You might think why is this web site called Hudgill.co.uk and not Hudgell.co.uk?

     Well my maiden name was Hudgill.

     My father was born and bought up in Epping in Essex from where our variation of the name first originated, our variation on the Hudgell name only changed from the main line of the Hudgell family about 150 years back when Thomas Hudgell was baptised in the name of Hudgell and married in the name of Hudgill.

      But Thomas's life didn't go as he had planned and not long after his marriage to Emma Radley he took to crime.  Whether this was to suppose his family or more than likely for his own gain.

     But in early 1844 the law had had enough of him and they transported him to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania in Australia, unfortunately for him he died on the way and never got there.

      His wife found a new love in James Bettis and moved in with him as his housekeeper, but very shortly afterwards she became pregnant with who was to become my great great grandfather James Hudgill, normally the child would take the fathers surname but for some reason Emma registered his birth in her married name of  Hudgill and not the biological fathers which was James Bettis.

     I'm not sure really now why it took me so long to put all of these clues together, I couldnt have been the granddaughter of  James Hudgill born in 1847 as Thomas Hudgill had died in 1844. But by then we had been Hudgills and lived and used that name for more than for 150 years.

      On telling my father when he was in his late 80's that really our surname should be Bettis and not Hudgill, he said,   ''Well I've been Hudgill for almost 90 years and I an't goin  to change it now''!!!

     So here we are.

     If you are researching the name Hudgell either by birth or have arrived here because you have someone who has married into the Hudgell family then Welcome!!!!

      Here you can find the database of over 3,900 names working from A through to Z and also by Spouses names both wife's and husband's

      If you find a person listed here that interests you  I may have extra information for you that is not on the site at the moment or if you find information that you think is incorrect then please get in touch with me and I will try to correct it.

      I do have a lot that isn't detailed on here at the moment  If you would like me to look in the database for you then please let me have as much information as you can to help me identify the person who is the subject of your research we may have ancestors in common and can share information with each other, it costs nothing and it might be to our mutual benefit

     If you have any Hudgell family photos, diaries, documents etc that you think would help build up the Journey of the Hudgell Family History  for everyone I would love to include them in this website so please do contact me

     The name Hudgell is not a common name but the name has spread worldwide and is now found in Australia - Canada - New Zealand and South Africa, all of us having the same common ancestor.

     Also in America the name seems to have quite a few variations, I have not found the connection to the US Hudgell's yet, but I will!!!!

     If you are an American Hudgell I would love to make contact with you.

According to The Office of National Statistics

database there were

378 Hudgell's in the UK in 2002

and only 6 Hudgill's (My family)

    Genealogy has become my passion.  I find the researching and collecting information that is relevant to my search very interesting and not like some who are just collecting names, I love to find out about the history and lives of the people in this family history tree.

    In the beginning I wasn't sure of my capabilities in researching my tree.  But thanks to the many people, most of them at first strangers who have now become firm friends and from whom I have been given personal information help and many family photographs to add to the site it now makes it far more interesting for anyone looking to find more about their Hudgell family history.