From: G6JPG@255soft.uk   
      
   On Sat, 14 Nov 2020 at 12:53:05, Ruth Wilson    
   wrote:   
   >Hi all,   
   >   
   >Seeing as John has pointed out how quiet it is (where is everyone? what   
   >is the current alternative to newsgroups?) I thought I would post a   
   >query.   
      
   I guess Twitter and Facebook (and all their relatives) for general chat,   
   and forums (fora) for specialist interests.   
   >   
   >My husband's ancestors, surname Covell, moved from Surrey (Mitcham) to   
   >Bodfari in Flintshire/Denbighshire sometime in tbe 1770s (baptised   
   >children Surrey 1769, Bodfari 1780).   
   >   
   >Now, I know that people moved around more than is popularly believed,   
   >and I know there were push and pull effects, so I understand the   
   >principle. But what made someone move from Surrey to Bodfari. It seems   
   >a fairly obscure place to go. I can't see any Welsh connections of the   
   >family before this.   
      
   Have you found it on Google Maps? I find that often useful.   
   >   
   >I have tried to check up if there was a landowner with holdings in both   
   >places, as I have seen that behind a cross-country move, but I haven't   
   >found anything yet.   
   >   
   >I seem to remember reading that Surrey was not a very prosperous county   
      
   My ancestors - at least, some of them (Neave/Neve/le Neve) moved from   
   Norfolk to Northumberland, I think because Norfolk was not very   
   promising (agriculture, which doesn't provide a growing jobs situation),   
   but that was around the time mining was getting going - especially in   
   Northumberland and Durham; I _think_ that was a little later than your   
   move. Could that be a reason though? I know mining was big in Wales at   
   times, but I don't know which parts (more in the south though I think),   
   nor where Bodfari is.   
      
   >at that time - would enclosure have been a factor pushing them out? -   
      
   (No idea I'm afraid; my British history's not what it ought to be! I   
   associate the disruption caused by enclosures more with Scotland and   
   Ireland, but no reason why it shouldn't disturb people elsewhere.)   
      
   >and maybe North Wales was a fresh start. They did actually own land   
   >there according to the tithe maps of 1830 and owned other property   
      
   Though that's 50 years after the move; if they'd settled and worked   
   hard, they might have earned enough to buy some by then.   
      
   >according to a couple of family wills. I don't, however, know of the   
   >family situation while in Surrey (did they have to sell up, was it a   
   >step up or down?)   
      
   Any death dates? My GGGM went to Northumberland to join relatives   
   already there (at least I think that's what she did), it looks like   
   because her husband died young leaving her young and with a brood to   
   look after. (He was a builder - family lore is he fell off a ladder.)   
   >   
   >Does anyone have any thoughts on this? e.g. why this specific move and   
   >how might they have found out about it? Any other interesting   
   >observations welcome!   
      
   Sorry no, guesswork only! Looking at ages of those moving might give   
   some ideas - were they fit young men (who could go into mining), say?   
   Also, of course, look at (at least stated) occupations - around that   
   period, on baptism records (son of Fred Smith, farmer), though marriages   
   _sometimes_ say, and marriage _bonds_ do too - but I expect you've   
   already done that.   
   >   
   >Ruth   
   >   
   (I have some around the Flintshire/Cheshire border, but since the name   
   is mainly Hughes, I think they're from the area.)   
      
   John   
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