Introduction

Tracing his family's roots was a life-long interest of (William) Eric Fretwell (WEF), my late father-in-law and his father, Ralph Traun Fretwell (RTF), before him. While their principal quest was to trace back through their main line, they accumulated a great deal of relevant, and (for them) less relevant, ancillary information. Apart from what I call the Cawthorne Origins, the family notes also include considerable references to some other Fretwell lineages. At this stage, whether, and if so how, these lineages are linked has not been established.

Cawthorne Origins 

Maltby Origins

Emley Origins *

Penistone Origins *

I have a particular interest in those people who, like me, have become linked to Fretwells by marriage. To date, the records, as far as is known, of those listed below have been included on the site.

Fretwell Family Links

Fretwell Orphans  

An interesting collection of notes found in the Family Papers, and yet to be properly deciphered, relate to various legal proceedings involving Fretwells. A check on the Hull University Manuscripts and Archives Database has unearthed some additional legal "goings-on" and these can be found at :

Legal and Miscellaneous Records