Something that I have always wanted to do was to trace my family (on my fathers side) back as far as I could. I originally had a go at this in the early 1990s, but found it very difficult in those days without having access to the internet. Today, it is much easier with many genealogy programs available to join for a small fee.

So last year I joined Ancestry.com paying an annual subscription of around £100 and haven't looked back.

So my blog is to share with you how great the hobby of tracing back your family roots can be and to share with you some of the fantastic stories that I have unraveled.

I hope you enjoy viewing my blog and that it may give you the encouragement to investigate your own family and have some fun along the way.

John R. Farrar

The Farrars of Billericay

(from left - John, Francesca, Lorraine and Lauren)