STYLES FAMILY HISTORY
This site contains a little of the history of the Styles Family, Brick Makers of Coopersale Common, Theydon Bois and Latton, Essex, England, from the late 1700's & includes the Whiffin family of Builders. You will also find family and St Albans Church Yard pictures from the turn of the 19th century, as well as an interactive picture of the modern Church Yard revealing pictures of the family grave stones.
My first interest in the Styles family came from the stories told to me about the family, handed down by word of mouth from great grand parents and grandparents.
I realized that in common with most people little was ever written down and the common knowledge became lost in the mists of time. I was fortunate that the stories were passed with little embellishment or inaccuracy and have proven to be a sound base for my research.
In the early 1980's as my own interest developed I spoke to those members of the family still living and visited Coopersale Common for the first time. This started an interest which was to build into a considerable family tree and history, stemming from Thomas & Sarah Styles of Latton in the county of Essex in the latter part of the 1700's. This was a family tree which not only reached in to the past, but one with width. In the late 1800's and early 1900's many of the Village were descendents of Thomas & Sarah Styles of Latton.
Along the way and thanks to the internet in 2001, a Styles cousin was found whose family line had been separated from my own since the births of John & Thomas 172 years ago, and in whose family the Brick Kilns passed. A particular thank you to J & R Styles for the photographs they have kindly allowed me to use.
We have since exchange information and old photographs which have put faces to names, giving a marvellous insight into the way they dressed, lived and worked.
Many names were passed down the two family lines, one in particular converged to form the mystery of the Bowles family name, who were they?.
We are looking for any descendents of the Styles and Whiffin's of Coopersale Common, Coopersale Street or Theydon Bois who may have interesting stories of their own, pictures of relatives or the Village, or who would like to know more about the family.
If anything rings a bell or you would like more information please contact me, Bob Kent, by clicking here or on the red contact Button in the content section.
Last updated September 18th 2003