After my mother's early death in 1989, we found a carrier bag of old photos under her bed. Some of the people we recognised - my grandmother and aunts - but we were bemused by the number of faces we did not recognise.
I photocopied them and sent them to my aunts. They were surprised that I did not know the faces of my maternal grandmother's eight brothers and sisters. I only knew great-aunt Winnie and her lovely husband Bert. I never met the rest.
I wanted to learn more about them.
My cousin Suzanne set about tracing our great-grandad's Fitch family in Suffolk whilst I tried to find out more about the people in the photos.
So began a thirty year journey through the lives of my ancestors. Building trees was fun, but what I really wanted was their stories - what shaped and moulded them, and the generations that followed them.
This website is only part of what I have learnt. There is so much more to come.
What changed my view of life was the knowledge that standing behind me were generations of incredibly brave and strong women. They have stayed with me through bad times and good, inspiring and supporting me.
This website is to share this knowledge with my wider family and the generations that are following.
If you recognise any of the people, I would love to hear from you.
Sandra Antwis.
lizandarcy@btinternet.com
Join the lizandarcy family history group on facebook to make contact with your wider family- we would love to meet you.