When this site was first posted on the web in January 2005, we had a few skeletons to bury. These related to the origin of our Simmonds family name and the possibility of Henry Simmonds 1851, having left the army under dubious circumstances. Those relating to the family name have now (March 2007), been put to rest. He was in fact a Simmonds from Compton, Surrey. That associated with Henry and the army are still outstanding. However, from information gathered, it seems unlikely to be the case.

In the 1871 Census, a Henry Simmonds of the correct age from Godalming, Surrey, has been found with the Rifle Brigade in an Army barracks in Dover, Kent. Is this he?

June 2009 update. Following the release of the 1911 Census information, we believe we have now found the family of Henry Simmonds 1851. Click here to view the information.

August 2010 update. Following the receipt of information from Loraine and Alan Hall of Surrey, we now have the baptism record of Henry Simmonds 1851. This shows is parents are indeed Henry and Emma Simmonds as we had concluded.
It also seems to be the case that Albert Edward Schoon 1857, great grandfather of Donald and Henry Simmonds (see below), left his wife and family to move to the United States of America. He may have remarried prior to departure, using an assumed name and may have died in the USA (no information in the US death records can be found for Schoon). It is also believed he invented a new type of Bobbin from which he made (and lost) a large fortune (a family myth?). The search continues.

April 2009 update on Albert Edward. In the 1911 Census there is no sign of Albert Edward, but his wife is in an Infirmary in Keighley, Yorkshire. Maybe he had left by this time, though he can not be found in passenger lists for the USA (under his own name). The search continues.

May 2012 update on Albert Edward Schoon. The death certificate for one Albert E. Schoon has been found. It was issued in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA, the death having occurred on 13th November 1914. It was registered by Mrs. Elizabeth P. Schoon, who gave Albert's father as Fenton Schoon, which is correct for our Albert Edward. However, his date of birth was given as June 1861, in England, which is five years later than that recorded for our Albert Edward. Perhaps he changed his date of birth on his marriage to Elizabeth. His occupation was recorded as an Overseer in a mill, which ties in with his occupation in England. So on balance, we believe our search is at last completed. Click here to view the certificate.

September 2013 update on Albert Edward Schoon. One Albert E. Scoon (notice spelling of family name), born c1860, sailed from Glasgow to New York on 25th July 1895. On the passenger manifest he claimed to be Scottish. This we believe is our Albert Edward covering his tracks?

There also appears to be a mystery in the Tate Branch of the family, involving the West Indies and a surname change. Hopefully we can dig out the facts on this.

Acknowledgements.
The basis of the Web Site (the Simmonds element), is the research carried out by Henry's Great Grandson Donald Simmonds. The web site was initially built by Donald's Cousin Henry Simmonds, to ensure the information gathered, is easily available to all branches of the family and other interested parties.

Our thanks go to Peggy Tate, nee Goodman and Rebecca Fuller, nee Goodman for their input on the Tate and Goodman and Day branches of the family.

We also owe thanks to David Town, born in Yorkshire, England, now resident in New Zealand (January 2005), for the information covering the Schoon family. There is a link between David's Family and the Simmonds Family via Sarah Ann Schoon 1879.

In March 2007 contact was made with Paul Gebhard via Genes Reunited. He has provided a wealth of information, including his family line going back to Mainz in Germany. Paul's link with the family is via Julia Burton c1856.

Following a contact via this web site from Judith Flood, nee Hopkins, in June 2009, we have been able to expand our knowledge of the Bembridge family. Judith is the niece of Henry Bembridge, who was the husband of Agnes Mary Burton 1912. Judith's branch of the family, emigrated to New Zealand in 1956.

Following contact via this web site from Gary Bold, in September 2009, we have been able expand the family branch sheets of the Bold and Hare families. Gary's contact also lead to the inclusion of a family branch sheet for the Nuttal family. Gary is resident in France.

July 2010. Through the efforts of Barrie and Jean Simmonds, we have greatly expanded our knowledge of the Gibbs family. We had assumed that the family originated in Birmingham, when in fact they came from Welford on Avon.  We also found that Welford was in Gloucestershire rather than Warwickshire (for census purposes only, we believe). Geography lessons as well as genealogy, it can't be bad.

August 2010. We received information from Loraine and Allan Hall who live in Surrey, concerning a link between their family and the Simmonds family. Alan's grandmother Olive May Edwards is the daughter of Caroline Emily Simmonds 1867. They have kindly allowed us to publish details of the Edwards family. Caroline Emily as born in Compton near Guildford, Surrey, the birth place of many Simmonds's.

August 2018. Following contact from the Reverend Norman Harry de la Mouette, who is related to the Simmonds family through the marriage of his grandfather Harry Ernest Mouette to Elizabeth Rose Simmonds 1885. Doubts concerning the family relationship have been settled. He also provided further valuable information, which has been incorporated into the web site.

Finding your way round the site.
The site is constructed so that clicking on a name in the Family Name Index, takes you to the branch of the family to which they belong. Find the person on the page, then click on their name if it is underlined, for more information. You can drag the vertical line to the right of the Name Index Panel, to the left or right to aid readability. The site has been tested in Firefox, Chrome, Chromium (with additional downloaded fonts), Opera and Microsoft Edge browsers and displays as expected.

Should you find any inaccuracies or have new information you feel pertinent to the family, please email your thoughts and or information to simmonds-family

Site last updated on 20th October 2023