Patrick Folkes from Canada

Patrick Folkes is an NLHA member and regularly receives copies of the newsletter; he is, however, a little further away than most of us. He reports that his ancestors came from Granby and there is a direct ancestor in the churchyard there, Richard Foulkes, d. 1766. Patrick’s father George Folkes (1912-1991) emigrated with his family from Loughborough in 1926 and settled in Toronto. Patrick is  located near the village of Lion’s Head on the Bruce Peninsula, which separates Georgian Bay from Lake Huron, about 100 miles northwest of Toronto. Although he is retired, at least on paper, he has worked as a historian and in archaeology for several decades, and still does contract work for a local archaeologist, researching backgrounds of property which have to be surveyed. Patrick has a very keen interest and involvement in the marine history & archaeology of the Great Lakes.

He visited Granby and Loughborough in the late 90’s but admits that his sister has done most of the research into the history of their family. The Folkes (various spellings) appear to have been on the land around Granby until the early 19th century and then after the Napoleonic Wars ended up in the mills in Nottingham.  Curiously enough his father’s immediate family had no recollection or notion that they originated in Nottinghamshire not far from Loughborough or that there was a connection to Nottingham. All this emerged from his sister’s research. That roughly is his connection to Nottinghamshire. He ends by saying that he would love to be able to attend some of our functions as they sound so very interesting. Perhaps one of these days!