The Gorman/Rackham Family Tree

This website is the start of a Gorman/Rackham family tree website, with my paternal grandparents Louise Barbara Rackham (‘Grandmere’) and James Gorman (‘Grandpere’) as the starting point.

This journey began with a letter and a spidery diagram of the family tree sent to Grandmere by her cousin John Douglas Rackham in 1990. The family tree that John had researched and drawn is here (a pdf document) and this is the starting point for my research, looking for all the relevant records (birth, death, marriage and other) that support his work.

To this I have added information supplied by my uncles, Chris Gorman, Andrew Gorman, Pete Gorman, Michael Gorman and Simon Gorman (and Jean thankyou!) and also information from Stuart collected on a lovely afternoon of chat a few years back now.

I should add that Anne Mitchell has also provided much information, I duly take my hat off to her for a lot of dates and names but also the more interesting detail in between!

My own research has so far led me into some fascinating history – of the East India Company, the Hudson bay Company, the Boer War, the Great Famine in Ireland and beyond.

I have more information to add from my own and others research: tales of pirates (Red Rackham), famous illustrators (Arthur Rackham) and a few other characters as well!

But I felt it might be a good idea to make public what we have so far, to jog the memory of my uncles and tease out further recollections of their dim and distant pasts (!) . Its the stories in between the dates and place names that are the most fascinating after all. Also because there is no ‘end’ to these family tree escapades, so best get stuff out into the world.

So with the motto ‘publish and be damned’ I’d would welcome feedback, corrections, additions and charitable donations of cherished memories to the cause.

Regards

Jonathan Gorman

PS. A massive thanks to Sam Henderson for helping with the construction of this website – in fact there wouldn’t be a website without his support and technical wizardry. Thanks Sam