A Short Trip to Cheslyn Hay

I wanted to call this post "Once, Twice, Three Times a Cousin", but she's my fourth cousin once removed, which totally ruined things.

I met Amanda!

Who could ask for a better fourth cousin once removed? She shares all the talent and intellect of the Shorter family, exactly as I do. With my mum I journeyed down the M6 to retrace our ancestors' steps, see their town, and have a very small family reunion. Or rather a union.

There were many exciting small discoveries, too numerous to mention here in full, but of particular delight was being shown the last Shorter Shoe Shop. Our common ancestor, Cyprian was a cobbler (and in fact a Cordwainer, which was a new word to me) an so was his suspected father Joseph, and the known father of Simeon Shorter, also named Joseph. James Shorter, who I believe may have been Cyprian's brother was also a shoe-maker and his line continued this work down the generations.

Our Cyprian moved away from Cheslyn Hay so would not have been buried here, which prevents us finding a direct modern link to us in the town, however due to the wonderful Mr Trevor McFarlane of Cheslyn Hay Local History Society, we were able to locate the oldest burial plots for people who may have some distant connection to us. Jabez Shorter b.1816 may have been Cyprian's brother and I believe his grandson could be the Jabez Shorter whose grave we located. I need to research this properly as it's just conjecture at the moment.

We also found the grave of Ellen Shorter who at first I thought may have been nee Perks but I am revising my thoughts on this and again will research fully shortly (no pun intended). Sadly both plots were totally reclaimed by nature, and with no headstone, there was never any hope of a dramatic reveal.



I have come away with such a great sense of acomplishment, to have worked so hard to prove that very elusive link between myself and Cyprian in the first place, then to discover Amanda, share information, finally meet and walk the streets of our ancestors together. It was all too brief.

But now we have fresh leads, new contacts and I personally have a feeling of having reached a huge island in this great voyage through time. We've taken on supplies, recruited new crew members and the ship sets sail once more with fresh determination into more uncharted territory...