I have
been asked on a number of occasions about me, my interest in genealogy
and my own personal family tree. So, to save me repeating it each time
I am asked, here is a brief history.
I was born Sandra Jacqueline Foskett
in Southampton, Hampshire, England (the home of the Titanic) in
1943.
Harry & Violet (Pickett) FOSKETT with Vic & Vi, ca 1912
I
didn't start off to trace ancestors, but back in 1967 I
became curious about the origins of a long-deceased grandfather HARRY
FOSKETT and wondered whether there were any other Foskett distant
cousins in existance. He had died in 1920 as a result of
"injuries" received in the Great War whilst serving in the Royal Navy;
my father was only 4 at the time and had very little memory of
him. The family were very proud that prior to the war he had
served on board the Royal Yacht, the "Victoria and Albert" for three
years. My grandmother had raised the five children of the
marriage
on her own and unfortunately had also passed away by the time my
interest was aroused.
It didn't take me long to establish
that Harry Foskett had been born in Winslow, Buckinghamshire in 1885,
the son of William and Annie Mary (Warner) Foskett. He was one of
9 children but none of them, nor their descendants, were still living
in the town. However, a chance meeting in the local pub (where
else?) elicited the information that the family had moved to Hendon
near London, and eventually I was successful in tracking the family
down. Mission accomplished!
It was then that I realised that the
chance meeting in the pub had produced some rare tales of my
great-grandfather William, nicknamed "Biggertop" Foskett, and before I
knew it I was on the trail of him and his father, another
William. Thus began the interest in genealogy, first extending to
immediate relatives, then to all the Fosketts in Buckinghamshire, then
all of England and then Worldwide. The result is a family tree on
the Foskett side stretching back to 1405 in Great Horwood,
Buckinghamshire, and although the family did move around the small area
over the centuries, only 3 miles separate my grandfather's birthplace
and the 1405 Foxcote family. However, there are still many
Fosketts who as yet do not link onto that tree and I continue to pursue
all avenues of research in order to establish relationships between the
various branches - hence my recent explorations in the field
of DNA.
I am now retired and can indulge my
family history interests to the full. I have one daughter and two
delightful grandchildren: a grandson of 17 years and a grand-daughter
of 20 months. I am lucky that they only live a mile away so I see
them all regularly.
Finally, I have been asked about the
MBE. I use it to distinguish myself from at least another two
Sandra J Smiths who live in my locality and a number of other Sandra
Smiths with whom I am sometimes confused. For the benefit of
American readers, it stands for Member of the British Empire, an award
by the Queen for services rendered - in my case services to
training. Whilst just recently the awards system has been brought
into disrepute, I am extremely proud of my "gong" and will always
remember with
great pleasure my trip to Buckingham Palace in 1994 to receive it from the Queen in person.