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About Bruce of South Cheshire
I was born in 1953 in Crewe, Cheshire. My father's and mother's ancestry are at almost opposite ends of the scale for South Cheshire. Hers is all South Cheshire agricultural, with some minor forays over the border into North Staffs, until you get to my 3G grandparents where two came from Ireland. Sadly, the censuses for both (not related - it was their children who married) just say "Ireland" for their origin. Family story says one came from Cork and was an orphan, so like any good orphan he was swindled out of his inheritance. No, I don't think even those telling me the story believed it.  
 My father's lineage is classic railways-of-Crewe with mostly incoming ancestors, as only one of his grandparents (Mary Bruce, nee Bates) was born in Cheshire. His maternal grandfather, William Taylor, was an engine driver at Crewe - indeed he was one of those respected enough to drive the Royal Train on occasions. There are numerous engine drivers in my Taylor families. The Taylors come from Penwortham, on the opposite side of the river to Preston - I've not investigated there much and may be hampered by the fact that the Penwortham registers for their era were burnt, though at least some BTs survive. However, having ancestors named Thomas Taylor is not conducive to easy identification! William Taylor's wife, Mary Salter, was actually born in the area of Milton Keynes because her father was a joiner in the Wolverton works of the LNWR before moving to the Crewe Works of the same company.

Her parents came from the Bristol area and I've traced one of the lines through Bristol and back up to Blaydon on the banks of the Tyne. That's sheer luck and came about because my 5G grandfather, a chap with the extraordinary name of Victory Purdy, was pedantic enough to keep all sorts of correspondence - in fact, he was something of a family historian himself. Because he was also a noted Methodist (sort of) preacher in Bristol, the Bristol RO was interested in his writings and so I was able to read several dozen pages of correspondence with his relatives in the North East. Gold dust.... And quite funny when you find your 4G grandmother disobeyed her father to marry!  
 My family name is Bruce and it may not be surprising therefore that my paternal family originates from Scotland. Great-grandfather Bruce came down from Dundee to Crewe (eventually) in the 1890s, not actually working on the railways, but working as a druggist's assistant. The Bruce ancestry first appears in Dundee working in linen, then taking up an architect's practice there - so it's quite a thrill when you see buildings that your GG grandfather designed. Even if they are mostly just tenements... 
  
 A curiosity - one of my mother's ancestors knew a founding father of Primitive Methodism, Hugh Bourne, and gifted part of their garden at Englesea Brook, Cheshire, for one of the earlier chapels - which now forms the Museum of Primitive Methodism there. And my father's ancestors knew one of the founders of Wesleyan Methodism - John Wesley himself. In fact, the aforementioned Victory Purdy's father, John Purdy, who had come down from Blaydon to London to make his fortune as a tailor, only ended up in Bristol because of Wesley. Apparently, Wesley had had a plea to go to the rather rough mining villages round Bristol and preach the Gospel. Looking for volunteers to accompany him at the society where he went, and finding none, they decided to draw lots. Depending on your point of view, John Purdy won - or lost - and so ended up in Bristol where he met his wife.

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Getting Around
There are several ways to browse the family tree. The Tree View graphically shows the relationship of selected person to their kin. The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children. The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Do you know who your second cousins are? Try the Kinship Relationships Tool. Your site can generate various Reports for each name in your family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar.

In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool. Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month. Want to know how you are related to anybody ? Check out the Relationships tool.

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