I've had a great time doing my family history, and the results have been fascinating and totally unexpected. Aside from the large numbers of agricultural labourers that lived in villages in Essex, Berkshire and Shropshire (right in A.E. Houseman's old stomping ground), there are three main branches.

Firstly, on my Mum's side we're Welsh and I've traced us back into the Cambrian Mountains near Nantmel where my ancestors were shepherds with wonderful Welsh names. The last Welsh speaker in the family died some years ago, but my great-grandmother spoke Welsh and my maternal grandparents and great aunt and uncle never lost their wonderful accents; they were raised in Aberdare so the so the sound of Richard Burton's voice is like balm to my soul; that was their accent.

The other two branches converged on the east end of London. One branch can be traced back to the rookery of St. Giles in the 1700s around the time Gin Lane was drawn by Hogarth; two of them were married under the Rules of the Fleet. This branch gradually worked their way out to the east end over the next 50 years and then were moved north during the slum clearances of the late 1800's; my great-nan (whom I can clearly remember) was born in Tottenham in 1889 just after they were resettled; they ended up in Hayes. They have preserved their cockney culture to this day, being very down to earth and loving music and going to see them is like going home, even though I've never lived there. They're what my mum called "a right load of gorblimey's" and I'm proud to continue the family tradition of playing music.

The final branch was most unexpected; they were Huguenots and a lady in Switzerland had done the family tree for one line back to the 1600's, and I've filled in the other lines. They come from all over France: Languedoc (the name is Occitan according to a Catter that lives there), Normandy and Brittany and came to the UK directly or via Berlin and Mannheim. There are some superb records in the French churches of London and I have records of the marriage of my immigrant ancestors in London. Others came via Canterbury, where many Huguenots fled to and eventually they all ended up in Spitalfields and Shoreditch.

I can't recommend doing your family history enough, it's a really fascinating journey and very emotional. We've found Scots, Irish, Roma, Swing rioters (trashing the landowners winnowing machines excuse of poor wages - yay!) and so much more in the family. The interesting thing is so many family rumours were true, and I wish I could tell my Nan about her family history.