WELCOME to my website, MyStockingRoots, the product of over 40 years’ exploration of my family history.

I initially posted stories here about my paternal line, starting with my granddad James Aaron Stocking (1901-1965) and grandmother Jessie Ephgrave (1901-1974), and then each generation back in time. More recently I have started posting about my maternal grandparents’ lines too: Horace Brown (1901-1994) and Elizabeth Sarah Fage (1901-2002).

My first explorations involved conversations with family and visits to county archives in places of interest. Exploring my family history has become more poignant over time, with fewer relatives still living to answer questions, leading to the inheritance of photos and documents in their place. The photo at the top of this page is of James and Alice Stocking (my great grandparents) with many of their children, c. 1904.

For me, this site is an aide-memoire and a helpful check on what I have – and have not yet – discovered. I hope it also offers something of interest to others, both in terms of the stories themselves, and the sources used to explore them. It’s been lovely hearing from others with shared ancestors; if that’s you too, please get in touch via the comments options on relevant blogposts.

While I have tried to verify and triangulate as much of the information here as possible, and state where I do not have proof of facts, if you know from your own family research or lived experience that I have something wrong, please let me know and I will update the posts as soon as I can. You can use ‘updated’ as a search term to find posts I’ve amended as new information comes to light.

You can also explore my 2022 project: The 1898 Diary of a Victorian Lady, which isn’t connected to my family, but taught me much which I want to apply to this site too. Thanks for reading.

Dr Lesly Huxley (also Plumridge, nee Stocking).