I have been researching Mursell/Murcell family lines in England, Newfoundland, and California since 2015.

My ggg-grandfather, Charles Murcell (1819-1902), emigrated with his brother, William Richard, from Poole, England to Twillingate, Newfoundland in about 1833. They worked as deck hands to earn their passage on a merchant ship, probably owned and operated by the Slade family. Both boys made good use of their time, raised large families, and became ship owners themselves by about 1870. Charles and his wife, Mariah retired to Oakland, California in 1889 bringing children and grandchildren with them, including my great-grandmother, Eliza.

Charles became homesick for Newfoundland and returned there a few years later. Unfortunately, Mariah passed away in 1893 before she could join him.

Most of my work has involved locating Charles and William Richard's parents in England, researching Charles' life and the complicated ancestry and childhood of his daughter in law, my gg-grandmother Hannah (nee Dwyer or Baker, adopted as White, married Murcell, Randell) and tracing the families of Charles' descendants who ended up in California.

I have been researching Mursell/Murcell family lines in England, Newfoundland, and California since 2015.

My ggg-grandfather, Charles Murcell (1819-1902), emigrated with his brother, William Richard, from Poole, England to Twillingate, Newfoundland in about 1833. They worked as deck hands to earn their passage on a merchant ship, probably owned and operated by the Slade family. Both boys made good use of their time, raised large families, and became ship owners themselves by about 1870. Charles and his wife, Mariah retired to Oakland, California in 1889 bringing children and grandchildren with them, including my great-grandmother, Eliza.

Charles became homesick for Newfoundland and returned there a few years later. Unfortunately, Mariah passed away in 1893 before she could join him.

Most of my work has involved locating Charles and William Richard's parents in England, researching Charles' life and the complicated ancestry and childhood of his daughter in law, my gg-grandmother Hannah (nee Dwyer or Baker, adopted as White, married Murcell, Randell) and tracing the families of Charles' descendants who ended up in California.