Following the Footsteps of My Ancestors

I wanted to throw a quick, special column out there today. I'm kind of excited about something I just found on the internet, and I felt the need to share it. As many of you know, I am big into family history. I have been tracing the Bacon family for years, but for the last month or so, I have been doing pretty intensive research on the family and from where they came in England.

For the most part, my Bacon family lived in East Ruston, Norfolk, England, although they were from the surrounding areas. That area of Norfolk seems to be very similar, in demographics and appearance, to Niagara and Orleans Counties. Perhaps that is why so many from that area eventually settled here when they emigrated from England.

St Mary's Church, East Ruston -courtesy Wikipedia

I have traced many, many of the family members through baptisms, marriages and burials at St. Mary's Church in East Ruston. Because of simple curiosity, I looked up East Ruston on Facebook to see if there were any groups I could get in touch with about other family members who remained there. I found some pretty cool things including the video I have attached.

I looked at a couple pictures and thought of how my ancestors would have viewed the scene. The church still exists. It dates from the 1300s, with remodeling in the 1400s. Even though the northern aisle was removed in 1778, the church remains much as it did for the time that John Bacon and Harriet Helsden took their children there.

Aerial view of East Ruston
courtesy Darren Rogers --Facebook

The Butchers Arms public house.
courtesy Evelyn Simak

Apparently, the public house was known as Butchers Arms. Built in the 1500s, it was a focal point for food and drink (not necessarily in that order). I'm sure that there many an evening spent at this establishment by countless family members.

The fields around the church, where the town is located, once held sway over the Bacons. I can just picture them working and playing around town, raising a family, loving, and dying. There were a couple of great photos that I just had to share. Family history is very interesting to me. Seeing the places where they lived is even more interesting. Maybe someday I can walk those same fields. I would love to tak emy kids there and walk along the same paths that our ancestors did. Perhaps we could even meet some long-lost cousins.

Craig Bacon sometimes is easily amused. Other times he is compulsive when it comes to solving a mystery, especially genealogical mysteries.