My current project was inspired by family history. Christine Cambridge, my great grandmother, was adopted and never knew who her parents were, but DNA results have revealed the shocking truth.
Read more on my blog by clicking the links on this page.
Christine's Story
Christine Cambridge was my great grandmother and the earliest record of her existence is the 1891 census, when she was nine years old and living with her adopted family, the Ranns, in Birmingham. She had a few scattered memories of her life before that, but none seemed reliable. We'd always assumed that she was an illegitimate daughter of some member of the Rann family, but the DNA evidence showed no biological connection with her adoptive family.
Instead, DNA matches with descendants of the ancestors and children of Alfred and Georgianna Bond showed decisively that they were Christine's grandparents.
Meet the Family
Christine's grandfather
Alfred was a landowner and rector, who was a respected member of local society until he was declared bankrupt in 1879, with debts equivalent to £20m today.
Christine's grandmother
Georgianna married Alfred in 1850. Her father was Joseph Sidney Tharp, the owner of Chippenham Park.
Christine's x3 great grandfather
John Tharp built his fortune on the labour and suffering of the people he enslaved on his sugar plantations in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica. He also funded slaving expeditions to Africa.
John Tharp's slave-born daughter
Mary Hyde Tharp
Mary was born on the Good Hope Plantation in about 1782 to an enslaved woman called Hannah Philips. John Tharp took his daughter to Chippenham Park in Cambridgeshire when he retired to England. Although Mary married twice and had a daughter, she has no living descendants.
Get in Touch
I'd welcome any additional info, comments or questions