The Mortimer family tree
Inspired by medieval history, I began my family tree in 2013. This was exciting for me, as I was the first in my family to truly look into family history and attempt to take the tree back beyond a few generations. After quickly making fascinating discoveries using the Victorian census returns, I soon hit an impasse after researching back to my 4th great grandfather William Mortimore, born about 1787, who it seems was born in Devon but then moved to Bristol before 1819. By profession he was variously described as a dairyman, milkman or labourer, and was presumably from a labouring background. Though William’s name was invariably spelt Mortimore, this is simply a variant spelling of Mortimer, spelling variation common to all names in the past. Mortimore, is how the name was typically spelt in the West Country, perhaps because of the local accent. Further back in time the y was used instead of the i, which was common to all spelling.
The mission to find William Mortimore’s parentage has led me on my own journey of research in documenting the whole Mortimer family of Devon, in order to find the origin of my elusive ancestor. I have closely followed the Mortimers of Bristol and Wiltshire in my research, in order to find more connections, and narrow down the options for William’s parentage. At present, no definitive answer to the dilemma of William’s ancestry has presented itself, but there are several compelling options which are worth exploring further.
In the county of Devon, farming dominated, especially dairy farming. The industrial revolution mechanised the agricultural industry and lead to great social changes, forcing many labourers like William Mortimore to emigrate to cities such as Bristol to find work. This lead to a breakdown of social and community relief structures, and an increased reliance on charity and the state for relief.
The following are stories about the lives of my ancestor William Mortimore and his descendants, complete with family trees and supporting information. The different generations are included on separate pages.
Two Weddings and a Scandal – William Mortimore c.1790-1862
Forest Fuel and Colliery Steam – James Mortimore c.1833-1884
A Panamanian Venture – James Edward Mortimer 1869-1949
Voyage into the Unknown – Hubert James Mortimer
My Mortimer tree is also on ancestry.
See my ancestry profile here.
Family trees
My Mortimer family tree (click to enlarge)
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