I began searching for my ancestors some years ago as a result of discovering that my paternal grandmother, (Clara Cavalier), was of Hugenot descent. My mother had always told me that she was Italian and I was intrigued when this proved to be incorrect.

My father was a cavalry man from the time of the 1914-18 War and also served in the 1939-45 conflict. Both his mother and father had died when he was young and my interest to discover his ancestors had not happened until, unfortunately, after he died in 1968. Since then we have been able to find branches of the family that we didn't know existed and cousins that were long lost.

The roots of the family appear to have started in Cornwall in the 12th century and the name Nicholass means son of Nicholas and is patronymic in origin. I picked up links from Cornwall to Kent, England in the 18th century and our branch of the family migrated to London in the 19th century.

I am Leslie Nicholass born 29.10.1928 and I married Maureen Sheridan Robertson on 4th February 1950. Maureen has a family line with the Romanes Family of Scotland and that site would also interest you. We have one son Scott Leslie Sheridan Nicholass b.5.3.1969. Scott married Susan in 1998 and will shortly be having my first grandchild.

My father Harold married Lillian Rowe on his Birthday 29th May 1926 and his brother Leslie married my mother's sister Alice Rowe a year later. My cousin, their son, Derek was an only child and was born on 3rd December 1930. Derek married Jean Powell from Merthyr Tyddfil. Jean, who came from a long line of Jones's unfortunately died 1st March 2001. They have two lovely daughters, Carol and Candida who are both married and have families of their own, more details of those families elsewhere.

My siblings are Patricia born in Risalpur, Pakistan (When it was still part of India) 26.2.1934 Terry born in Rhaniket, India 16.5.1937 and Christine, Lillian born in Agra, India in 1944. Christine (Tina) married David Crank and moved to Philadelphia in 1974 where they set up home and had two lovely children, David Jnr. and Samantha (Sam) Tina was unfortunately and tragically killed in a traffic accident in the 1980's.

My father had other brothers and sisters with whom I have lost touch and I would like help from anyone who knows the whereabouts of the descendants of Mabel Nicholass who married Harold Eltham in abt. 1925 and who lived in Romford Essex. Of Edie or Ethel Nicholass b. abt. 1900 or Walter Nicholass who emigrated to Canada early in the 1900's. I know that other siblings Dorothy, Frederick William and Horace died early without being married. Both Fred'k., and Horace were killied in the 14/18 War. Horace is remembered on a panel of the Dover War Memorial.

My Grandfather was Ernest Edward born in Lee, Lewisham, Kent and was married to the Clara Cavalier mentioned above. His father Joseph Henry was born in Rochester Kent in 1833 and married Elizabeth Warren from Mettingham in Suffolk. His father, also Joseph Henry was born in Bermondsey, London about 1803 and married Ann Fitness in Sevenoaks in 1829. (Ann Fitness was born in 1906 and is shown in the 1841 census in Rochester as being a confectioner of St. Margarets' Bank. Joseph Henry is shown in Pigotts Directory of Kent as a local shopkeeper in Rochester selling Confectionery and books and magazines.

I feel sure that Joseph Henry was the brother of Robert William Augustus Nicholass b. Bermondsey 1802 and their parents were William and Elizabeth.

My Grandfather's siblings were; Joseph Henry Nicholass who married Elizabeth Day in about 1895; Alfred William,(I have established another line from Alfred until the present day). Elizabeth Anne,(Ihave details of Anne's marriage) Sydney T. Warren Nicholass; Rosa Marie; Herbert Robert; and Walter John. Any other branches of the family who have the same name and think that roots from Cornwall, Deal, Ramsgate, Roch

• My mother Lillian's, family photo. (13 KB)
  My mother Lillian Rowe at the age of 3 in 1906 together with her father, Ernest, mother Lillian and brother Ernest at age six. My mother later had another brother and sister. Unfortunately her father died just before the first World War in 1910 and her mother had quite a struggle with four children to bring up on her own.
• My mother at the age of 18 with her mother (4 KB)
  My mother pictured with her mother at the age of eighteen back in 1921. She died on 2nd September 2001 aged 97 years and 11 months.

• The movement of Huguenots in UK. (2 KB)
  Briefly my origins through my paternal grandmother's line and my wife's origins through the maternal grandfathers line are from Huguenot descent and were originally weavers that came from the low countries. When I discovered that my paternal Grandmother as well as my wife's maternal Grandfather were both descended from Hugenot families that came over to England and Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries I started to look into the origins of the movement of the Hugenots, mainly weaving families, that came over from France and the low countries. My own family connections are from the Cavalier and Ornsby families and my wife is descended from the Romanes line. So far I have only started to look back into the records of the families as they are reported in the I.G.I., the Family Record Office and the Scottish Parish registers in and around the borders of Scotland. I am hoping to step up my researches during the next few months and would like to hear from anyone out there who has a similar interest. Recently I have been able to update my wife's ancestors details which I received from the Scottish Register Office. It is always a question of starting at the right place and doggedly going on with the research. Contact: l.nicholass@ntlworld.com

Leslie Nicholass
l.nicholass@ntlworld.com

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