The Bournes
The Bourne Family1 trace their lineage back to John Bourne, born in 1594 and married in Burstem, Stafford on 17th April 1626, according to records at FamilySearch. His second eldest, another John, born in Droitwich, near Worcester in 1629, begat William, 1671, in Nottingham; who fathered another William (1700), now of Westminster. There are gaps in the list of William's children but there is a Thomas, born in 1628 in Westminster, and his son William (1751, Romford) who bring the line closer to credible recall. The documentary trail improves somewhat but there remains doubt when families procreate and spread.
These early records are full of contradictions, however, so cannot be taken literally. Not much more can be said for the recall of the living: even less for the careful recording of such recollections.
Still, the line continues: this William had another William in 1781, who had, as they all did, many fruits of their loins, including one Alfred Bourne, born in Romford in 1825, who is father to George (1860, Stratford) and grandfather to George Alfred of certain memory and evidential relation. We seem to have ten generations or more from John Bourne of Droitwich, down through the Romford and Stratford Bournes, to George Alfred, who pushed his barrow North to the First Garden City and on to a new life for him and his family.
My maternal grandfather, George Frederick Bourne, is the too-cool dude with the cigarette in the back row of this image taken at his sister Kate Bourne's wedding to Jack Mason in Letchworth in December 19282. Standing behind the bride is her father, one and the same George Alfred Bourne who pushed his barrow North to the First Garden City.