User:Andrew Robert Aeneas Francon Williams

Currently researching my family history. My father a medical doctor was born in India, son of an overseas missionary and grandson of John Francon Williams FRGS. My paternal ancestors the Williams are from North Wales and were slate quarrymen. Distantly related Drever, Kent, Rendall from Orkney, grandmother was a Rendall. Great grandmother was another Scots descending from Dougall and Balmain families in Perthshire. Dr William Balmain 1762-1803 principal surgeon for New South Wales was a 1st cousin 5x removed. The earliest paternal ancestor I can trace is John Balmain born in 1654.

My maternal ancestors the Masons are from Doncaster, workers on the canals then the railway. The Platt and Cutts families worked in the Derbyshire deep coal mines. The Long family from Somerset were agricultural labourers who migrated to the new industrial towns. I found a 4th grand-uncle who lived to 100 years of age, although there are many more less fortunate who died an early death. I found two poor souls who were incapacitated and one case of apparent suicide. The earliest maternal ancestor I can trace is John Mason born 1742.

My stepfather was Alfred Ernest Farnol of the Royal Signals, then General Post Office. He survived Dunkirk and the Burma Death Railway. In the 19th century the Farnol and Boland families were small scale manufacturers in Birmingham. My stepfather's first wife was a 4th cousin 3x removed to Princess Diana and a 12th great-granddaughter of James I King of Scotland. Her ancestors include Robert Bruce 2nd Baron of Clackmannan, Saint Margaret of Scotland and King Alfred the Great of Wessex. Her relatives include an Air Commodore, two Generals, a Rear Admiral, and Hugh Trenchard (Marshal of the Royal Air Force). The Lumsden family name can be traced to 1098 at the founding of the village of Lumsdene and Coldingham Priory.

My paternal YDNA is R1b>L21>DF13>Z253>FGC3222, (ISOGG 2016: R1b1a2a1a2c1f3). My maternal haplogroup is H11a2a1. So my distant ancestors may have migrated to the British Isles during the Bronze Age.