I was much amused when I discovered that some of my ancestors who lived in Manchester were umbrella makers. What better place to make umbrellas than the rainiest city in England?!

My 3 x great grandfather Uriah Martin was born in 1807 in Stithians, Cornwall, England. There were (and probably still are) a lot of Martins in Stithians and it was certainly one of the most common surnames in the village in the 19th century. A recent holiday to Cornwall gave the opportunity for a brief visit to the village where I took this photo of the church where Uriah Martin and his siblings were baptised.  

St Stithians Church, Stithians, Cornwall

Uriah and his older brother Barzillai both moved to Manchester as young men, probably because the work opportunities were much better in the rapidly growing city.  This was a journey of some 350 miles and must have been…