around Fressingfield, Suffolk County, England in the 16th Century.

James Aldous

Born: 1739 Fressingfield, Suffolk County, England

Father: James Aldous (1710 to 1785)
Mother: Mary Unknown

Spouse: Sarah Jolly (Unknown Birth or Death Dates)

Married: 13 NOV 1759 in Hoxne, Suffolk County, England

Children:

James Aldous (1760 to Unknown)
Sarah Aldous (1762 to Unknown)
John Aldous (1765 to Unknown)
Mary Aldous (1769 to Unknown)
Jonathan Aldous (1771 to Unknown)
Elizabeth Aldous (1775 to Unknown)
Jacob Aldous (1777 to Unknown)
William Aldous (1781 to Unknown)
Aaron Aldous (1787 to 1822)

Died: 1810 in Hoxne, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1759 Marriage to Sarah
1760 Birth of son, James
1762 Birth of daughter, Sarah
1765 Birth of son, John
1769 Birth of daughter, Mary
1771 Birth of son, Jonathan
1775 Birth of daughter, Elizabeth
1777 Birth of son, Jacob
1781 Birth of son, William
1785 Death of father, James
1787 Birth of son, Aaron
1790 Hoxne, Suffolk County, England
1810 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Suffolk, England, Extracted Parish Records
The UK Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893

Variations of Surname: Alldiss

The fact that I had to use the word “unknown” multiple times in this post is unfulfilling to me as a family historian. I know my Aldous ancestors resided in and around Fressingfield, Suffolk County, England in the 16th Century. Yet, Ancestry.com has few records in their databases for this area.

I live in the United States and cannot access the Records Department in Suffolk County, England. At this time, I must be patient and hope that one of my Aldous relatives has the information to fill in these many “unknowns”.

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!