11 July 2023 Major Breakthrough

Today we traveled to St. Dunstan’s Church and Churchyard in Cranbrook, Kent, England, Royal Tunbridge Wells, and Hever Castle. St. Dunstan’s was a fabulous old church that held within its walls something I never would have been able to find if I hadn’t visited it myself.





This stained glass window was had a cheat guide with it to explain who and what each pane was. The glass is on top, and the cheat guide underneath it.

The churchyard had 27 picture requests that I tried to fulfill, but as I am finding out, many of the requests are for headstones that are so ravaged through time, that they are essentially unreadable. The church itself is very old. One of my ancestors, Walter Roberts, married Isabel Culpeper there in 1480. While touring the church, I saw a family tree memorial painted on the wall next to a chapel within the church.


When I got back to my room, and started looking up the names, I was surprised to find that the family tree was also part of my tree. I had researched as far back as Isabel Culpeper, but the information I gained from the family tree on the wall of the church told me the name of her father, and helped me extend my own tree a couple of more generations. Her father was a knight named John Culpeper, and he was one of the knights who Walter Roberts commanded. I was so excited about this find, that I found extra energy, and couldn’t wait to tell the story to my daughter Alex over dinner. It’s great to find something of this importance only 5 days in to my trip. Hopefully I will find many more discoveries during my trip. Here are few more church pictures.





After a little shopping and sightseeing in Royal Tunbridge Wells (and our first sausage roll), we had some time to visit Hever castle park and gardens. No family relations here, just visiting a beautiful castle that was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. It was Alex’s first time in a castle, and I think she really enjoyed it.






It was a long day, but after dinner, we had another first. Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. I highly recommend it for those who ever make their way over here.  






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