REVIEWS

I kept bumping into this site on searches, but just went on looking. Eventually I signed up and was delighted by the range of original documents and the detail, especially in the wills. It saved me a lot of time with my research and was money well spent. I really should have joined earlier. MF, Edinburgh

I've been using the site for several years now - it's easy to use and the contents are varied and extremely interesting. I especially like the transcribed parish registers for St. Nicholas' Church - which have been invaluable to me in my family research. The extras are well worth reading for their own sake! Mary K., Hampshire, England

This is a terrific site and I have found it one of the most useful of the Internet Sites. Always new and interesting information and at a very reasonable price. Keep up the good work. BA, Melbourne

I found the site very useful because it goes back before 1837, ie the limit of data via the GRO. I was particuarly fortunate because by chance the Reeves family, of which I am a part, came from Sandhurst before moving to London. This gave me valuable data taking my family history back to about a century earlier. Alan Reeves

Thank you so much for all the help you have given me with our Sivyer, Goodsell, Burt, Forster trees. I love the Bodiam-Mill Webpage and gained a lot of records from it. Love the pic's and maps too. All the Best . Thanks Again. Sylvia. From Australia.

I was extremely happy on finding your site as it filled in the gaps on my Oyler history which I was missing. I had thought all the Oyler's came from Cranbrook in the early 1800"s and on looking up your wonderful helpful site I found the two children of Thomas and Elizabeth who I couldn't find before, plus I think I have stumbled on a Bastard child and am in the throws of gaining information from the National Archives to prove this or not. Yvonne

Many congratulations on a first-class site, which has enabled me to access quickly information that would have taken many hours of personal research. I found the site useful for filling out the bare bones parish register information which tells little about our ancestors' lives, views, interests or possessions. John is constantly adding information, so I revisit the site periodically to check whether new intelligence about my family is available. I should commend it to all who have ancestors in the Sandhurst/Bodiam area and the surrounding villages. Graham Johnson Crowborough.

I have found the Bodiam Mill site an invaluable source of genealogy related information not normally easily accessed through other internet sites or without time-consuming trips to the Records Office. Bob C, Icklesham, East Sussex

I found the Bodium Mill web site very interesting as all my "Newman" family came from Sandhurst and the surrounding districts. It is easy to navigate and has information that cannot be found anywhere else. Anne, Preston, Lancs

I've used this site to trace my grandmother's family who came from the village of Sandhurst. Through the parish records, I was able to trace names back to the mid-1700's and with a few guesses, much further back than that. It lead me to go and visit the village where one of my relatives is listed on the two war memorials as one of the many casualties in the first World War. Thanks for all your help. Ted, Billingshurst, Sussex.

I have found the site very helpful because I discovered information on emigration that related to my family. Also, the Sandhurst Baptist Church data has my family members in it, with some really crucial information. Even the data that didn't relate to my family was interesting, from the standpoint of ruling stuff out, knowing what is available, and just general background. It's an invaluable site for someone researching in the area! Vicki, Santa Barbara, California

When I first started researching my NEVE/OFFEN family history I found the site most usefull for local knowledge. Karl Neve, Kent

I found the Bodiam Mill site extremely helpful in my family research as a lot of my ancestors originated from that area. This site was recommended to me by another researcher and I would certainly advise other family tree enthusiasts to subscribe to this site, if their roots are based in or around the area it covers. It is, in my opinion very good value for the amount charged for access. Anne Crittenden, Berkshire,UK

My paternal ancestors emigrated from Kent to New South wales in 1838. I had been studying my family for over 10 years when I found the Bodiam Mill website. This was a very fortunate find as it advanced my research by several years in one day. A goldmine of information that enabled me to fill in much of the detail around my ancestors. I thoroughly recommend this site; to those with ancestors in this part of Kent its value will be obvious; to others it will give a good indication of the sort of information that is available and assist in understanding the everyday lives of those who preceded us. Prof. Kevin Robards, Wagga Wagga, Australia

Although this is the Bodiam mill website it is the No. 1 place to visit for genealogy and historical resources for the village of SANDHURST in Kent with its parish registers (1560-1840) just one of the many items. Norman Bishop, Sheffield

A really useful site for anyone with Sandhurst ancestors. I particularly appreciate the Parish registers. Janet, Wiltshire

The Bodiam Mill website is a treasure trove of valuable information. Reading through some of the records, I found myself realising just how hard it would have been to have lived in those times. John Clifford, Sussex

It is a great pleasure for me to write a recommendation to anyone who may be considering using this website. When a researcher, be they personal or even professional, finds a site such as this it is so very informative as they include a great deal about life in general in the villages that were where ancestors lived and worked. The fine detail about life allows us to imagine how our forebears most often struggled yet at the same time it also shows how assistance was given from the churches mostly and others who were more well off who seemed to have a duty of care for the less fortunate. This site is developing and I am sure that there are many more years of work that will be added by John. I have found various gems of information regarding my family and am hoping that even more will come to light but I do appreciate how long it takes to gather information and put it on to a website. For people like myself who live in another area this is invaluable. This is definitely one of the best that I have accessed and used for my family tree. I wish John well with his research and will continue to watch its development. Debbie, Derbyshire

Bodiam Mill has proved an invaulable site for Sandhurst Parish Registers if you live many miles away from Kent, as I do; in fact this Parish would have remained a blank in my family history if it had not been available. Adrian Parkes, Dorset

I came across this site by accident, and have found it extremely useful in tracing my ancestors. It is easy to navigate and search, and contains much material that is simply not available elsewhere.

It would be good, though, to see some photographs of the churches.

Well worth the modest subscription!

PT, Kent

I am really impressed with the Bodiam-Mill website. It contains an unbelievable number of records from sources which I didn't know existed. It is easy to search, and I have used it countless times to look for elusive ancestors. It is regularly updated, and I always get a message when this happens. Some of the records are fascinating to read just for interest and to get a flavour of "life and times".

As I live a long way from Sussex, there is no way I would have been able to access most of these records, Now I can search them from home and in a fraction of the time.

John has done a tremendous amount of work and should be congratulated. Alison, Wirral.

I found the Bodiam-Mill site very informative and well worth joining. My Fuller and Buss families came from Sandhurst and Bodiam and I found burials (some including age and cause of death), marriages and births/baptisms (the majority giving age at baptism which gave a birth date), relating to my families. Some related family names appear including Nash and Couchman which I haven't as yet connected. Gaynor, Australia

This is a very friendly site that is easy to follow. The information to me has been invaluable for my family tree and as the information is regularly being updated or added too I always find new names or dates. Tracey, East Sussex

I love this site and wish more places had sites like it! I count myself lucky to have ancestors from Sandhurst just so I could justify paying the (very reasonable) fee to access all the material and have a good roam around all the interesting stuff. Of course, it helped that I found what I was hoping for the very first time I went to the records! The site is very clear and easy to use and I like the fact that John welcomed me personally and appeared genuinely interested in my family. Keep up the good work.

Many thanks.

Melanie from Hampshire.

I found your site very helpful and commend you on all your transcribing of records that are not available online any where else: for me here in Canada this is a big bonus. Ronnie M (BOXALL One-Name Study); Canada.

top