Publications
William Pike and the Blue Book, by Peter Foreman, published March 2010 in Sussex Family Historian (vol. 19 no. 1, article, pp.13-15) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15860] & The Keep [LIB/508842] & CD SFH40 from S.F.H.G.
Preview:I can recall as a child being aware of a large blue reference book called Pike's Directory at my parents' home in Brighton. It was out of date but I understood that it had some relevance to my mother's family. I do not know what became of the book but the name and fact of its existence stuck in my memory. Recently I began to research my family history and, after the inevitable trawl through censuses and other records, the family tree started to take shape. Like a jigsaw puzzle, pieces slipped into place wills the help of a bit of detective work. There are some pieces missing and, just possibly, one or two pieces from a different jigsaw have caused confusion!
My grandmother Eva May DENNES was born in Hastings in 1875. Her parents were Thomas DENNES and Fanny PIKE. Fanny was the daughter of my great-great-grandfather William PIKE who was born in Earls Barton, Northamptonshire in about 1805. As far as I can discover, William PIKE appears to have had nine children; three by his first wife, Elizabeth, and six by his second wife, Sarah.
My grandmother Eva May DENNES was born in Hastings in 1875. Her parents were Thomas DENNES and Fanny PIKE. Fanny was the daughter of my great-great-grandfather William PIKE who was born in Earls Barton, Northamptonshire in about 1805. As far as I can discover, William PIKE appears to have had nine children; three by his first wife, Elizabeth, and six by his second wife, Sarah.
The Foreman farmers and bakers, by Peter Foreman, published June 2011 in Sussex Family Historian (vol. 19 no. 6, article, pp.288-293) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15860] & The Keep [LIB/508847] & CD SFH40 from S.F.H.G.
Preview:I have always wanted to find out more about my ancestors. Of my four grandparents, only my grandfather FOREMAN was still living at the time of my birth and I do not remember him, as I was only five when he died. Both my parents died relatively young and long before my interest in the family tree developed. Consequently I have had few personal sources to feed on.
Pillars of the Primitive Methodist Church, by Peter Foreman, published December 2011 in Sussex Family Historian (vol. 19 no. 8, article, pp.380-383) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15860] & The Keep [LIB/508849] & CD SFH40 from S.F.H.G.
Preview:When I started researching my ancestors I had no trouble tracing my father's Horsham forebears through the censuses back to 1841 and beyond through other sources. Both my parents died many years ago and I knew very little about my mother's family apart from having a vague idea that a Methodist minister was in the branches of her tree somewhere.
My mother's parents were William SMITH and Eva May DENNES but they both died before I was born. I was able to locate and trace my grandmother's family back to her grandfather William PIKE, 1805-1886, who was the subject of an article I wrote for the March 2010 issue of Sussex Family Historian. My grandmother Eva May was the daughter of Fanny PIKE, who was born in Hastings in 1852, and Thomas DENNES, a blacksmith, who was born in Hailsham in 1851.
My mother's parents were William SMITH and Eva May DENNES but they both died before I was born. I was able to locate and trace my grandmother's family back to her grandfather William PIKE, 1805-1886, who was the subject of an article I wrote for the March 2010 issue of Sussex Family Historian. My grandmother Eva May was the daughter of Fanny PIKE, who was born in Hastings in 1852, and Thomas DENNES, a blacksmith, who was born in Hailsham in 1851.
The Foremans - Political Activists of Horsham, by Peter Foreman, published December 2012 in Sussex Family Historian (vol. 20 no. 4, article, pp.160-164) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/508975] & CD SFH40 from S.F.H.G.
Preview:Some of you may recall a piece I wrote for the Sussex Family Historian some time ago about my Horsham ancestry. In it I mentioned my great great great grandfather William FOREMAN, who was born in Horsham in 1789. In 1809 he married Sarah LAKER who was born in Horsham in 1792. William was a farmer at Bournes Hill, and after at Amies Mill on the outskirts of Horsham. William and Sarah had six sons and six daughters between 1810 and 1825. Sarah died in 1860 and William, then aged 71, married Ellen WELLER, who was barely 20 years old. She bore him a further four sons before he died in 1872.
William (senior) eldest son William (junior), my great great grandfather, was born in Horsham in 1816. For many years he was a baker in East Street and later Queen Street, Horsham. In 1837 he married Elizabeth MANVELL who was born in Horsham in 1812 and they had five sons and five daughters between 1839 and 1857. All their sons became bakers or confectioners and it was this generation that started the migration of my branch of the FOREMAN family to Brighton during the latter part of the nineteenth century
William (senior) eldest son William (junior), my great great grandfather, was born in Horsham in 1816. For many years he was a baker in East Street and later Queen Street, Horsham. In 1837 he married Elizabeth MANVELL who was born in Horsham in 1812 and they had five sons and five daughters between 1839 and 1857. All their sons became bakers or confectioners and it was this generation that started the migration of my branch of the FOREMAN family to Brighton during the latter part of the nineteenth century