Lorraine Berry

Second Only To Oxford Lorraine Berry

Lorraine BERRY is a descendant of Eleanor Rebecca TIMS who was born in London in 1863. While focussed on Banbury in Oxfordshire Eleanor's family came from varied backgrounds. Some of Eleanor's English landowner ancestors aspired to be minor gentry while many were of the Victorian middle and upper middle classes and included clergy, lawyers, doctors, military officers, merchants, bankers and manufacturers. Typically, their children were sent to private schools that led to higher education at universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Eleanor's ancestors also included prominent artists of the Georgian and Victorian eras. Their work took them to new countries and many of their offspring became colonists. Eleanor's grandfather, John Chamberlin TIMS broke away from family tradition by forgoing his place in the Banbury law business choosing instead a vocation in teaching that began in London. In the 1830s he sought a pioneering life in Canada where Eleanor's father John Rolls TIMS was born. After experiencing an economic boom in the United States John Chamberlin, his wife Harriette Anne ROLLS and their family returned to London and some became office workers in the flourishing railroad expansion. Their two daughters, Harriette Anne and Eleanor Anne TIMS remained in the family home at Banbury throughout their lives while the three surviving sons, Thomas Henry, John Rolls and Charles TIMS looked further afield. All three sailed for New Zealand where two of them settled. Eleanor's parents, John Rolls TIMS and Caroline Elizabeth MEYER, returned to England with a daughter while another, Eleanor Rebecca remained and married a Scotsman, John Howe CHALMERS. The descendants of all three TIMS sons continued to live in England, Canada, United States, Australia and New Zealand.