I am interested in my ancestors and in my family's heritage. As of February 2005, after having my website about John Rodgers Jewitt for more than five years, I finally have new information, thanks to a cousin of my Dad's who has done some research, & thanks to the online version of the 1881 British Census.

Apparently the family has been in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, for generations. I have posted this information at Ancestry.com, Cousin Connect and Genealogy.com, & I am interested in a particular household from the 1881 census:

John Jewitt, b. Pontefract 1839, is my g.g.grandfather. In the census he is listed as aged 42, occupation Cordwainer, dwelling at Abeys Yard, Pontefract, Yorks.

He was married to Catherine Anne Jewitt, b. Ferry Bridge, 1843.

Their children born before 1881 are listed in the census:

Anne Margaret b. 1868

Jack b. 1870,

Virtue Emma b 1874,

Ernest b. 1875.

Subsequently they had 2 other sons

Charles b. 1882 (my g. grandfather)

Frank b. 1887.

The census also lists Thomas Whittan, lodger, b. Purston 1851, also a cordwainer.

Are these your relatives too? I am interested to know who John Jewitt's parents were & where they came from. Also where was Abey's Yard? Did the other siblings marry & have children?

Supposedly an ancestor of mine walked from Lincolnshire to Yorkshire to find work, & I wondered whether this ancestor was my link to the Lincolnshire / Hull Jewitts that are John Rodgers Jewitt's family. The 1881 census, though, shows both my g & gg grandfathers born & raised in Pontefract. So maybe there's no link with John R. Jewitt after all. At least I have solid information about my ancestors back as far as 1839.

If you can add to my understanding of this household, or if you recognise your ancestors here, please leave your questions and comments here for other visitors. Use the guestbook or feedback form at the John Rodgers Jewitt Hub to let me know if you've got Jewitt genealogy to share!!

I have also been contacted by an English relation of John Rodgers Jewitt who can trace her family from Eighteenth-Century Grimsby to London.

This has inspired me to do a bit of work on the website to remove old material and fix the columns so that the irritating Yahoo frame ads can be minimised to the right side and don't cover up my content any more. If anyone knows of an ad-free hosting service (or a service with less invasive ads) please let me know.