ANCESTOR HUNTING SINCE 1961
Migrations of people, especially because the labouring class of farmers were affected by weather, crop failures and the 'distant fields look green' belief. Some of course disliked their employment and so packed their very meagre possessions and migrated west and south or were assisted by the Poor Relief Boards to go to one of the overseas colonies such as Canada. This was authorised in 1834 to clear up the Poor Relief burden. Australia was settled in part by so called 'convicts' declared by the Courts often for trivial offences.
As many of the FILBY family were termed 'freemen' they could move without trouble. It is thought that the route to London via Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex was the most commonly travelled, or they went south-west via Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire. Few migrated to the north from either Norfolk or Suffolk.
The Filby Association have members worldwide: Australia, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden.
The following pages share information from some of these countries. Permission has been granted for use of all articles displayed in the following pages.