Australian resident’s search for relations in the Clarson family in Leicestershire

I HAVE been doing a one name study of the Clarson families, because Clarson is a relatively rare name in England.

I have had a serious interest in this since 1981, although my interest was first pricked when I was 17, in 1971, by my mother’s family stories.

My mother’s maiden name was Clarson. Her great-grandfather Charles Clarson, his wife Anna, and their three small children arrived in Queensland, Australia in January 1885 on board the “Duke of Buccleuch”, having been recruited as schoolteachers by the Queensland Government.

My Charles was born at Tamworth, Staffs in 1850, and his grandfather John Clarson born 1787 at Tamworth was a Private with the 3rd Dragoon Guards, who fought in the Peninsular Wars in Portugal, Spain and France against Napoleon 1809-13. His Regiment was in England at the time of the Battle of Waterloo. He died aged 42 at Tamworth in 1830, a bricklayer by trade.

I would like to try to establish whether the different Clarson families that I have researched are related. The common ancestor, if he exists, might be earlier than the 1600s.

From my research, it seems that several families from Tamworth, Shepshed and Long Whatton originated at Ashby-de-la-Zouch and before that, Breedon on the Hill. Howev- er, I cannot prove a connection between these families by conventional genealogical research, in the written records.

I would therefore like to start a Y-DNA project. I would love to hear from any male Clarson, who believes that their ancestry originates in Staffs, Warks, Leics or Notts.

Can you please help me advertise, and put me in contact with anyone who responds? I would be happy to have my email address published. Jeanffrench@hotmail.com