Publisher's Synopsis
...I got your magnificent book at the end of last week. What can I say? It is an astonishing work of research and scholarship and quite fascinating... it is just extraordinary...-...very much in awe of what you have done. Malyn Newitt, Professor of History, King's College, London. My Family and Other Ancestors: This book covers a wide spectrum of society with some fascinating individual stories and a number of family members playing an important role in world historical events. With over 3000 relatives found-not all mentioned herein-among the events and people are: ancient Irish Kings 1006ad, knights; Navy Captains 1800s; Battle of Trafalgar; merchants; artisans; professor of languages; New Zealand campaign of 1863; Gentleman at Arms, farmers; slave owners; coal mine owners; doctors; priests; pioneers in education; racing at Ascot, bankruptcy, exiled to Australia, killed in action at Gallipoli WWI; artists and designers, to name but a few. About 1000 years of social history in this gem of a book. It is not a heavy learned tome but a fascinating read. With lots of photos mostly from private family archives. The result of over twenty years research which began with a question - 'Who was the lady in the miniature portrait (front cover) family legend thought she was Russian Princess, but was she?' Hillier Clement has always been interested in history and the stories told by family members of times past. Born in 1947, a happy childhood in either Surrey, Cornwall or at her uncle's farm in Worcestershire. After she left school Hillier went to art college and studied dress making and design. Then a wide range of jobs in, soft furnishings and upholstery, travel industry, farm secretary, house keeper, library assistant, librarian, housewife, partner and director in a number of businesses, as well as being a full time mother, wife and carer."
