I believe I may be related to 'The Last Grave' in Dunwich : Jacob Forster, died 12 March 1796
If anyone knows anything of the Dunwich Forster family and also the Woolner family of Westleton, both Suffolk families some of whom are my ancestors, I would love to hear about them please. These relatives are on my father's side, Rowland Rous, GF Arthur Edward Rous, GGF James Thomas Woolner Rous, GGGF James Rous married my GGGM Caroline Woolner of Dunwich, whose father was Robert Forster Woolner of Dunwich, whose parents were James Woolner and Mary Forster, both of Dunwich (my 4 x Great Grandparents). My own research ends here but I wonder if Jacob Forster of Dunwich's Last Grave is related to them and therefore me. I would love to know. Thank you to anyone that can help. Ann Newman.
Answers
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I have Forster/Foster ancestry from Suffolk but from the Great Waldingfield region, which is a long way from Dunwich.
John appears on Family Tree as L7NC-LTY. There are possible duplicates that I have not investigated. Few sources are attached.
Transcripts of Dunwich records are available
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/179767?availability=Family%20History%20Library
The transcripts are searchable but images of the transcripts are only available through a FamilySearch Centre or Affiliate Library. For your nearest go to https://www.familysearch.org/help/helper/planner/workwith
Transcripts for Westleton are also available
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/159556?availability=Family%20History%20Library
There is no searchable index of these online. Again you need to visit a FamilySearch Centre to see the images.
Note that in both cases these are images of transcripts made some years ago - not images of original records.
Moving on to Ancestry, some members list your James Woolner and Mary Forster but their records suffer from geographical blindness (a trait too common amongst family historians where any records with the right names and approx right dates, or not in some cases, must be right regardless of geography) so examine these with extreme caution. However, much information is similar to Family Tree. Ancestry offers little by way of original records.
FindMyPast has a number of original records that are worth investigating.
There is a marriage on 29 Jan 1776 in Westleton. This contrasts with Family Tree and Ancestry members where the marriage is shown as 29 Jan 1770 in Dunwich. The FMP record states that Mary was of Dunwich. Unfortunately it is not possible to view the original image.
FMP gives 168 hits for Woolner records within a 5 mile radius of Dunwich, which includes Westleton. I have not searched for Forster/Foster - likely to be many more!
More records are available from the Suffolk Archives
https://www.suffolkarchives.co.uk
This is likely to be where you can access original images.
It is also worth looking on the FamilySearch Wiki https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page
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