This website documents the results of a journey through the history of my grandparent’s family, and started four years ago with a family bible, a pocket watch, a painting, a writing desk, and a copy of a book that featured my great grandfather – Thomas Albert Robinson – on the cover (“The Changing Faces of Woodstock: Book Two” by Julie Kennedy). The bible and watch were Thomas Albert’s, and the painting featured Thomas with his horse, Toby.
The cover of Julie Kennedy's Book. The photograph was taken by a Canadian Journalist
Thomas was born in Chipping Norton on 9 November,1871, the son of Charles and Matilda Robinson, a journeyman butcher. The family moved to Aston, Birmingham where Thomas worked as a butcher and met and married Ann Maria Murphy in 1896. My grandfather, Henry Charles (Harry) Robinson was born there, along with two sisters and three brothers. Around the turn of the century Thomas returned to Oxfordshire and set up a butchers shop in Oxford Street, Woodstock. He then moved to Market Street, where he had a butchers shop and a dairy. He became an Alderman, and owned the first car in Woodstock. The story goes that when he first drove the car it would not respond to his verbal commands, so he drove around and around the town until it ran out of petrol!
When he retired Harry Robinson took over the butchers shop in Woodstock, and the family farm in Middle Barton was taken over by Harry’s brother, Tom Robinson. When my grandfather retired in 1965 the butchers shop was purchased by and incorporated into the adjacent Dorchester Hotel, which was then renamed The Feathers Hotel.
Thomas Albert Robinson with his horse Toby
Many professions and occupations were followed by my family. Butchering was the profession of my grandfather, his father, and his father before him, as well as other brothers and family members. Many were agricultural labourers, and the family also included glass blowers, a green grocer and stone masons.
Bills used until the butchers shop closed in 1965
This journey would not have been possible without he resources of the internet and the availability of digital information on compact disc, much of which was obtained from the Oxfordshire Family History Society. I established contact with numerous researchers, including a third cousin, a pair of second cousins once-removed, and two ninth cousins. These contacts were from as far a field as New Zealand, and proved to be valuable sources of information. I discovered where my ancestors came from – the Robinson, Bartlett and Arther families from Chilson, Oxfordshire, the Tibbitts and Burson family from Milton-under-Wychwood, the Goodgame and Munt families from Headington, the Williams and Hathaway families from Kingham, the Pegler family from Bledington, Gloucetershire, the Moss family from Bledington, Evenload and Broadwell, Gloucestershire, and Timothy Murphy from Ballyroan, Ireland.
As well as Julie Kennedy’s book, other books reference members of my family. The Hulls, Peglers and Hathaways are all mentioned in the book “The Changing English Village – A History of Bledington, Glocestershire in its Setting 1066 – 1914” by Mabel Kathleen Ashby (Roundwood Press, 1974), and Rachel Goodgame (nee Munt) in Raphael Samuel’s essay “ ‘Quarry Roughs’: life and labour in Headington Quarry, 1860–1920. An essay in oral history”, in the book by Raphael Samuel (ed.) “Village Life and Labour” (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1975).
Is the family tree on this website correct? I hope so, and I have endeavored to ensure that it is. But some assumptions have been made. For example, I can find no record of the birth of Charles Robinson, my 3 x great grandfather, born in Chilson around 1807. However, I assume he is the son of John Robinson and Mary Johnson for the following reasons:
This website has been updated and now contains 3713 names. If anyone can add to the research, or can offer corrections or clarifications, I would greatly appreciate it. I also probably have additional information that has yet to be added to the web site. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thomas Robinson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
thomas_robinson@shaw.ca
