HEBBORN FAMILY HISTORY & NEWS -  January 2003.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Which begs the question, when is the New Year? Those of you who have been researching your ancestry will be aware that it was not always 1st January even in Britain. Up until 1751, the official New Year started on the 25th March - Lady Day. Britain was nearly 170 years behind France in changing from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. The change required advancing the calendar by eleven days in 1751. The bankers and the Inland Revenue were not keen on losing eleven days income and stuck to the old system. That is why the U.K. tax year ends on the 5th April! [25th March + the lost days].  Trust the taxman not to lose out!

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One of the guests at The Gathering has the given name 'Hawthorn'.  Could it be the surname of a Godparent? I was reminded of this when I came across the baptism of William Hawthorn Eburne son of William Eburne and Mary Eburne at St Pancras Old Church on 29th August 1819. His marriage to Margaret Ann McFarlane turns up at South Leith near Edinburgh on 19th October 1846.

Yet another coincidence, as the mother of our 'Hawthorn' lass also came from Scotland. She also has a Hebborn uncle who married a lass from Leith. Family history is full of odd coincidences. What we have to be careful about is making connections out of coincidences when we make our family tree.

I wonder what brought William Hawthorn Eburne to the seaport of Leith? Perhaps he was a sailor. If you have seafaring 'Hebborn' ancestors I am sure HFH&N readers would find their stories interesting. Let's hear from you.

John Hebborn.