Introduction.
I didn't have the pleasure of knowing my own grandparents and lost my own father when quite young. I expect this is in part what drew me to an interest in family history. That and the thought, how would I have been as a person, if I'd lived in a particular time, or group of circumstances?
Jane Ann Atkinson nee Blakeston (1886-1931)
My own surname 'Atkinson', is rather like 'Smith' in the North of England and I soon hit brick walls. My father spoke very fondly of his mother Jane Ann Atkinson (nee Blakeston). He was also bereaved quite young. Thus, my concentration on the family of Blakeston. Which I suppose is a tribute to both him and his mother.
James Beneson Atkinson (1919-74)
I started my researches back in the early 1980's and have amassed a wealth of data. I tend to work on several projects at once. One, of which, is slowly putting my data on computer. Another is collecting and transcribing wills. This website is another and I plan to combine this with a Gene Study. The Gene-Study has commenced. Volunteers very much welcomed. I have come across a number of family lines that have died out and any information with them e.g. the Blaxton's in the UK. Such a shame.
NB
it is not my intention to provide detailed family trees on this website. But my hope that people will contact me for information and hopefully some degree of reciprocation will take place. Therefore, adding to a greater completion of my data with spin off benefits to others.
I will be placing family trees at http://www.tribalpages.com/ for the password please contact me.
I have started to place to place full copies of my sources on the net at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Blakeston. These can be viewed or downloaded but only by people who contact me directly and request an invite to the group. To date there are 20 members of the group. There is a further open forum for discussing the family at: http://genforum.genealogy.com/blackstone/
it should also be noted that the emphasis of my research has been on UK members of the family.
*This website was commenced January 2004. As such it is very much in its development and part of a learning process for me.
