The work which I have done over the years on the Woolgar Family Tree splits the global family into two main areas:
(a) the “Henfield families”; and
(b) the “Without-Henfield Families”.
All the Woolgar families which originate in Henfield are linked together in a single sequence of Family Trees which fills six A3 binders. This Family Tree starts around 1558 - the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and extends to today - some 450 years of family history. From Henfield, the various branches of the family move all over Sussex (and beyond); but the main concentration is in the parishes of the Adur Valley.
All other lines of research comprise “Without-Henfield Families” and themselves occupy another six A3 binders. In time, I hope to amalgamate at least some of the “Without-Henfield Families” with the Henfield lines; but I anticipate that much more research will be necessary before that leap forward can be made.
However, within the “Without-Henfield Families”, there are many very distinct family groups viz:
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The Seaford Family. This starts in 1700 in Seaford and extends to the parishes of Bishopstone, Tarring Neville, South Heighton, Newhaven and several smaller parishes in between. |
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The Southwick Family. This starts in Southwick in 1707. It moves to New Shoreham, Steyning, Findon, Henfield, Upper Beeding, Portslade and Chichester. |
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The family of John WOOLGAR and Mary BURRELL of Henfield. This line starts around 1781 and moves to Upper Beeding and Felpham. All attempts to combine this line with the main Henfield Woolgar's have failed so far. |
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The family of William WOOLGAR and Jane (or Jenny) NYE of Henfield. This starts in 1774 and moves to the parishes of West Grinstead, Washington, Cowfold, Keymer, Brighton, Westmeston and Horsham. |
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The family of James WOOLGAR and Elizabeth Ann DAVIS of the Tudeley, Capel and Lamberhurst areas of Kent. This Family Tree starts around 1805 and shifts fairly rapidly to Australia. |
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Thomas WOOLGAR and Alice HOLFORD of Lewes. This line starts about 1744 and moves to Horsted Keynes, Brighton and Hove. |
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Another Lewes family starts with Cornelius WOOLGAR and Eliza WOOD in about 1812. This group moves to West Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Lindfield. |
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The Chichester Families. This is a major group of families which appear in the City in about 1760. I am still looking for their origins which I suspect lie either in the Pagham area to the south, or in the Compton area to the north. |
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The family of James WOOLGAR and Ann WELLER of Cranbrook in Kent. This line starts about 1806 and once again, part of the family moves quickly to Australia. The remainder moves to the London area, to Ticehurst and to the Epsom area of Surrey. |
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Portsmouth, Gosport and Isle of Wight. I think that this is a very interesting group and I have been investigating them for several years. They were seamen and also "block and pump makers" in Brunel's factory. They move between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, but I have no idea where they may come from originally. |
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The Surrey Families. Another Woolgar Researcher once commented to me that this group appear from no-where in Wonersh around 1740, just as if they had parachuted in from space. This is the largest group of Woolgar's outside of Sussex. They are chiefly in the parishes of western Surrey such as Send and Ripley,Wisley, Ockham, Worplesdon and Stoke (amongst many others). |
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The WOOLLGAR's of Lewes. A seemingly well-to-do family, who distinguished themselves with the "LL" spelling of the name. They are linked by marriage to the influential WEBB family of Moulscombe and the VERRALL's of Lewes. I have been collecting references to them for several years and it is possible that they may have come to Sussex from the Maidstone area of Kent. |
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The Brighton and Hove Woolgar's. The Brighton area drew people like a magnet during Victorian times; but even before then there were Woolgar's living in the area. I have almost finished collecting data on the Brighton parishes, but more work is needed on the older family in Hove and Preston. |
Last updated 16 July 2007 |
© Marion Woolgar |