Keith’s Home Page

Background Info

Well, a good web page should be like a good book with a beginning, middle and end. I have never written a book, good or otherwise, but I am sure that the most difficult part must be those first few paragraphs, so bear with me.

“Who am I?” is a question often asked by all of us, I am no different to anybody else and what follows is the reply to my unspoken question.

I was born in the city of Dundee in Scotland, and there I spent my formative years. Dundee, situated about 60 miles north of the historical Scottish capital Edinburgh, was once a thriving East Coast port famous for the three ‘J’s – Jute, Jam and Journalism. Sadly, the Jute Mills are closed and the Jam factory is now a shopping centre, however, the Journalism continues.

I started my training as an Electrical Engineer in Dundee but like my father before me was obliged to go south for work. I eventually ended up in the English East Midlands.

Over the years my interests have changed markedly and old hobbies have been replaced by new obsessions. I have always had an interest in photograph and remember as a child the ‘Box Brownie’ that my parents had. Fortunately, things have moved on since those days and I have graduated through a S.L.R. to a digital camera.

I have always had an interest in railways, resulting in my having a model railway at an age where such a thing is just a distant memory to most people. I considered it fortuitous therefore when I had an opportunity of employment with a major British railway locomotive builder.

I have also had an interest in Dancing (Old Time and Sequence) with Trish and this is something we still indulge in occasionally.

Life was going along quite sedately until in December 1998 a Canadian who was researching the names Esslemont/Esselmont contacted us. Prior to that, I did not have any real interest in genealogy but I found a latent desire to investigate my ancestors suddenly kindled.

Over the period of time since then I have discovered many friends (and more than a few unknown relatives).

Genealogy is now my main pastime so if you want to find out more about my name and the people who carried it then please read on.

Keith Esslemont.