Welcome!

This website will record the research I’ve done on my family tree, beginning with profiles of those ancestors who have left a good ‘footprint’ or presence in the records of England and New Zealand.

There are many branches in everyone’s family tree. As well as my parents’ surnames – paternally WATSON and maternally HOWARTH – the following family names will eventually be represented here:

Paternal Direct Ancestors:

  • WATTS
  • SYMONS
  • BARRETT
  • LAMPLU(O)H
  • STRAUGHAN
  • SIMPSON
  • YOUNG

Maternal Direct Ancestors:

  • BATCHELER
  • STRANG
  • FREW
  • STANFORD
  • PADDON
  • BOYER
  • HOWARTH
  • CLITHEROE
  • PICKLES
  • WOOD
  • BERRY

The name of this website? Research has thrown up some extraordinary stories about my ancestors. I’ve found illegitimacy – more than once – and convicts sentenced to transportation to Van Dieman’s Land (Tasmania) – also more than once! On the flip side, I have a distant but perceptible connection to English royalty. So, Convicts to Coronets it is!

This work is dedicated to my parents,
Gary and June Watson (nee Howarth).