Welcome to the family history website presenting descendants of two of my ancestral families:
Samuel Fernee & Mary Harris and Peter Godart & Mary Dowson.
Both couples lived in London, England in the late 1700s.
Nearly everyone in England with the surname Fernee or Godart descend from the above two couples. However, the surname Fernee has survived better than Godart. The Office of National Statistics website has a present-day count of 214 Fernees and 5 Godarts in England and Wales. Descendants have emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United States.
Huguenot? Nearly every branch of the Fernee family has a handed down story that the family were Huguenots. The surname does not appear on any lists of known Huguenot families but this might just mean that no one has done the research and found the proof. The Huguenot Society is the place to begin and if anyone takes on the quest, please keep us informed.
These two families come together with my 3g grandparents, Sarah Mary Godart & Thomas Fernee, pictured here in 1884.
This website is for Fernee and Godart researchers to share knowledge. Hopefully it will help someone break down a brick wall or learn more about their ancestors. The present goal is to identify everyone with these surnames up until the 1901 census, and the females for the first generation after their marriage. If you hold any certificates, photographs, or other documents, please send me a copy if you like. Click on the compiler's name on any page to contact me.
A Note about DNA testing
An integral part of doing genealogy these days is DNA testing, which complements the paper trail.
If you or a family member connect with the ancestral families on this website and have had a genealogy DNA test done or are contemplating doing so, I would like to hear from you. These families were large and chances are great that descendants will share Fernee or Godart DNA.
Begin by selecting the "about this website" tab and enjoy your visit with these interesting folks!